Integration of Sustainability in the Design Process of Medical Devices – Application to Dry Electrodes

The lack of design methodologies integrating sustainability into the design processes of medical devices has been identified as a hindrance in developing sustainable solutions. This research aimes to overcome this by creating such a methodology, developed through a “Research through Design approach, incorporating Design for Sustainability (D4S) into the design process applied at the ULB BEAMS research group. As an illustration, this methodology was used in the development of electroencephalogram (EEG) dry electrodes. A simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was utilized to quantify the environmental impact of the final concepts. These calculations showed a significant reduction in
$\mathrm{C}{{\mathrm{O}}_{2}}$
emissions of the final concept, a filled silicone electrode (at the embodiment design phase), compared to initially developed EEG electrodes, a coated silicone electrode (developed without the sustainable design methodology). Methodologically considering sustainability throughout the design process of medical devices can thus help achieve preferable outcomes. Further research is proposed to refine the methodology, explore variations in the implementation of medical device design processes, conduct additional case studies, and develop a new quantification tool to assess the full impact of medical devices. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of integrating sustainability into medical device design to effectively address environmental and potentially social challenges.