India, April 11 -- Design students at The University of Queensland have helped develop a world-first guide to help doctors and nurses in emergency departments better understand mechanical heart devices.

The UQ Bachelor of Design undergraduates teamed up in their final year to design a one-page quick user guide for a ventricular assist device (VAD) used for patients with advanced heart failure and awaiting transplants.

School of Architecture, Design and Planning Professor Cara Wrigley supervised the one-off project alongside senior designer Leon Fitzpatrick. Their aim was to support clinicians with key points about the complex devices in the minutes after a patient arrives at their emergency department.

"Dealing with these devices can b...