The Danish start-up company Lifeline Robotics has a vision to improve global health. To do so, they have designed a mobile medical device which performs swab tests. With the ongoing pandemic, time is of the essence. Lifeline Robotics needed an effective PDM-system, which allowed them to comply with regulation, manage product development and bring the device to market fast.
Lifeline Robotics was founded in direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We asked ourselves: How can we, with our knowledge and expertise in robot technology, help with this pandemic?”, explains Andreas Lyder, Technical Owner at Lifeline Robotics.
Ten developers from the University of Southern Denmark started developing a robot that could perform safe and effective throat swabs. The patient simply place their head on the forehead rest and the robot collects the sample. Throat swabbing is used in diagnosing many diseases – beyond just Covid-19. A throat swab can reveal about 15 other diseases. It is especially relevant in viruses that constantly mutate like Covid-19 and even the common flu. Here, testing is crucial in reducing the spread and the number of infected individuals and fatalities.
During Covid-19 Lifeline Robotics mission is to deliver effective technologies that enable the re-opening of societies and allows them to recover. Beyond Covid-19 the company will deliver standardized, efficient, and widespread diagnostic devices, which improves global health.
Careebo LLR S1, is not on the market yet, but they have developed a working prototype. When approval is granted by clinical review, they can release their first commercial model.
Getting to market. FAST.
During the product development, Lifeline Robotics needed to implement an effective PDM and Quality Management system. This was critical for their project to succeed. Here the cloud based 3DEXPERIENCE is suitable, as it effectively centralizes product documentation, and ensures compliance with regulation. It is also certified for use in the development of medical devices. This ensures safety and reliability for all patients.
Prior to 3DEXPERIENCE, Lifeline Robotics did not have a PDM system. They handled their SOLIDWORKS CAD data manually through local files and folders and shared them through email. SOLIDWORKS allows Lifeline Robotics to intuitively design their products and 3DEXPERIENCE handles product data in the cloud. Together, they form a synergistic ecosystem.
Andreas explains that the seamless synergies between SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE now allows Lifeline Robotics to manage their design process and easily share CAD files and control versions and revisions.
We saw 3DEXPERIENCE as an opportunity to automate document management, so we can follow regulations. In addition, when we are collaborating with a lot of partners it is nice to be able to share 3D component files and lock files that are worked on.
This ensures that nothing is overwritten. The system also allows you move drafts through different design stages and have the entire design team effectively co-design a product.
When everyone has finished their work on the model, the final product can be released to manufacturing or partners. This will help them move their product to market faster and more efficiently. Andreas is exited to fully implement 3DEXPERIENCE and reap all the benefits.
“Everything is taken care of and we can focus on what we do best”
You and your colleagues are probably working from home. You’re probably also using an array of cloud-based solutions like Dropbox and Zoom, which allows you to stay connected and productive wherever and whenever. Why should PDM be any different? Andreas explains:
Generally, I think that we are all moving towards the cloud. Why should we manage our own servers when we can have IT-experts manage cloud servers? (…) The overall cost that goes into managing local servers are much higher and specialized companies do it much better than we can.
For a start-up company, this is quintessential according to Andreas. The system is basically PDM simplified and outsourced to experts and there is no need for the company to maintain or continually invest in local servers.
Everything is taken care of. In this way, we can focus on our own business and what we do best, and it makes it easier for a start-up like us to get up and running.
Getting started
When Andreas first got introduced to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, he quickly realized that the system boasts with capability. “The introduction and onboarding were very good. The technician gave an overview of the most crucial components for us to begin with, which allowed me to filter the functionalities that are most important for me right now”, he says and adds:
It was a good mix of him presenting on his screen what is possible and then I got to try it out myself, which made it easy to remember. Whenever I ran into challenges, they were addressed by the support. PLM Group is very competent in helping us with the challenges we face.
Here Andreas Lyder explains why Lifeline Robotics chose 3DXEXPERIENCE:
3DEXPERIENCE allows companies to grow
When selecting a PDM system, Lifeline Robotics were looking for a sustainable solution for the future:
3DEXPERIENCE has the capabilities that we may need in the future (…) The system is not limited, and we don’t need to change system, as it also supports a larger organization. As a small organization, we can use the bits and pieces that we need now, but then we also know, that when we move forward, we can bring in the functionality that we need as we grow.
We here at PLM Group are immensely proud to be a part of Lifeline Robotics product development and will continue to support them in their honorable mission to enable societies to recover from Covid-19 and improve world health.
