Erdmann Solutions helps Sophi go global with Rayner

Neuhausen, Switzerland: – Award-winning design and engineering agency Erdmann Solutions has played an influential role in the scaling up of the Swiss Ophthalmology Innovation (Sophi) phaco-surgical concept into a globally marketed solution.

The Erdmann Solutions design team used Human Centered Design (HCD) methodology to help shape the initial Sophi concept for a safe, simple, and easy to use wireless phaco system that offers ophthalmic surgery teams greater flexibility in the operating room.

Global product family

The recent merger with the UK-based medical equipment manufacturer and intraocular lens (IOL) specialist Rayner has set the stage for Sophi and its compact anterior segment surgery variant Sophi A to reach international markets as a globally branded product family. This will leverage the Sophi platform’s technological advantages, such as absence of tubes and cables, with Rayner’s expertise in IOL implants and huge range of lenses.

Erdmann Solutions founder Raimund Erdmann commented: “The combination of a global implant distribution system with the technically brilliant Sophi A platform provides the ideal combination to bring innovation to the world’s ophthalmology markets.”

Scale-up challenge

Erdmann Solutions designers have been working with Sophi’s developers almost from inception of the concept with early-stage development work focused on customer insight research to shape final form and design as well as the market proposition. That work is now being extended to the expectations of various markets to scale up Sophi to a global standard system to meet international needs.

“Our product development efforts are now focused on adapting the Sophi proposition to meet the different needs and expectations of high-end professional users and large integrated practices,” explained Raimund Erdmann.

Meeting customer expectations 

“We have already established that major clinical practices are looking for highly integrated offerings that combine products, implants, technology and surgical platforms as fully developed systems for surgery,” he noted.

“This is also a branding challenge in retaining the original Sophi proposition of hi-tech Swiss quality within the context of a globally marketed product family while retaining the key message of ensuring perfect clinical outcomes,” Mr. Erdmann added.

About Erdmann Solutions

Erdmann Solutions AG offers award-winning human-centered Design and Engineering services that are particularly applicable to Life Sciences and Med Tech applications, including devices, control systems, production systems and packaging solutions.

The Erdmann Solutions approach are built around Innovation, Human Centered Design underpinned by usability engineering and testing and Branding Expertise, bringing tightly knit and dynamic design teams to focus on innovation and real customer needs, with particular expertise in high-risk in technologies in medical and pharmaceutical procedures.

Erdmann Solutions was founded in Brugg in 1978 operating today in Neuhausen by industrial designer Raimund Erdmann, who still leads the company. Since then, it has won more than 50 outstanding awards for its work with companies worldwide.

Further information at: https://erdmann.ch/

Resources

Click on Sophi Swiss Ophthalmology Innovation  to learn more.
Click on Rayner for further information.