QuiremSpheres® Customer Kit

Quirem Medical was founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the UMC Utrecht. The company develops Holmium microspheres that are used for radio embolisation, an innovative treatment method primarily for liver cancer. During this treatment, radioactive particles are inserted locally into a tumour. The radiation these particles emit kills cancer cells.

Clear, safe and controlled
Quirem Medical asked npk design to develop a high-quality accessory set that would make administering the treatment clearer, easier and safer for treating physicians. The design had to feature high-quality aesthetics and be aligned with current technology.

The entire accessory set consists of several components. First, there is the protective housing in which the Holmium suspension is diluted. For safety reasons, the vial with the suspension is in a separate holder. The holder and the single-use set connected to it were also part of the assignment.

User research
It begins by observing how things are done on the work floor and by interviewing users. In this phase, we typically propose conceptual solutions and try to figure out how all the components fit in the whole. Feedback from users enables us to optimise the workflow. For Quirem this approach resulted in a logical organisation consisting of a reduced number of components and increased user convenience.
Due to the radioactive character of the Holmium suspension, the design is subject to strict requirements. Various concepts were compared, and there was some vigorous discussion as to how the concept should be ‘as safe as possible’ in order to meet the standards requirements. The result was a streamlined, transparent system.

User manuals and use
The cooperation went so well that it was a logical step for Quirem to also ask us to develop the design of the user manual, quick reference card, prototypes and photography for customer communications.