Collaboration between engineers, physicians and nursing staff has made it possible to create personalized devices that reduce children’s anxiety during chemotherapy and improve their well‑being and safety.
Innovation can emerge from everyday needs identified by healthcare professionals themselves. The partnership between the Prototyping Unit of IDIVAL’s Innovation Area and the Hematology and Advanced Therapies team at Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital has led to the development of several 3D‑printed devices with a shared goal: to humanize care and enhance the experience of pediatric patients during their hospital stay.
The first project was inspired by the Kimibox initiative, promoted by Universitat Jaume I, which aims to humanize the administration of pediatric chemotherapy through 3D‑printed supports that conceal medication bags and help reduce anticipatory anxiety. Building on this idea, IDIVAL’s innovation team worked with clinical staff to redesign and adapt the prototype to the specific needs of the Hematology and Advanced Therapies Service at Valdecilla.
The prototype includes a window for quick identification of the medication, facilitates placement by nursing staff, and adds a customizable component. The frame is reusable and supports interchangeable front pieces, ranging from 3D‑printed figures inspired by children’s characters to blank plates that young patients can decorate and later take home as a keepsake, extending a more positive experience during treatment.
From a successful idea to new projects
The proactive attitude of IDIVAL’s innovation team helped establish a relationship of trust with healthcare professionals, who began sharing new needs identified in their daily practice. This ongoing collaboration turned the Prototyping Service into a support unit capable of transforming ideas arising from clinical care into concrete solutions tailored to the real needs of patients and professionals.
The positive reception of the first device led to new developments. One emerged after noticing that many children used IV poles like scooters while moving around the hospital—a common and risky behavior during long oncology treatments. Instead of simply preventing this, the team designed a platform attachable to the base of the IV pole to provide greater stability and safety. The prototype was refined thanks to feedback from clinical staff, who even suggested modifications such as color changes to create a friendlier, more humanized environment.
Simple solutions with a major impact on well‑being
The trust built between both teams has fostered new initiatives, including the development of 3D‑printed anatomical biomodels to explain procedures such as lumbar punctures. Until now, these interventions were shown using flat images or diagrams that were not always easy for patients and families to understand. The new three‑dimensional model allows clear visualization of the patient’s position, the puncture site and the procedure itself, improving comprehension and helping reduce uncertainty and anxiety before the test. These models also serve as training tools for healthcare professionals.
Currently, IDIVAL’s Prototyping Service continues to work with the Hematology Department on new development lines, including adapting IV pole platforms for use in other pediatric areas of the hospital through easily removable systems.
The team highlights that these are rapid, low‑cost manufacturing solutions with a high return in terms of well‑being, humanization and quality of care.
