Peezy marks a wee breakthrough for GPs
Design Week, 22 May 2008
A product designed to reduce the spread of infections in hospitals and GP surgeries launches this week, conceived by a general practitioner and designed by product design group Maddison.
The Peezy is a mid-stream urine collector for women who are asked to give samples by their doctors.
Comprising three parts - a u-duct, a sheet and a compressed sponge, which is placed in the narrow point of the funnel - it was the brainchild of GP Dr Vincent Forte.
He claims traditional urine collectors, such as pulp bowls or plastic jugs which result in spillage, can spread infection when patients operate taps with bacteria on their hands or transfer germs from the floor into hospitals and surgeries.
The Peezy is operated by taking it from a hygienic pouch and attaching it to a specimen container. The first few millilitres of urine are discarded allowing only the medically usable midstream to fill the container - excess urine passes straight into the toilet bowl.
The Peezy will retail at £1.69 per unit and is being produced by Funnelly Enough. It has been through a series of user-tests, says Funnelly Enough managing director Giovanna Forte.
She explains, 'Using prototypes we altered the shape of the funnel's design, making it higher at the front to fit the female undercarriage.'
The visual identity with its 'swirl, representing urine disappearing down the funnel' was designed by David Revell, and the company's website www.funnelllyenough.com was created by Paul Jenkins, founder of print and branding design group Ranch.
'The colour scheme of light purple and green is feminine and, being reminiscent of the traditional medical designs used by laboratories and pharmaceutical companies, is in keeping with their graphic language,' says Jenkins.
Forte says the product has received the required quality assurance standard and is awaiting ethical approval from the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
'Clinical trials will take place at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital NHS Trust once it receives that approval,' she adds.
Funnelly Enough received private equity funing through E-Synergy Early Growth Fund.