Category: News

CesarLastra

International mission to share innovation insights

July 13th 2018

Innovation leaders from technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) have just returned from a week-long trip to China where they were invited to share their expertise in using breakthrough technology to tackle real-life issues.

They were in Shanghai for the inauguration of the Shanghai International Energy Innovation Centre and to launch a report on open innovation in collaboration with non-profit organisation SHEnergy and Professor Alan Barrell, entrepreneur in residence at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning in Cambridge.

“In China there is no shortage of advanced technology – however, in order to really impact their bottom line and improve people’s lives, it requires an application that is based on real needs and problems worth solving,” said Cesar Lastra, consumer insight and innovation leader at CDP. “The message they were able to take away from us – and that we hope to continue to develop with them – is that true innovation happens at the intersection of consumers, technology and business.

“We also addressed the somewhat misunderstood topic of intellectual property (IP) and the perceived copycat effect in China. Part of what we do at CDP when exploring commercial opportunities and innovation strategies is to conduct IP landscaping and technology road mapping up front – before going down the path of extensive product development. That way we can reassure our clients that we are co-developing viable, protectable technology and designs from initial prototype through to launch and beyond.”

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A new era for CDP: Cambridge Design Partnership becomes an employee-owned company for next phase of growth

May 21st 2018

21 May 2018 – Technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) has become a fully employee-owned company as it embarks on the next stage of its evolution and growth. An employee ownership trust has been set up to hold the company’s shares on behalf of its staff.

“We believe this is a great opportunity for CDP to accelerate our mission to become a world-leading innovator, with the company’s most important asset – its staff – at the centre of our strategy,” said CDP founding partners Mike Cane, Mike Beadman and Matt Schumann. “It means we can continue to grow without the involvement of external shareholders, so we can maintain full control over the direction of the business and our creative culture.”

The CDP leadership team of 10 partners will continue to manage the company and the staff will have a say in the company’s future through an elected employee council. As an employee-owned company, CDP joins the ranks of organisations such as John Lewis, which is probably the most well-known – and the UK’s largest – employee-owned business.

“We have been very successful as an owner-managed company but we believe that – to achieve our ambitious goals – we need a structure that is not only scalable but ensures our talented staff have a direct stake in the success of the business,” said Mike Cane. “Following a major strategy review last year, we realised that our team wanted to be more directly involved in the CDP story – so we decided to break away from the standard company structure.”

Earlier this year, CDP was named one of the top companies in the world-leading Cambridge technology cluster – winning the high growth award in the Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards 2018. Since it was founded by three engineers 22 years ago, the company has grown to around 120 scientists, engineers, researchers and designers in Toft near Cambridge, UK, and Palo Alto in California, US.

“Employee ownership through an employee ownership trust provides us with a stable and equitable structure that has the flexibility to scale and adapt to whatever the future brings,” said Mike Beadman. “It neatly gets around many of the unintended consequences that come with other employee ownership models. It is fundamentally more democratic and inclusive – values that resonate with the CDP creative culture.”

Over the last three years, CDP has expanded its capabilities significantly to make it a ‘one-stop shop’ for businesses in the healthcare and consumer sectors that need to innovate and launch their next-generation products quickly. While its strength has traditionally been in technology and engineering design, it now also has strong teams working at the front end of innovation – helping clients optimise their innovation plans – and at the back end, where its manufacturing engineering group sets up new processes and multinational supply chains.

“Partnership has always been in our name – and now it means even more,” said Matt Schumann. “Every member of staff, in every interaction with our customers, will be fully invested in the success of their project. Working together, with our goals aligned, we believe is the best environment for innovation to occur.”

Notes for editors

Cambridge Design Partnership is a technology and product design partner focused on helping clients grow their businesses. Some of the world’s largest companies trust CDP to develop their most important innovations. Located in both Cambridge (UK) and in Palo Alto, California (US), CDP specialises in the consumer products, healthcare, energy and industrial equipment markets. Its multidisciplinary staff have the expert knowledge to identify opportunities and tackle the challenges its clients face. For more information, visit: www.cambridge-design.co.uk

For further information, contact the marketing team:
+44 (0)1223 264428
marketing@cambridge-design.co.uk

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CDP wins business excellence award

March 23rd 2018

Technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) has been named one of the top companies in the world-leading Cambridge technology cluster. It has won the high growth award in the Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards 2018.

The judges heard how the company – founded by three engineers more than 20 years ago – has now grown to around 120 researchers, designers, scientists and engineers. In the last financial year, sales increased by more than 35% – with particular growth in US sales – and the firm has an increasing number of loyal clients who choose it as their innovation partner year after year.

