Aquarius Recumbent Tub

Client: THE Medical
Sector: Healthcare Equipment (Institutional)
Role: Industrial Designer / Project Lead
Tools: SolidWorks | Manufacturing Consulting | Material & Process Selection

🧠 The Challenge: Functional Tub, Critical Flaws
THE Medical’s Aquarius Recumbent Tub was designed for institutional use—allowing caregivers to bathe limited or non-ambulatory patients allowing the use of patient lifts or stretchers. However, the product faced serious issues in the field:
🚫 Installation Failures:
The original design was a boxy single-piece unit that repeatedly failed to fit through standard doorways, staircases, or elevators. Despite pre-sale measurements, many units were undeliverable—resulting in:
• Cancelled sales
• Returned made-to-order products
• Logistical and financial losses
🚫 Patient Resistance:
Field reports revealed that dementia patients were refusing to enter the tub, fearfully describing it as “coffin-like.” This created:
• Stressful experiences for patients and caregivers
• Disruption to care procedures
• Negative association with an essential daily activity
🚫 Manufacturing Limitations:
Fiberglass production introduced high rejection rates due to molding inconsistencies. Patch repairs were increasingly needed, leading to:
• Increased labor and material waste
• Slower production cycles
• Quality concerns and visual inconsistencies

🎯 Redesign Goals
• Eliminate installation failures through a modular approach
• Improve patient perception and caregiver usability
• Recommend and implement a scalable, consistent manufacturing process
• Deliver a production-ready design on a tight timeline

🔧 My Role: End-to-End Ownership
I was hired as the sole and lead industrial designer to completely re-engineer the product. My work spanned:
• Industrial design
• Mechanical engineering in SolidWorks
• Material and manufacturing process selection
• Design for strict tooling constraints and production scalability