Product Development - What's Involved?
Developing new veterinary instruments isn’t just about designing tools—it’s about solving real-world challenges for veterinarians and their patients. At Vi, product development is a collaborative process, guided by clinical evidence, expert input, and cutting-edge technology. In this interview, Vi Product Engineer, Barnaby King (MEng) takes us behind the scenes, sharing how new ideas take shape, the role of research and prototyping, and the importance of working closely with veterinary professionals to create innovative, high-quality solutions.
What inspires the development of a new product at Veterinary Instrumentation?
Product ideas can emerge from a variety of sources. Often, they are from Vets who approach us directly or from our Advisory Board of veterinary professionals. On other occasions, we notice a gap in our range or a market demand for a certain type of product. Regardless of the source, what matters most is that the idea will benefit our customers and their patients.
Communication with our Advisory Board and feedback from other avenues helps us to stay up to date on new surgical methods or any products that would be beneficial to bring to market. We also stay up to date by reviewing literature and recent publications. These help us to know of upcoming trends or new recommendations for best practices.
The BOAS mouth gag is a prime example of a product born out of a specific customer need. The demand for a more effective solution for BOAS surgery became clear with the rising popularity of Brachycephalic dogs. Prior to the development of this product, many makeshift devices were being used to support the dog’s mouth during surgery in an attempt to improve access and visibility. However, these devices were often unsafe or ineffective in achieving the desired outcome.
Jane Ladlow (MA VetMB CertVR CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS, Granta Veterinary Specialists) first approached us at a conference about her desire to design a stand that would be softer and easier on Brachycephalic dogs during BOAS surgery, and which would provide great exposure during the procedure. From that initial discussion, we embarked on a collaborative development process to create a stand that would meet these specific needs.
The development of the stand took several years. We began with a preliminary design, sending prototypes to Jane Ladlow for testing. Through continuous collaboration and rigorous testing, we refined the design to ensure it met the specific needs of Brachycephalic dogs and the surgeons working with them. Once we had the final version, we moved into full-scale production and launched the product. Jane has expressed her satisfaction with the device, as it has significantly improved both the safety and efficiency of BOAS surgeries, and we are proud to have contributed to such an important advancement in veterinary care.
BOAS Mouthgag (patent no. GB2616493).
What is the role of the Vi Advisory Board?
The Advisory Board are involved in projects from inception to completion. They propose project ideas, help us to decide on product features, test products, and much more.
They provide a snapshot of what vets are using and interested in, which helps us to know what projects to focus our attention on. We have quarterly meetings online and in person where we go over updates for our projects and explain any design decisions. During these meetings, the Advisory Board contribute their knowledge and experiences which helps guide us in the products design. We also have a group chat which is a great way for more informal conversations about product development or the Veterinary industry.
Vi Advisory Board and Engineering Team, 2024.
What research methods do you use when starting a new project?
Working closely with our Advisory Board of key opinion leaders provides a snapshot of the veterinary industry's opinions on products, so this is usually the starting point of our research. Following this, we research what the wider market is using both here in the UK and abroad, and the best practices that are in place for related surgeries and new developments in surgical technique. Focusing on these areas provides insights what veterinarians find most useful and allows us to assess the potential impact of introducing a new device to the market.
Veterinary science and clinical evidence play a massive role in the early planning stages of product development. We typically do not incorporate a design feature unless there is clinical evidence to support its effectiveness, making such evidence essential in shaping the products we develop.
Customer feedback is also incredibly important, and we are in the process of reworking our feedback forms so that we can capture more input that will influence our projects going forward. We hope these new forms will provide us with the clearest picture of the current veterinary market and know what it is that vets are wanting so that we can supply the most useful products to our customers.
Can you walk us through the Vi design and prototyping process?
Firstly, we see if we have any similar products that are proven within the industry as these are often the best starting points for any new products. Building upon this, we see what features Vets prioritise so that these can be at the forefront of our concept design.
For plates, we begin by creating the basic plate and decide if contouring is required. If it is, we then shape the plates on 3D models of patients made from CT scans. Doing this allows us to consider the unique anatomy of different breeds to produce well-fitting plates.