Over the last three years, CDP has expanded its capabilities significantly to make it a ‘one-stop shop’ for businesses that need to innovate and launch their next-generation products quickly. While its strength has traditionally been in engineering development and product design, it now also has strong teams working at the front end of innovation – helping clients optimise their innovation plans – and at the back end, where its manufacturing engineering group sets up new processes and multinational supply chains.

The company undertakes fast-track, customer-focused innovation programmes using its proven ‘Potential Realised’ framework to optimise the return on clients’ investment in innovation.

CDP founder Mike Cane said: “Our success is the result of a lot of hard work and commitment from our talented team and loyal clients – and winning this title is a fitting recognition of their achievements.

“Our clients range from small, innovative start-ups to giant multinational organisations. And our product developments range from connected medical devices and diagnostic equipment to consumer products and manufacturing solutions. But, at the end of the day, we believe product development is all about people.

“What sets us apart is our focus on the user – we work on the basis of ‘market pull’ rather than the usual ‘technology push’. We never lose sight of the fact that products are for customers – the technology is only there to make something do what it’s supposed to do at the right cost. We work from the customer’s perspective. Our aim is to significantly improve people’s lives through innovation.”

How AI can help improve sports performance

March 12th 2018

Jason Mashinchi 

I wonder how many athletes in the Winter Olympics had used artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their performance. AI is when a computer is programmed to mimic human cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving. With wearables like Fitbit abounding in the sports market, AI is beginning to play a key role in allowing these devices to provide a ‘quantified self’ – useful statistics derived from performance measurements that allow athletes to improve their training, and therefore their performance.

Let’s take tennis as an example – often athletes will need a coach to give them direction on how to improve their form, and to spot mistakes and inefficiencies while watching a game. Coaches typically set targets and goals by making judgements based on what they can see. Wearables can provide insightful data on previously undetectable metrics to coaches, through readings such as heart rate and movement. Wearables contain electronic sensors, such as accelerometers or gyroscopes, which provide continuous movement information that shows variations when different events occur. For example, a wrist-worn device will read different movement patterns for a forehand shot, compared with a backhand equivalent.

Readings from wearables will be affected by many factors, such as the way the person is holding a racket, what serve or shot they’re doing or even how the device is being worn. That’s just a fraction of the many things that could change, and these variables all need to be considered to find out how the measurements match up to events.

In conventional approaches, computers use signal processing to find events in the incoming readings. The computer software needs to be programmed with various filters and transformations to apply to these readings, and these are used to detect specific, consistent events that may be occurring. However, with sporting data, it’s hard to predict what each event looks like because events rarely involve the exact same movement as there are so many factors that could change. This reduces the accuracy of the device, which isn’t ideal.

Machine learning – an area of AI – can help. Machine learning allows software to learn from incoming readings and to identify factors that affect the measurements. This allows software to decide which events are occurring in given measurements and to get better with more data over time. For example, with tennis data, machine learning can detect similar movement patterns and group similar data together – in effect, it creates movement classifications by itself for events like serves, and shots (e.g. forehand, backhand, volleys). AI lets us process vast amounts of statistical data with less effort than ever – and can even identify factors affecting sports performance that are impossible for us humans to detect.

Although machine learning can be effective, it brings its own set of challenges. AI can never be 100% accurate without vast quantities of training data. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of readings – and it’s not easy to collect this much data manually! Luckily, it’s possible to start with a smaller amount of data and gradually train the machine learning models with more data over time to improve accuracy.

By processing wearable sensor readings using AI, valuable metrics that were previously difficult to gather can be obtained. By combining this data with powerful smartphone apps, athletes can be provided with actionable insights and coaching, which in turn improves performance and helps athletes to achieve their best.

Our in-house software experts here at Cambridge Design Partnership have delivered successful implementations of AI to many of our clients. Just think what AI could do for your business…

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WORLD-CLASS INSPIRATION Launch of new Pyrex range of cookware designed by CDP and International Cookware

February 28th 2018

28 February 2018 – Technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) has joined forces with International Cookware to help shape a new generation of Pyrex dish designs that can take centre stage on the table. The new Inspiration ovenware range pushes the boundaries of material and manufacturing technology, with aesthetic influence drawn from traditional handcrafted finishes and bold geometric detailing.

