Case Study: Design that Matters saves newborn lives with SOLIDWORKS

Design that Matters Saves Newborn Lives with Help from SOLIDWORKS

Design that Matters is a non-profit that uses product design to tackle critical health challenges in developing countries, focused on reducing newborn mortality. To create affordable, field-ready medical devices like the Firefly phototherapy unit and the Pelican pulse oximeter, Design that Matters relies on SolidWorks software throughout its design process, including SolidWorks 2015’s integration with MakerBot for rapid 3D printing of prototypes.

Using SolidWorks to visualize concepts, share designs across a broad volunteer network, and produce printable prototypes, Design that Matters advanced Firefly into manufacturing (treating over 5,000 newborns in ten countries) and launched a successful Pelican crowdfunding campaign that raised 228% of its goal with 130 contributors; early Pelican prototypes were also field-tested in Haiti. SolidWorks’s tools enabled faster iteration, better cross-cultural communication, and measurable impact in newborn health.

Design that Matters