OOXii receives top honours for pioneering Social Impact Design

Recognizing the significant role of design in improving society, the Australian Good Design Awards 2023 has proudly honoured OOXii (formerly 4eyesVision) with the prestigious gold award in the Social Impact category together with Best In Class for their work in making a better-looking world.

Aiming to reduce the massive burden of uncorrected refractive error in remote and developing communities, OOXii in collaboration with the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP) based at Flinders University, have developed a manual crimping tool for their portable and affordable vision test and glasses dispensing kit.

OOXii’s founder, Dr Sarah Crowe and her colleague Edward Ko, sought the expertise of MDPP with their mechanical design engineer, John Nicholl, generating concepts, rapid prototyping, and testing a functional prototype of their crimping tool.

“The crimping tool designed by MDPP effortlessly bends laser-cut stainless-steel frames into three different sizes, making them suitable for various pupillary distances,” said Dr Crowe. “It has been such a positive experience to work with the MDPP team and we are really proud of the device we have developed.”

“It's user-friendly, suitable for all strengths, and skill levels and seamlessly integrates with OOXii’s frame production and dispensing processes, making it ideal for use in remote areas with limited technology or power resources.”

MDPP director, Professor Karen Reynolds said she was delighted her team could be a part of the development process for OOXii’s tooling and increase access to eyeglasses for people who need them most.

“Our collaborative efforts have helped OOXii achieve a user-friendly tool that will make a significant difference in providing vision care in remote and underserved areas,” said Prof Reynolds. “This project exemplifies the positive impact that innovative design and engineering can have on improving healthcare accessibility."

The MDPP fosters collaborations between researchers, industry, end-users and government and develops medical technologies with global market potential.

If you would like more information on how the MDPP can assist you with developing a proof of concept, prototyping, clinical evaluation and commercialisation planning visit www.mdpp.org.au today.