It’s the second successful design collaboration between the two companies – following on from the launch of the centenary Pyrex ovenware range Optimum in 2015. Pyrex is renowned as a pioneer in premium glass cookware. But recent research highlighted that the very qualities which made the brand so dependable in the kitchen – functionality, practicality and resilience – were discouraging customers from presenting the cookware on the dining table.

The collaborative research uncovered crucial insight which offered a new perspective on the functional and aesthetic design. The new range also had to deliver consumer value and appeal across a variety of sizes, while adhering to challenging industrial borosilicate glass manufacturing requirements.

“The result is an addition to Pyrex’s market-leading range of products that can take centre stage on any dinner table,” said Ben Strutt, a partner at CDP. “Presentation of food is central to the dining experience and the ideologies of being a good host – and the Inspiration range delivers new levels of beauty and refinement without sacrificing legendary Pyrex performance and durability.

“From front-end consumer research through to industrial design and design for manufacturing, our comprehensive understanding of the whole process enabled us to propose credible design concepts which helped Pyrex push the boundaries of what is possible with the material. We are uniquely placed to tackle this kind of challenge as we can draw on expertise from different disciplines, as well as our experience of working within very specific client marketing and manufacturing requirements.”

The research for the new range highlighted an opportunity for an ‘occasional’ piece of cookware that combined practicality and style, would not look out of place with personal crockery set choices, and would support a range of food types and occasions. Ease of cleaning was critical, as was the depth of the cookware to prevent food overflowing in the oven.

“The design of the handles – often utilitarian in nature – required a fundamentally different approach to meet the aspirational project objectives,” said Ben. “The final design has integrated handles that blend into the sides of the dish, appearing as attractive features when not in use.” The new design is manufactured in tempered borosilicate glass, which can withstand temperature variations of up to 220°C – so the Inspiration range can go straight from the fridge to the oven.

“Working with CDP has helped us balance the complex list of demands and create an attractive new range of cookware that is equally at home on the table or in the oven,” said Xavier Frappier, senior product manager at Pyrex licensee International Cookware. “The new Inspiration range combines traditional values with cutting-edge manufacturing and design to give our customers the very best in elegant but practical cookware for any occasion.”


Notes for editors

Cambridge Design Partnership is a technology and product design partner focused on helping clients grow their businesses. Some of the world’s largest companies trust CDP to develop their most important innovations. Located in both Cambridge (UK) and in Palo Alto, California (US), CDP specialises in the consumer products, healthcare, energy and industrial equipment markets. Its multidisciplinary staff have the expert knowledge to identify opportunities and tackle the challenges its clients face. For more information, visit: www.cambridge-design.co.uk

Pyrex is a trademark of Corning Incorporated, used under licence by International Cookware. The iconic cookware brand has offered families new ideas to help prepare, cook and serve at the table since 1915. Combining tradition and innovation, the brand now includes a wide range of cookware, available in several materials, shapes, designs and colours. International Cookware has its own borosilicate glass manufacturing plant in Châteauroux, France, and employs more than 500 people. For more information, visit: www.pyrex.eu

For further information, contact the marketing team:
+44 (0)1223 264428
marketing@cambridge-design.co.uk

TOP DESIGN HONOUR

TOP DESIGN HONOUR – CDP wins a prestigious Good Design award for innovative product design

February 12th 2018

12 February 2018 – Technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) has been awarded one of the top honours in the design world. It has won a Good Design award for its work with DKB Household on the Zyliss Control knife range – a breakthrough in knife design that improves the user experience and reduces the spread of bacteria.

The prestigious Good Design awards aim to recognise the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product and graphic designs produced around the world. They are run by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, in co-operation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. The organisers say the emphasis is on quality design of the highest form, function and aesthetics – a standard beyond ordinary consumer products and graphics.

“Since 1950, Good Design has become an internationally acknowledged benchmark and symbol of outstanding design that serves as a beacon for design-interested audiences in our global economies,” said Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, museum president at The Chicago Athenaeum.

Challenging convention, the Zyliss Control knives were designed to meet the needs of the consumer – not just the professional chef. They were the result of extensive consumer-focused research into how people actually use kitchen knives in their home, as well as their concerns and aspirations. The research was conducted by a multidisciplinary CDP team, using the powerful ‘jobs-to-be-done’ innovation perspective to provide a solid evidence base for inclusion of a range of functional knife and storage attributes.

The knives support many different grip styles comfortably and have a unique indentation on top of the blade to give more confidence and control for detailed preparation work. They are manufactured from high-grade German stainless steel and feature antibacterial agents in the handle which kill 99.9% of all germs. They are also dishwasher safe – and the range includes two sizes of wood storage blocks, both featuring antibacterial removable sheaths that are also dishwasher safe.

