Designing for Diabetics

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But what's the value of a design concept if there's no contract to produce it? "It's kind of like a concept car or a couture dress—things that are experimental. Sure, it may not get made, but parts of the project can inspire others and eventually find their way to the mass market," says Shaffer. And there has been some early interest in Charmr. "We've been approached by diabetics who want to buy it, and we're talking with VCs in the medical-device world," says Saffer. "But we haven't been approached yet by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). That would be nice."

Accuracy, After All, Trumps Design

Other companies see the value in developing innovative concepts. At this year's prestigious INDEX: awards (BusinessWeek, 9/10/07) in Copenhagen, Denmark, several nominees in the "body" category were diabetes-care concepts with consumer-electronics appeal.

Take, for instance, the prototype for a slick, minimalist insulin injection tool called the C-Cap, designed by Medicom, a division of Bang & Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer better known for high-end, gracefully designed audio and video equipment. C-Cap is shaped like a pen (an increasingly common metaphor in self-injection devices) and flashes a short green light every 24 hours to remind a diabetic to inject insulin; a long green flash signals the injection has registered. A red light flashes if the pen isn't used within an hour, sending a clear reminder.

Analysts agree that the design-centric approach to medical devices makes sense in terms of attracting patients and doctors. Of course, it's not just a product's surface appeal that determines which next-generation pumps and monitors will remain popular or boost a company's bottom line.

"Gadgetry that's consumer-like, with a cool factor, might be more appealing," says Frost & Sullivan's Patel. "But the one key feature is the accuracy of the device. This is important for doctors and patients: They need accurate results. I would say, in terms of looking for the most potentially successful devices, we should ask: 'Has the device been designed to minimize [blood glucose] sampling error?'"

Those devices that pass the test will prove that the beauty of an iPod-like pump or monitor for diabetics can be much more than skin deep.

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Jana is the Innovation Dept. editor for BusinessWeek.