After we have created the plate shape, we place any screws or k-wire holes and angle them appropriately. The screws and pins are also aligned on CT scans for a variety of patients. Once screw placement has been decided, we are ready to add any finishing touches before the design is ready for samples and testing.
Functionality, durability, and ease of use are all vital in making the product something that customers want to use, so are important to consider at each step of the project. Without functionality, the product would lack clinical relevance. On the other hand, if the product has strong clinical application but is difficult to use, the functionality becomes inaccessible. Durability must also be considered, as if the function is there and easy to use but the device itself is not equipped to allow the use of its own function then the product would ultimately be ineffective. To ensure all the components of design are balanced, we consider each at all stages and regularly review how well the product is balanced.
To assist in designing and reviewing products, we use 3D printing to create the initial samples. This method provides a tangible representation of our digital designs, offering a way to visualise the product beyond digital models. It also allows us to better understand how the products will be used in practice, as we can conduct mock surgeries using the 3D printed samples to assess their functionality.
When samples are received from manufacturers they are reviewed for dimensional accuracy and strength before we send them out to vets for in-vivo testing. The team of vets is usually comprised of our Advisory Board plus a few others. These vets put the products to the test and closely monitor any surgeries completed with the products to make sure that they have functioned as intended.
How do you select the materials and manufacturers you use for your products?
When it comes to selecting the materials for our products we check standards, such as ISO 5832-1, and follow the recommended materials, as well as using what is tried and tested in the industry. If more novel or new materials are needed, we work closely with trusted manufacturers and we perform in-house testing of the structural properties to ensure that only reliable materials are used.
We use tried and trusted manufacturers, many of whom make human medical devices. Although we do not just leave it to them; we also perform thorough QC checks where we make sure that products meet our product specifications. Although it may be easy for manufacturers to get one sample right, it can be hard to keep hundreds of products consistent; therefore our stringent QC procedure checks new and existing products and any issues that arise are taken seriously.
What kind of testing processes do your products go through before launch?
We individually gauge the level of testing required for each product as they have their own use case and risks associated. Before any plate goes to in-vivo testing, it will have already been digitally placed on a wide range of 3D bones that are generated from CT scans. In-vivo testing is usually led by our Advisory Board, but many other vets have also been involved in past projects.
What steps are involved in launching a new product?
To prepare for product launch, we produce marketing renders, instruction for use documents, digital planning templates and feedback forms. Our feedback forms can be used to recommend improvements or to tell us how a product has worked for our customers. Customers can also contact our customer support team who will listen to and advise on any issues encountered with any of our products.
Customers can also attend our organised CPD events which are a great way to get new products into the hands of vets. Our online webinars are also key for demonstrating the best methods to use products, whether new or old. However, for those who cannot attend these events, we have surgical guides and instructional documents for many of our products.
What is the biggest challenge you face during product development?
One of the biggest challenges is producing a range of products that is well suited to all breeds of either cats or dogs and sometimes both. As Engineers, we were primarily trained in human medical instrumentation, so when moving into veterinary the biggest challenge is that we must create a wider range of product sizes.
Over the years, we have constantly adapted and adjusted the way we work to best suit the market and overcome any challenges we have encountered. One recent improvement we have made to our workflow is to use newer technologies such as 3D printing. This is essential because being able to make physical representations of products sooner helps to smooth out the design process.
How do you stay ahead of trends and technological advancements in veterinary instrumentation?
We try to stay as up to date as possible with technological advancements in veterinary care by keeping our eye on any emerging trends and by maintaining good relationships with vets in a variety of fields. It can be difficult to predict the future of veterinary tools and equipment, as vets love tried and true products. However, we are working on innovating, refreshing and modernising a lot of our range by introducing locking technology to plates that would benefit from it.
Free Vi Online Webinar: From Concept to Clinic
If you would like to find out more about the Vi product design and development process, join our E-learning platform for access to recordings of From Concept to Clinic: Vi's Product Development Journey and all our previous webinars.
This webinar offers even more product insights from Vi's Engineers, Greg Pryce (PhD BEng) and Barnaby King (MEng), and Advisory Board Members, Nicci Meadows (BVetMed CertAVP GSAS MRCVS RCVS) and Tom Anderson (BVSc PGCert DipECVS MRCVS). Don't miss out!