“This Good Design award is a fantastic endorsement of the unique skills of our world-class team,” said Andrew Wynne, senior design consultant at CDP. “We know our clients appreciate those skills – as three-quarters of our new clients last year came from recommendations. But it is an honour to also have this prestigious independent recognition of our design expertise. Our approach combines front-end consumer research with the very latest technology. In the case of the Zyliss Control knives, this enabled us to prioritise user needs in the product’s design – completely differentiating the Zyliss brand from others in the marketplace.”

Notes for editors
Cambridge Design Partnership is a technology and product design partner focused on helping clients grow their businesses. Some of the world’s largest companies trust CDP to develop their most important innovations. Located in both Cambridge (UK) and in Palo Alto, California (US), CDP specialises in the consumer products, healthcare, energy and industrial equipment markets. Its multidisciplinary staff have the expert knowledge to identify opportunities and tackle the challenges its clients face. For more information, visit: www.cambridge-design.co.uk

For further information, contact the marketing team:
+44 (0)1223 264428
marketing@cambridge-design.co.uk

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THE WHOLE TRUTH Miniaturised technology from CDP uncovers the secrets of the perfect toothbrush

January 25th 2018

25 January 2018 – Innovation from technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) is set to transform mass-market toothbrush design. The ‘TruthBrush’ technology turns the humble manual toothbrush into a sophisticated monitoring device that can capture a variety of information about how people are actually brushing their teeth.

Using miniaturised sensor technology, coupled with sophisticated algorithms, the TruthBrush can reveal information ranging from how long someone spends brushing their teeth and at what times of day through to technique data, such as the ratio of time spent cleaning the top versus the bottom teeth.

This information is already becoming available in the electric toothbrush market – via smart apps connecting to the electronics already present in an electric brush. But developing an electric toothbrush is an expensive process, the information gathered is only partially relevant to manual toothbrush users – and the vast majority of consumers, particularly those in the developing world, still use manual toothbrushes.

What’s different about the TruthBrush is that it makes it possible for any toothbrush company to gather that same data at a fraction of the cost – and use the information to bring innovation to every bathroom at an affordable price. It could mean, for example, a better toothbrush handle for elderly people struggling with dexterity issues – or a brush that lights up and buzzes when a child has brushed their teeth for the required amount of time.

“This is primarily a service to help clients work out where innovation opportunities lie,” said George Bostock, oral care leader at CDP. “It’s a practical alternative to investing millions of pounds developing a fully connected brush with a whole host of features that consumers don’t actually need or want. A manual toothbrush in the right hands is as good as an expensive electric toothbrush. The challenge is getting people to clean their teeth properly with whatever device they use.”

The TruthBrush highlights how people are using even a basic manual toothbrush – and gives food for thought when it comes to improvements in design. It might be that a twisted handle shape – or a different neck design – could make it easier to clean the difficult-to-reach teeth at the back of the mouth, for example.

“The oral care environment is incredibly complex,” said George. “Even the most basic toothbrush usually has 500+ bristles, and everyone brushes their teeth slightly differently – so mathematically modelling how bristles move around the mouth is very difficult. Add to that the fact that the substance you are trying to remove – plaque – is a biosystem of different components, all clinging to your teeth, so it’s not just a simple question of how much force you need to use to remove it. This complexity makes it hard to validate test methods – whereas the TruthBrush can uncover vital information from behind the bathroom door, without affecting the consumer’s daily routine.”

The TruthBrush uses CDP’s unique user insight service diialog™, which translates a stream of data from miniature sensors into valuable information to help clients make more informed investment decisions. As diialog uses the latest in ultra-low-cost sensors, it means the size of user trials can far exceed those of established ethnographic methods.

The CDP team will be demonstrating the TruthBrush technology – along with other innovations such as the novel Klarus drug delivery system – at the MD&M West event, 6-8 February, at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, stand 1425.

Notes for editors

Cambridge Design Partnership is a technology and product design partner focused on helping clients grow their businesses. Some of the world’s largest companies trust CDP to develop their most important innovations. Located in both Cambridge (UK) and in Palo Alto, California (US), CDP specialises in the consumer products, healthcare, energy and industrial equipment markets. Its multidisciplinary staff have the expert knowledge to identify opportunities and tackle the challenges its clients face. For more information, visit: www.cambridge-design.co.uk

For further information, contact the marketing team:
+44 (0)1223 264428
marketing@cambridge-design.co.uk

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New phase of growth in drug delivery

November 7th 2017

Technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) has announced the appointment of drug delivery industry veteran Bastiaan de Leeuw as it embarks on a new phase of growth in the sector. As head of drug delivery business development, he will be driving CDP’s expansion into new markets around the world.

