sensorMED uses technology to make healthcare better. One of their products is a needle guidance system. You’ve probably heard the horror stories from mothers who’s epidural didn’t work during labor. The reason that so many epidurals fail is the dura, the place where you are trying to put the medicine, is only about 3mm wide. Doctors and nurses find this tiny space completely by feel, until now. The needle guidance system uses inductance readings through the needle to determine what type of tissue it is passing through. When the needle hits the dura a light comes on and it beeps! No more guessing! When I joined the company the product was in the prototype stage, a circuit board, an alligator clamp and a needle. Clamp the board to the needle and it worked, but it wasn’t exactly ready for prime time. Using the ideas of human centered design I created an ergonomic clamshell housing that wraps around the needle base and fits nicely in the hand. The clamshell houses the circuit board, a battery and three small LEDs. The lights just above the users thumb help to guide the needle to the desired location. For the electrical connection there is a metal collar that wraps around the base of the needle when the clamshell case is closed, no more alligator clamp! The needle guidance system is still in trials and undergoing the rigorous FDA approval process. I am hopeful that it will help ensure the proper placement of medicine in the body and improve medical outcomes.