Grand Prix: Life Changing Design & BRUNO: Best Engineering Product
at the Estonian Design Awards 2022
H15 x W50 x D60 // 3D-printed PLA plastic
Collaboration with Linda-Maria Varris & Henry Markus Gregory
Mentor: Mihkel-Emil Mikk // Client: Daniel Kotsjuba
Estonia 2022
The Challenge
Create a solution that would help people in wheelchairs with urinary catheters easily open and close it's flow, resulting in restoring the user's independence and their bladder’s function.
Wheelchair users who are paralyzed from the waist down need to use a urinary catheter. However, many people are still not able to operate the catheter themselves - all available solutions are flimsy and difficult to operate, especially if a person has less mobility in their hands. We created a solution that simply needs a bit of pressure to work, therefore allowing wheelchair users to get back their independence.
The switch clips onto the catheter and closes easily while pressed on with a fist or palm. The "tunnel" for the catheter holds it in place even when the switch is letting the fluid flow through. This means that there is no way for the switch to come loose and get lost between clothes. The height of the switch allows users to easily locate the pressing point visually or by touch.
The device is made from three parts, all of which are 3D-printed. This makes the design easily accessible to a wide audience, while also being very precise and quickly assembled. Printing the button creates very little waste, which can also be reused. 3D-printing also minimizes production costs.
Estonian Design awards 2022
Grand Prix: Life Changing Design
BRUNO: Best Engineering Product