Bastiaan will be working alongside CDP partner and head of drug delivery Uri Baruch, who has overseen huge growth in the sector over the past five years. Uri’s drug delivery team has delivered a variety of projects – ranging from an award-winning needle safety device and an emergency auto-injector to pen injector packaging designs for drug delivery devices and inhalation products – including successful regulatory submissions in both the US and Europe.

“I am delighted to welcome Bastiaan to our growing world-class team,” said Uri. “He has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the industry that will be invaluable as we continue our record-breaking growth.”

In his long and diverse career, Bastiaan has held a string of senior posts in organisations such as Cambridge device design and development company Oval Medical Technologies and medical device development and manufacturing firm Bespak. He has particular expertise in combination products – but has also spent five years working in diagnostics as CEO of molecular diagnostic research and service company NovioGendix, now part of multinational healthcare company MDxHealth. He has a degree in biopharmaceutical sciences from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

“I am excited to be joining the CDP team at such an interesting time, as the drug delivery group continues its phenomenal growth,” said Bastiaan. “I am looking forward to bringing together the varied strands of my healthcare career to help clients around the world translate opportunities and challenges into real-life drug delivery devices for the benefit of patients.”

Unique diialog service to unlock patient-friendly drug delivery devices

Unique dialog service to unlock patient-friendly drug delivery devices

November 6th 2017

6 November 2017 – A new approach to drug delivery device development is set to transform the experience of patients who face the challenge of regularly injecting themselves as part of their treatment for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) has applied its unique user insight service diialog™ to an auto-injector to unlock the secrets of creating a truly patient-friendly drug delivery device.

The diialog service throws a spotlight on two measures that suggest how easy or difficult a patient finds using their auto-injector. The first of these is ‘dwell time’ – how long a patient hesitates before actually injecting themselves once they’ve prepared the device. The second measure is ‘cap removal force’, which in the worst-case scenario can lead to a patient accidentally stabbing themselves with the needle during their preparations for injection.

“Our aim is to put the patient at the centre of drug delivery device development,” said Tom Lawrie-Fussey, healthcare digital strategist at CDP. “But to do that you need detailed, reliable information about how a patient uses their auto-injector in the privacy of their own home. A patient might tell their doctor they never miss a dose of their medication – but in reality they might skip some of their injections because they are too awkward to administer.

“Drug delivery device developers are required to meet regulatory human factors requirements. But accurate information about usability and the whole patient experience is also crucial if a great idea is to go beyond those requirements and translate into a successful product that is patient friendly and delivers improved health outcomes. Yet trial users of a new device often tell you what they think you want to hear. With the help of diialog, you can discover what really happens – whether the device is used correctly and the drug is stored at the correct temperature, for example, or whether an elderly patient struggles to remove the cap.”

The miniature sensing technology used by diialog is small enough to fit inside an existing clinical trial injector and can monitor a range of key factors such as orientation, preparation sequence and injection technique. Another crucial element is the sophisticated algorithms that analyse the data and translate it into an accurate picture of how a device is being used in the real world. The technology is even programmed to ignore ‘false positives’, such as movements due to patients carrying their device around in their bag.

“With diialog we can translate a stream of data into valuable information for our clients to enable them to make more informed investment decisions,” said Tom. “It complements their existing research techniques and can help minimise the risks, especially for pharma companies facing the challenge of migrating to device development. As well as auto-injectors, diialog could be used in the development of any other drug delivery devices as well as over-the-counter diagnostic products such as pregnancy tests – and it has already been successfully deployed in the cosmetics and sports industries.

“Another benefit of diialog is that it can provide a practical stepping stone for companies that are new to connected device development. Our clients are able to quickly assess the return on investment for their own specific product requirements – and hence de-risk their connected device development pathway. A diialog user trial enables them to select the sensors, on-board processing and data connectivity features that generate the most value – and avoid investing in technology options that ultimately won’t give them sufficient patient adoption.”

The CDP team will be demonstrating its diialog technology – and showcasing its novel Klarus drug delivery system – at PDA’s Universe of Pre-filled Syringes and Injection Devices event, 7-8 November, at the Austria Center Vienna, stand X92. CDP partner Jez Clements will also be presenting the diialog story and its latest results alongside Markus Bauss, managing director of SHL Connect, during the pre-conference workshop on Connected Health & Drug Delivery on 6 November. They will be exploring how the technology can enable even deeper understanding of human factors in design.

