Complete turnkey product design in action.
Concept to Production of a Class II Medical device.
Advanced Optronics, co-founded and led by Jay W. Reddy (Ph.D.) Spun out from Carnegie Mellon University with a novel ultra-thin biocompatible microscopic bend and shape monitoring sensor.
Advanced Optronics possessed expert level domain expertise in MEMS design, machine learning and fabrication of these sensors but lacked traditional engineering effort in medical device development and product design engineering.
At Kyflo Design, we reduced the need for hiring accross areas of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design and manufacturing engineering in addition to non-technical design such as branding, web development, and UI/UX interface design.
The goal, ultimately; to design a device that can reliably and effectively capture and digitize shape data from the surgical sensor, process and compress the data on device and transmit the information by Bluetooth to a mobile terminal in the surgical field.
Design services that scale
Ground Zero.
Industrial Design and Concept Development
Initial product conception started with rapid product sketches aimed at answering fundamental questions about use case, form factor and device complexity. Such questions consisted of:
– What technology is readily available vs custom?
– How small can the device be?
– How will the device connect to the micro sensor?
– How will the device be attached to the surgical field?
– What features can we add during this brainstorming process to elevate the design or promote user experience/ease of use?
Fine Tuning.
3D Mechanical exploration.
Narrowing down on design concepts, surgeons were surveyed in each step of the design process eliminating and filtering down the broad spread of design concepts we started out with.
Main conclusions of this phase included, size projections, materials, methods of measurement, indication and user feedback features and cabling methods.
A Platform for Research
Electrical Design and Engineering
A Development platform was created to cover a wide range of components and strategies with ample regulation options, test points, the selected processor, antenna and cable connectors.
This allowed the team to move rapidly evaluating many different device configurations, evaluating different batteries, power draw and usage, data transfer bandwidths, and a flexible selection of inputs and outputs.
While clients can opt to go straight to a final form factor prototype, a intermediate development board is a safe and flexible way to make modifications along the way.
In Search Of Perfection
Rapid Prototyping and Testing
The prototyping phase was critical in narrowing down the top two design directions. This stage allowed us to explore real-world performance across key features—hinges, adhesives, indicators, buttons, and cabling with semi-functional prototypes.
Each design was evaluated extensively by surgeons in simulated procedures, giving us invaluable feedback on how the devices integrated into their workflow. These hands-on insights directly informed refinements in ergonomics, usability,shape and size, and overall design features existing within the surgical environment.
Purposeful Design Driving Technology
Product Finalization - Industrial Design Phase II
In medical devices, aesthetics and usability often take a back seat to technical performance – and while function comes first, sidelining industrial design is a costly mistake.
Time after time, we see products where electronics are locked in early, leaving design to work around rigid board shapes and awkward interfaces. The result? Poor usability, weak adoption, or outright failure—what we call “putting lipstick on a pig.”
True product success comes when design leads: shaping how a device is held, understood, and deployed in the field. In this phase, we’re letting design drive decisions—from board shape to interface layout—ensuring form and function evolve together.
Dotting The I's & Crossing the T's
Electrical Design and Engineering Phase II
In the final electrical design phase, we refined the product for manufacturability, reliability, and efficiency. This included optimizing for high yield and product assembly, selecting the final battery, and implementing ultra-low-power strategies to extend shelf life and in-field performance.
We also developed manufacturing test protocols and focused heavily on RF design to ensure regulatory compliance and reliable wireless performance in clinical environments.
Testing, Testing, Can Anyone Hear Me?
Production Testing
In the production testing phase, we evaluated near production-ready prototypes to ensure performance across all critical areas. This comprehensive process tested the entire system from mechanical components and electrical integrity to firmware stability, software behavior, and surgical workflow integration.
By stress-testing every link in the chain, we identified and resolved potential issues before full-scale manufacturing, ensuring reliability, consistency, and clinical readiness.
The Intersection Of Intuition and Technology
UI/UX Interface Design
The UI/UX phase focused on transforming raw sensor data into clear, actionable insights that could seamlessly fit into a surgeon’s workflow. Our goal was to create a display experience that enhanced decision-making without overwhelming or distracting clinicians.
We worked closely with surgeons throughout, validating interface concepts and ensuring clarity, usefulness, and minimal cognitive load. What began as a stream of numbers became intuitive visualizations, carefully crafted to deliver just the right information at the right time.
Once the data display was refined, we built out the clinical interface featuring a dynamic menu system for setup, multi-user operation, and device integration in the field.
Building Your Brand
Graphic and Logo Design
In the downtime between large engineering efforts, Advanced Optronics made use of Kyflo’s Graphic design services to build their brand. Building out a new surgical software platform with expert partners called Sixth Sense Surgical. We combined ideas and concepts into a number of proposals that presented the ideas in high quality logos and graphics in a multitude of formats compatible with web and traditional stationery.
Solidifying Your Brands Quality
Web Design and Development
In the web design phase, we focused on solidifying the perception of quality through a modern, high-end online presence. Custom graphics and photorealistic renders were created to showcase the product in the best possible light, elevating the brand’s credibility and appeal.
Unlike traditional web development, which often stops at layout and templated content, our team brings full creative and technical control, crafting everything from custom visuals and animated UI elements to CGI renders, interactive components, and even complex technical illustrations.
For us, the web is more than a canvas, it’s a platform to fully express the sophistication and innovation behind the product.