We are pleased to announce that two of Carbon’s partners have been recognized for their product design excellence by Fast Company! Out of thousands of entries, both Resolution Medical and Specialized have made the list for Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards—with Resolution Medical winning the Health category in conjunction with Carbon for the design of the Resolution Medical Lattice Swab, and Specialized being named a finalist in the Sports and Recreation category for its S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology. Congratulations to both companies on these amazing achievements!
Resolution Medical launched the Lattice Swab—a nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 testing—on April 8, 2020, going from concept to market in only 20 days, an unheard-of timeline for a medical product. Using Carbon® Design Engine software and the Carbon Digital Light Synthesis™ (Carbon DLS™) process, the team worked urgently to develop this product to help address a shortage of swabs caused by pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, creating at least 19 different design iterations in this short timeline. Carbon partnered with Resolution Medical during the design phase for the Lattice Swab, which exhibits a conformal lattice with a hollow cage structure, providing abundant space for mucosal collection and removal. In addition to clinical efficacy, the unique and highly flexible lattice is designed to promote patient comfort and demonstrates superior flexibility compared to traditional flocked swabs. Over 1 million Lattice Swabs have been manufactured using Carbon DLS™ and used at healthcare facilities across the U.S. since April.
We at Carbon are incredibly proud to have worked closely with Resolution Medical during the product design stage, and we congratulate those on the Carbon team as well who played key roles in the project, including Hardik Kabaria, Joseph DeSimone, Elle Meyer, Owen Lu, Keshav Swarup, Marie Herring, and Steve Pollack.
In June 2020, Specialized launched its S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology, a major design advance for bicycle saddles. To develop the saddle, Specialized leveraged Carbon® Design Engine software and the Carbon DLS™ process to create an elastomeric lattice that overcomes the limitations of traditional foam-based saddles. With 14,000 struts and 7,799 nodes, the lattice structure allows the saddle to rebound quickly and gives riders the experience of having a “suspension” for their sit bones. Specialized used many years of rider data to optimize lattice geometries for impact absorption, stress distribution, and lateral stability. “Teardrop” zones (located around the sit bones) within the design contain a gradient of softer lattices, providing unique cushioning and increased stability. Indeed, “Mirror” refers to precisely tuned material density in various regions of the saddle, reflecting a rider’s anatomy. Ultimately, the innovative design means less pain and a reduced risk of injuries for riders, leading to better comfort and performance. Moreover, with Carbon technology, Specialized shortened the saddle design timeline from 6 to just 2 months, with design iterations that typically take 2 to 3 weeks taking only 1 day with Carbon. Overall, Specialized cut their product development timeline from the typical 18 to 24 months to just 10 months, creating thousands of design iterations and testing 70+ physical designs in this short timeframe.
The Resolution Medical Lattice Swab and Specialized S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology demonstrate the power of leveraging Carbon’s design and manufacturing capabilities to get better performing products to market faster—products that improve well-being and set new quality and performance standards. We congratulate both companies on being recognized by Fast Company, and we celebrate their creativity and vision to deliver incredible designs that put them at the forefront of their industries!