Designers: Bret Recor, Kenneth Young, Sehee Ahn, Charlie Weber, Merric French, Box Clever, San Francisco, California, USA
Manufacturer: Vave Health, Santa Clara, California, USA
Vave is an innovative handheld ultrasound device with the ability to wirelessly connect with any smartphone or tablet.
As a healthcare product, the portability of Vave allows clinicians and medical students the flexibility to provide enhanced care beyond a person's physical location or environmental barriers.
Designed in collaboration with San Francisco studio Box Clever, Vave is an easier, more flexible alternative to a traditional ultrasound.
With ultrasound devices being such an integral part of medical equipment, Vave reimagines its design and user experience entirely. Prioritizing human considerations, the shape and size of Vave was crafted to create a product which can be balanced in your hand, while the proportions are small enough to hold in multiple orientations.
The Vave Untethered Ultrasound is a breakthrough in modern healthcare. Working in collaboration with the Vave health team and engineering partners, Box Clever designed the device with an architectural layout that enables rechargeable batteries to support the portable use case in an elegant, intuitive way.
Box Clever designed the battery as an independent element to the main body, allowing for it to be swapped out and replaced in a matter of seconds.
Retention features allow the battery to slide off the end of the product on a track system for a smooth interchange, without having to open any covers or press any buttons.
Ultrasound is a high-intensity function, requiring frequent charging so we also created a battery charger that can live on a countertop or be mounted to a wall, further aiding the device’s accessibility.
We also incorporated a flexible, sealed button for wireless pairing with a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
Through the design process, and the synthesis of functionality, aesthetics and materials, Vave has created an innovative ultrasound product which can provide care with no boundaries. Accessible and easy to use, Vave blends state of the art technology with a sleek and robust design to create a product essential to healthcare professionals, clinicians and medical students.
The choice of materials is key to the product's overall functionality and user experience. As the ultrasound processors quickly rise in temperature, Box Clever needed to employ a material that would dissipate heat quickly and effectively.
In response, the Vave Ultrasound uses a cast-metal magnesium case on the inner shell of the ultrasound — the magnesium acts to prevent overheating and allows for the device to meet thermal testing requirements.
The decision to introduce a silicone sleeve to encapsulate the device enhances the grip and control, makes it waterproof, and allows easy disinfection of the device with hospital-grade cleaning agents.