Notes for editors
Cambridge Design Partnership is a technology and product design partner focused on helping clients grow their businesses. Some of the world’s largest companies trust CDP to develop their most important innovations. Located in both Cambridge (UK) and in Palo Alto, California (US), CDP specialises in the consumer products, healthcare, energy and industrial equipment markets. Its multidisciplinary staff have the expert knowledge to identify opportunities and tackle the challenges its clients face. For more information, visit: www.cambridge-design.co.uk

For further information, contact the marketing team:
+44 (0)1223 264428
marketing@cambridge-design.co.uk

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DELIVERING PEACE OF MIND A novel approach to drug delivery from CDP is set to transform the patient experience

October 18th 2017

18 October 2017 – Help is on the horizon for patients juggling complicated treatment regimens for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A novel approach to drug delivery from technology and product design firm Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) is paving the way for a new generation of treatment that is easier for patients and cost effective for healthcare providers.

Klarus is set to transform the world of auto-injectors – doing away with the need for RA patients to worry about storing their drugs in the fridge, warming them up to the correct temperature for injection, preparing their auto-injector for use and disposing of the device safely. Klarus does everything for them – they simply have to pick up the reusable auto-injector from its base station when prompted to do so, inject themselves and then return the device to its cradle.

“It’s the Nespresso of auto-injectors,” said Uri Baruch, head of drug delivery at CDP. “Klarus will store drugs at the correct temperature and warm them up when required – minimising the pain of injecting cold medication. It will then prepare the auto-injector with the correct needle and medication cartridge, and prompt the patient to take their drug.

“After injection, Klarus will collect the needle and cartridge ready for safe disposal – alerting the patient when supplies are running low, and reordering if required. The base station technology could be adapted to cope with multiple users and different medications – either in the home or at a small clinic, for example. It uses fingerprint recognition technology to identify the correct user each time and a childproof lock to prevent accidental use.”

As well as RA, Klarus could be used to treat diseases such as multiple sclerosis or to administer vaccines. It could also enable some cancer patients to be treated at home using drugs that are currently only allowed to be given in hospital. And it opens the door to the emerging world of companion diagnostics and truly personalised medication, where treatment is tailored to each individual patient using genetic information.

“All too often, patients with a chronic disease face the additional burden of struggling with a complex treatment regimen at home,” said Uri. “Learning how to use a new drug delivery device and remembering multiple treatment steps can be challenging – particularly for the elderly or those with dexterity issues. That’s one of the reasons why adherence rates are often low – many patients just give up or fail to take their medication correctly.

“Our Klarus system alleviates that burden for the patient and helps ensure they get the full benefit from their treatment. It automates many of the use steps commonly missed or not carried out by patients – such as checking the use-by date or remembering to inject when following an irregular therapy schedule. We’ve used state-of-the-art technology and applied our user experience and human factors expertise – together with our knowledge of medical device regulation and our skills in electronics, mechanical engineering, software and connectivity – to create a radically new approach to drug delivery.”

The Klarus system could be offered to patients as a subscription-based service. It is expected to cost healthcare providers less than $1,000 per system, and the cartridges would be around $2 each. So Klarus would pay for itself in the space of just one year if, for example, a patient was having weekly injections for RA at a typical cost of $10 per single-use auto-injector. As well as helping to improve patient outcomes, it would also be more environmentally friendly – saving on packaging and involving the disposal of only a small cartridge each time, rather than an entire auto-injector.

Uri will be talking about the Klarus system in track B of the drug delivery technology presentations on 19 October at the Partnerships in Drug Delivery event in Boston, US. The CDP team will also be showcasing Klarus at PDA’s Universe of Pre-filled Syringes and Injection Devices event, 7-8 November, at the Austria Center Vienna, stand X92.

Notes for editors

Cambridge Design Partnership is a technology and product design partner focused on helping clients grow their businesses. Some of the world’s largest companies trust CDP to develop their most important innovations. Located in both Cambridge (UK) and in Palo Alto, California (US), CDP specialises in the consumer products, healthcare, energy and industrial equipment markets. Its multidisciplinary staff have the expert knowledge to identify opportunities and tackle the challenges its clients face. For more information, visit: www.cambridge-design.co.uk

For further information, contact the marketing team:
+44 (0)1223 264428
marketing@cambridge-design.co.uk