Design that supports medical and health care

RICOH MEG (magnetoencephalography) system
The “RICOH MEG” system measures small magnetic fields produced within regions of the brain, enabling the brain to be scanned and analyzed without pain or distress. While MRI measures the shape, MEG measures activity. This data is used to analyze the brain’s neural activity for use in medical fields such as neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. The system supports medical care by providing a software that is optimized for scanning and analysis at clinics and hospitals. The system also supports medical research by being used in the elucidation of complex brain functions, and in other fields of applied research.
Release date: July 9, 2018
Product introduction page

RICOH MEG’s screens are designed based on the process of how doctors and clinical laboratory staff come to make analytical and treatment decisions.
(A) shows magnetic field waveforms and brain waves over a period of time. If the operator is concerned about a certain part, he can click on that part to select it.
(B) then zooms in onto the selected part for more detailed analysis.
(C) displays the electro-magnetic activity during the selected time period as blue and red contour lines on an image of the brain. Activity source is displayed on the MRI image at the bottom.
(D) shows an image of the patient during that time period. A list of annotations and notes can also be displayed.
In RICOH MEG, the displays (A) to (D) are always linked. By selecting a waveform, brain activity at that point of time can be visualized from different perspectives. The display flows seamlessly from left to right, in the same direction as how thoughts flow in the mind of the doctor or clinical laboratory staff. These innovations reduce analysis time, and greatly improve the work efficiency of the operator.

In the beginning, communication with medical staff was not easy. “Doctors are very busy; you should not call them up all the time. At first I was worried about how we could build relationships with them,” said Shinohara.
To understand the situation in clinics and hospitals, and get ideas from visits and interviews, we first need to have the basic knowledge and information on that discipline. And so, we studied not only about medical equipment, but also about epilepsy, which is typically diagnosed using magnetoencephalography. By doing so, we were able to communicate smoothly with medical staff and built a relationship of trust.
We also realized that in order to understand how medical staff feel, we need to stand in the position of the doctor and imagine how the doctor will actually use the equipment. By experiencing how such devices are operated and how the results are diagnosed, even becoming test subjects ourselves, we asked questions, presented hypotheses, and exchanged opinions with medical staff based on our experiences. However, we are not doctors. It is therefore important to ask whenever we have questions. If we had proceeded based on assumptions or suppositions, we would not have been able to gain the trust of medical staff actually using such devices.

Based on the information gathered through visits and interviews, Shinohara held an in-house workshop to plot a customer journey map together with the engineers. Work processes and the division of roles were defined; thoughts of those involved, as well as hints, were added in the map. By co-creating a map that makes visible how the equipment is used in clinics and hospitals, likely “points of stress” are picked up and shared, and the challenges were identified. This makes it clear where we need to focus our efforts on. We were also able to gain opinions from the busy doctors on this journey map, thus facilitating smooth communication.
As the planner, Shinohara identified the issues that cause burden to medical staff. These were reflected in the planned specifications and also the design of the product.