Illuminating the Future of Retinal Health
Our Solution
Help the start-up Elisar design, develop and launch their first ever product.
The Result
Launched at an important international Ophthalmology conference, the design turned a conservative audience into booked demos for one of the most innovative diagnostic devices in ophthalmology.
The Story
The future of vision care is shifting rapidly, moving from large benchtop diagnostic machines locked in hospitals to intelligent devices that empower eye doctors and patients alike. Elisar, a company focused on innovation in optical diagnostics, envisioned a new category of ophthalmic product: NOA (Near-eye Objective Assessment), a next-generation diagnostic platform that integrates high-resolution OCT imaging and advanced optical biometry into a single, versatile device. a lightweight, head-mounted device designed to transform how refraction and eye measurements are performed.
Elisar had the optics, electronics, and software expertise. Given their success with the AVA, Elisar returned to Bang Design to make NOA functional, usable, manufacturable, and desirable — a category-first product that fits seamlessly into the clinical environment, reducing patient discomfort and increasing efficiency for ophthalmologists, and is also as technically rigorous as the science behind it.
THE CHALLENGE
Bridging Technology and Humanity
Our challenge was to take Elisar’s electro-optical system — a “black box” of complex optics, hardware, and firmware — and turn it into a beautiful, functional, and user-centric device.
The key program goals were
- A scalable platform for eyecare diagnostics.
- Modularity to allow multiple price and feature tiers.
- Ensure that all parts are designed to be manufactured with minimum NRE (Upfront Investment) to facilitate the product launch within the shortest possible timelines.
OUR PROCESS
Human-Centered Approach
We began with user studies across different clinical settings: single-room clinics, community hospitals, and advanced eye care centers.
These insights shaped every design choice.
- Doctors needed flexibility in device placement due to space constraints.
- Patients disliked leaning forward into bulky machines or holding uncomfortable postures.
- Clinic owners were conservative about new solutions, and concerned about the cost of the product.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and ocular biometry play a critical role in diagnosing and managing sight-threatening eye conditions.
- OCT offers high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging of the retina, enabling early detection of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), macular holes, vitreomacular traction, and retinal detachments.
- Ocular biometry quantifying axial length, corneal curvature, lens thickness, and anterior chamber depth supports precise intraocular lens power calculations for cataract surgery, helps monitor refractive errors and keratoconus, and identifies anatomical risk factors in angle‑closure glaucoma.
Configurable by Design
We created four mounting configurations — floor, wall, ceiling, and chair — each designed to optimize either space efficiency or patient comfort. By developing a common platform architecture, NOA could adapt to varied environments while maintaining performance.
This modularity expanded their total available market by making entry-level models accessible while allowing upgrades.
- Floor Mount: stable, easy to position, familiar setup.
- Wall Mount: frees up floor area in tight clinics.
- Ceiling Mount: maximizes space and workflow ergonomics.
- To address affordability, we helped Elisar define a tiered product strategy: NOA OCT for retinal imaging, NOA Biometer for axial length and IOL calculations, NOA Plus combining both in one system
Patient First: Comfort Meets Accuracy
For patients, every detail matters. Traditional devices often force awkward head tilts, creating discomfort and prolonging exams.
We designed NOA’s interface to:
- Allow natural seating posture
- Minimize movements between tests (OCT + Biometry in one)
- Reduce chair time with 80,000 scan/sec imaging.
For practitioners, this meant higher throughput, faster diagnosis, and less cognitive load.
Engineering for Rapid Launch
The biggest challenge was reducing time-to-market without burdening Elisar with high tooling costs. Instead of injection molding or RIM, which require expensive molds and long lead times, we designed all parts for vacuum casting.
This enabled:
- Low upfront investment
- Fast iteration and prototyping
- Patient-friendly surfaces and aesthetics comparable to premium medical devices
We also integrated electromechanical components, ensuring optical and hardware subsystems from Elisar meshed seamlessly with our mechanical architecture.
THE OUTCOME
Ready for a Global Stage
The result is Elisar NOA—a product that is more than the sum of its parts. We took a core technology and transformed it into a medical device that is intuitive, elegant, and ready for market. The finalized prototype was showcased at a major medical conference. The positive reception at the trade show has led to accelerated production planning and a clear path to commercialization. Elisar is now positioned to bring this game-changing technology to clinics worldwide, potentially helping to prevent blindness for millions of people.
The product’s design and functionality not only validated Elisar’s core technology, but it also opened the door for new funding and distribution opportunities, and cemented Elisar’s position as a pioneer in objective eye diagnostics.
For BangDesign, NOA represents the kind of collaboration we thrive on: transforming raw technology into a manufacturable, usable, and desirable product that redefines its category. We didn’t just build a box for their optics; we built a bridge between a brilliant innovation and the people it is meant to help.