Your Breastfeeding Journey

Innovation at Medela

For Medela, innovation is essential to ensure future business success. Innovation is the result of intense basic research and the evaluation of customers' needs. Today, development projects in medical technology must follow a standardised user-centred design process.

For Medela, innovation is essential to ensure future business success. Innovation is the result of intense basic research and the evaluation of customers’ needs. Today, development projects in medical technology must follow a standardised user-centred design process.

Gathering facts through academic research

Medela is a research-based company and has funded basic research into breastfeeding and breast milk as well as innovative medical vacuum technology for almost 20 years. Regarding research into breastmilk and breastfeeding, Medela has a long-standing relationship with the University of Western Australia (UWA) and also collaborates with other universities, hospitals and research institutions globally. For the development of products in the field of medical vacuum technologies, Medela has established a strong cooperation with key opinion leaders and medical experts in hospitals worldwide.

Involving customers in the innovation process

Medela involves its users in the innovation process. By asking them about their needs and their experiences using Medela breast pumps and vacuum technology, new customer benefits can be realised. Medela’s product development is guided by the customers’ needs.

Three examples from Medela’s portfolio of innovations:

Symphony: hospital breast pump

Medela Symphony breast pump with PersonalFit PLUS Pumpset

The distinctive Symphony breast pump with research-based pumping programs originated from basic research at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Symphony imitates the baby’s two natural sucking patterns. During breastfeeding, the baby’s sucking starts out fast yet gentle to stimulate the milk-ejection reflex. It then switches to a slower and deeper rhythm. Symphony was the first breast pump with this 2-Phase Expression technology to reach the market, setting a new standard.

Invia® System: innovating the NPWT standard of care

The Medela Invia System innovates the NPWT standard of care.  The Invia System, with Intelligent Pressure Control™ and Dynamic Exudate Removal™ technology, maintains the prescribed pressure at the wound bed while dynamically adapting to fluctuations in fluid volume or viscosity, to manage fluid more efficiently. The data in a recent study compares the ability of the Invia Liberty™ and the 3M+KCI V.A.C.ULTA™ to deliver prescribed pressure at the wound bed while simultaneously removing large fluid volumes. Invia Liberty dynamically reacted to fluid fluctuations, clearing 89% of the fluid in less than 20 minutes. Comparatively, V.A.C.ULTA was unable to reach the same 89% fluid removal throughout the entire 2-hour study.  Learn more about the findings.

Thopaz+: digital thoracic drainage system

Medela Thopaz plus for cardiothoratic drainage

Thopaz+ sets new standards in therapy and thoracic drainage management. All necessary functionalities are fitted into one compact unit small enough to be carried by the patient. This innovation was made possible thanks to the close partnership with doctors and medical staff.

Calma: feeding device

Medela Calma bottle front view

Medela developed Calma, a custom feeding device for delivering breast milk. The applied research that led to this innovation was based on studies at the University of Western Australia (UWA) of suckling, swallowing and breathing patterns during breastfeeding. Calma lets the baby suck, swallow and breathe in their natural rhythm; the baby must create a vacuum to get the milk flowing. Calma allows easy switching between breast, Calma and back to breast, since it mimics natural nursing patterns.

Calma was awarded the innovation prize at the Kind+Jugend Fair in Cologne in 2012.

Related Posts:

Follow us on instagram

Share this content

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *