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Product Background
The ATEC Breast Biopsy and Excision System: Sapphire™ unit console is the first ever all-in-one vacuum-assisted breast biopsy system capable of minimally invasive tissue excision in the three primary diagnostic imaging modalities of ultrasound, stereotactic x-ray and MRI.
The Challenge
 The goal of the project was to transform the medical equipment design of the initial “flagship” console into one that displayed the company’s commitment to a compassionate and patient-friendly biopsy solution. The interaction between the console and patient was as important as the interaction between the console and clinicians/physicians. The new design had to accommodate multiple features including softening the noise level, reshaping patient perceptions of the unit through improved aesthetics, simplifying the user interface, and increasing safety of the unit.The newly designed unit also had updated space requirements which meant improving the unit by incorporating a smaller footprint.
The Design
 Overall, the designers considered the needs of clinicians/physicians, which focused on maintaining the speed, safety and ease of the biopsy procedure. This design was accomplished by incorporating soft curves, warm color selections that are standard in the medical community and a significantly reduced motor sound that is not intimidating to the patient. The ATEC Sapphire™ console was designed within the limited space restrictions that physicians face in today’s procedure rooms. The new system is 25 percent smaller than its predecessor and is significantly lighter weight than the original design, increasing mobility and the ease of transportation for the Suros sales team and medical personnel.
For the Patient
The smooth, soft lines of the newly designed console unit exemplify the compassionate approach that Suros takes in developing its technology. The ATEC® system was also designed with sound-proof foam to reduce the amount of noise produced by the vacuum that is necessary to perform the biopsy. This was considered a significant and necessary achievement to help create a more “safe” environment for the patient, subsequently lowering an already stressful situation and minimizing the emotional trauma of a diagnostic procedure. The color palette was chosen to be soothing and subtle to the patient. These colors are also accepted as standard clinical color schemes, which consider the aesthetic preferences of the medical facilities.
For the User
Maintaining the console’s integrity for offering clinicians a method for a fast, safe and easy, minimally invasive breast biopsy procedure was of paramount importance. In order to maintain these product features and benefits, the operator control pad was redesigned to have a more intuitive user interface. Using a touch pad membrane versus manual buttons gave the unit a more sophisticated, high-tech and intelligent look and feel. The easy unit hook-up receptacles were repositioned and separated from the user interface for ease of identification. All of these changes also enhanced cleaning and maintenance of the unit.
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