Research & Development
The research and development of health and safety wearable products require multiple, integrated methods of inquiry to solve problems and generate innovative solutions for diverse user populations. By blending disciplines such as textile and material technology, physiology, kinesiology, and social humanities, the HDL develops solutions to complex research problems.
Featured Projects
MNmask: University of Minnesota Face Mask
The University of Minnesota has assembled a multidisciplinary team of designers, engineers, and scientists from across the campus including participants in the College of Design and the College of Science and Engineering to develop three face mask designs that can be used during the pandemic to help protect our frontline healthcare workers in crisis situations. The common traits of all styles of MNmask are that they use repurposed air filtration material donated by Cummins, components are sourced from non-endangered supply chains, and the masks utilize a low- complexity fabrication process that does not require specialized equipment or a highly skilled workforce.
The MNmask project is funded by the University of Minnesota Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM), an interdisciplinary research organization committed to improving and streamlining healthcare by strengthening collaboration between the disciplines of engineering and medicine.
Questions?
Read more about the MNmask project on IEM’s website or on the Office for Technology Commercialization’s website.
Hospital Gown Design Development: A Systems Approach
The goal of this research was to create a model of the system-of-use for the patient gown. A deeper understanding of how the patient gown functions within the system as a whole is necessary. Through a systems approach to the patient gown, access points for design change can be identified. Understanding the system will result in a better designed gown for patients and healthcare professionals, as well as an improved system-of-use.
Publications
Pokorny, C. & Griffin, L. (2020, May). New Avenues of Research and Discovery for the Patient Hospital Gown: A Systems Perspective. International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care.
Griffin, L. & Pokorny, C. (2019, October). Mapping the System-of-Use for the Patient Hospital Gown. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, 76(1). doi: 10.31274/itaa.8414.
Gordon, L. & Dunne, L. (2013, October). The Redesign and Evaluation of the Patient Hospital Gown. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/itaa_proceedings/2013/presentations/11/.
Gordon, L., & Guttmann, S. (2012, April). User-Centered Hospital Gown. Fashion and Health Symposium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Gordon, L., Guttmann, S. (2013). A User-centered Approach to the Redesign of the Patient Hospital Gown. Fashion Practice 5(1): 137-152. https://doi.org/10.2752/175693813X13559997788961.
Protective Clothing Design Project
In collaboration with the Wearable Innovation Studio
Contract: 3M
A three-year protective coverall research project for 3M required detailed fit and movement analysis using 3D body-scanning technology, user-site visits, anthropometric assessment, functional technical design, and user testing of multiple design iterations. Combined with placing the user at the center of the design process, these methods of research and assessment resulted in a patented solution that improved the fit and function of the protective coverall and reduced the product size range from 10 to four sizes.
Publications
Bye, E., LaBat, K., Gordon, L., & Lastovich, T. (2019). Patent US 10,278,435 B2. Protective Garments and Methods of Making.
LaBat, K., Gordon, L., Lastovich, T., & Bye, E. (2015). Patent US 20150313295 A1. Protective Coveralls and Methods of Making.
Griffin, L., Lastovich, T., Bye, E., & LaBat, K. (2016, November). Sizing System Development and Testing for a Protective Coverall Design. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, Vancouver, British Columbia. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/itaa_proceedings/2016/presentations/114.
Griffin, L., Lastovich, T., Bye, E., & LaBat, K. (2014, October). A Protocol for the Evaluation of Coverall Fit. International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/itaa_proceedings/2014/presentations/4.
Bye, E., & Griffin, L. (2015). Testing a model for wearable product materials research. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. 8 (2), 139-150. DOI: 10.1080/17543266.2015.1018959
