The IBO Design Awards strive each year to recognize the best industrial design of analytical and life science instruments. Industrial design refers to the visual appearance of the instrument, including how the exterior features interact with a user. Industrial design features include shape, color, material and form. Such features dictate the user’s interaction with the system, including installation, operation and maintenance. They also influence the user’s perception of the system.

Good industrial design has become ingrained in the industry since IBO first starting giving out the awards 17 years ago. In many cases, the manufacturer of an instrument is instantly apparent through use of a signature design scheme, enforcing brand recognition. For newer companies, industrial design is a calling card that can highlight innovation. The winners of this year’s awards belong to both categories. In each case, a memorable and innovative industrial design adds to the system’s usability and functionality.

Gold Award

The 2011 Gold IBO Design Award goes to XiGo Nanotools for the Acorn Drop, an NMR for one-dimensional imaging and diffusion. The Acorn Drop measures emulsion or foam droplet size and distribution without dilution. The system measures 279.4 x 203.2 x 508.0 mm (11 x 8 x 20 in) and weighs 7.3 kg (16 lb).

The Acorn Drop’s striking appearance and sleek design set it apart from other instruments. Its rounded shape, undulating curves and contrasting color arrangement communicate sophistication and innovation. The novel appearance is integral to the concept of the instrument, according to Sean Race, CEO of XiGo. “The device that we sell is really a miniature NMR repurposed to measure nanoparticles. The original prototypical enclosure was a simple box, and didn’t do this innovative concept justice,” he told IBO. “Science doesn’t have to be boring—it can be exciting, and we wanted something fundamentally different from the sea of putty-colored boxes that populate the typical analytical laboratory.” A curvilinear shape was chosen to give the system a different look, said Mr. Race. XiGo worked with Machineart Industrial Design to create the instrument’s exterior.

As Machineart designer Andrew Serbinski explained, the industrial design choices encompass color and form. “The contrast between the glossy pearl white surfaces and the matte metallic charcoal is a modern treatment, giving the product a high-end feel,” he said. Discussing the side panels’ concave surfaces, he explained, “They catch highlights and shadows and add considerably to the product’s eye appeal.” Mr. Race emphasized that the panels’ appeal is more than visual. “The shell was also designed to provide easy access to the interior of the device for assembly, and so the side panels have great visual appeal, but also are functional,” he said.

The industrial design is also enhanced by manufacturing choices. “We elected to mold and paint the pieces, then assemble, as we get a much cleaner look than simply molding the top and bottom as a single assembly and then masking the surfaces to paint,” said Mr. Race. “We currently manufacture this product using cast urethane, so the molds are flexible silicone, which makes it easy to work with these shapes.” The shape also indicates the product’s application. “The Drop’s target markets are nanoparticles dispersed in liquids, so the drop theme is a consistent visual in the device logo as well as the overall shape,” he explained.

Usability is a critical factor for the industrial design. “The curved top was designed to capture any fluids that might spill if the user were to accidentally break an NMR tube while inserting it into the device,” said Mr. Race. The design also allows for additional functionality. “What isn’t apparent from a glance is that the shell was designed to enable the user to flow the sample through the device,” he told IBO. “This is not just a single-point measurement, but rather a general characterization device suitable for anyone who works with dispersion or emulsions.”

The design also guides the user as to where to insert the sample. “It was also important to emphasize the location of the NMR tube insertion port, since it is so small,” said Mr. Serbinski. “Machineart shaped a process ‘stage,’ if you will, with its center-point focus via the scooped-out shapes in front of and behind it that serve to catch liquid spills.”

Silver

The winner of the 2011 Silver IBO Design Award for analytical instruments is PerkinElmer’s Spectrum Two FT-IR spectrometer. The color scheme identifies the system as part of the latest generation of PerkinElmer Environmental’s instrument offerings. The rounded corners emphasize the system’s compact footprint and create an inviting appearance. The green highlights guide the user to the sample interface, while the slight protrusion and extended lip of the lid indicate another touch point.

The Spectrum Two measures 450 x 300 x 210 mm (17.7 x 11.8 x 8.3 in) and weighs 13 kg (28.7 lb). It is PerkinElmer’s first instrument that was designed to reduce environmental impact. By weight, 75% of the system can be recycled.

The system took less than three years to design using “a collaborative and open-innovation style,” according to Sharon Palmer, business manager, Materials Characterization, at PerkinElmer. “We selected a partner to provide a unified approach to the industrial design. This included designing the instrument’s enclosure, accessories, software interfaces and transportability options,” she told IBO.

Functionality was an integral part of the industrial design. Because the system is usable in the field as well as the lab, the system had to be small enough to be portable. “As well as providing superior results in a compact design, an additional goal was to reduce maintenance,” said Ms. Palmer. “In instruments of this kind, customers expect medium to high maintenance, owing to the hydroscopic optical components used.”

Helping to reduce maintenance, as well as enhance durability and operation, are the materials. “Our instrument enclosure uses die-cast aluminum, enabling the engineers to incorporate a heat management and a humidity protection system that allows for fast start-up and measurements in the field and at remote locations, with the confidence that the optical components will not be damaged,” explained Ms. Palmer. Jerry Sellors, IR business manager, told IBO that the die-cast aluminum extends the intervals between desiccant changes. “Planned desiccant changes (to keep internal optics dry) are the most significant maintenance elements in FT-IR instruments, especially in more humid climates and where constant power supplies are not guaranteed. “

The industrial design also makes a statement. “The aesthetics were important to reinforce the key benefits of the Spectrum Two,” said Ms. Palmer. “We wanted the system to be contemporary, groundbreaking, and different from both existing PerkinElmer and competitor instruments, and so [we] created an uncluttered and sophisticated design.”

Other design considerations included IR’s wide range of applications. “IR instruments are sold into diverse end-markets and, as such, the sample size, form or preferred sampling approach may differ widely,” said Ms. Palmer. “This resulted in a major focus on the sampling area, as this is the area with which the user has most interaction. In the Spectrum Two design, this area is sufficiently large to accommodate the growing range of sampling accessories and allow users to access the area unhindered.”

Bronze

This year’s Bronze Award for analytical industrial design goes to Partec’s CyFlow Cube flow cytometer and cell sorter. The clean, crisp appearance of the CyFlow Cube signals sophistication and refinement. The high-quality finish and curved edges give the instrument a “state-of-the-art” look. The stark black-and-white color scheme is subtly accented with a green strip, which also emphasizes the compact footprint and balances the top lid’s crease.

The CyFlow Cube utilizes true volumetric absolute counting for the direct measurement of particles or cell sub-populations. The CyFlow Cube measures 500 x 355 x 470 mm (19.7 x 14.0 x 18.5 in) and weighs 40–50 kg (88.2–110.2 lb), depending on configuration. It features an integrated sheath/waste container, a built-in PC and a 19-in thin-film transistor (TFT) screen that is revealed when the top is flipped open. It also allows for the addition of a sorter and autoloader. A second-layer lid allows for access to the interior for custom configuration using interchangeable optical cubes. Partec worked with Jens Kaschlik at industrial design firm FORMFREUNDE on the system.

As Roland Göhde, CEO of Partec Essential Healthcare and CyTecs Component Technologies, told IBO: “The main ideas and the vision for the Cube design have been to develop a most cost-efficient but high-performing and most attractively designed, as well as very compact, true stand-alone flow cytometry system—with full integration of all components and modules in a most elegant instrument housing, including the computer hardware, TFT monitor, complete fluidic system, sorting module (optional), etc.” A fully integrated flow cytometer, which the sleek and compact design highlight, is unique to the market, according to him.