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This paper explores how Biologically Inspired Design (BID) can be applied in the development of medical devices through a concrete case study. Nature has been developing, over the last 3.8 billion years, the most efficient mechanisms to fulfil a function and overcome challenges. Based on this giant innovation database, BID has received an exponential increase of interest since the 1950s and has led to innovative solutions in a vast variety of fields. The present study is motivated by a medical device which should be designed for insertion in a cavity, followed by a significant expansion inside the cavity. Once expanded, the device should be able to radiate light for disinfection purposes, while simultaneously allowing air replacement in the cavity. Finally, the device should contract to its original size before being extracted from the cavity. In order to propose radically new ideas for designing such a device, BID is applied to a range of functions namely i) how to expand an object after insertion in a cavity, ii) how to promote air circulation in the cavity, iii) how to radiate light to all surfaces in the cavity and finally iv) how to contract the object again. This paper presents and discusses the BID process as well as the outcomes of this study. 25 biological strategies have been identified throughout the project, 7 ideas were generated and 4 more detailed concepts and physical mock-ups emerged from these ideas. 2 of them were considered interesting for further development, which indicates a good efficacy of the process. The whole study lasted 32 working days, suggesting a high efficiency of the BID process.
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