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The Redbud Stage is a benchtop device that drives Redbud Labs' microfluidic mixing chip, "MXR." It combines a magnetic driver with precision thermal control and intuitive controls. MXR boosts next-generation clinical diagnostics by making assays up to 100x more sensitive, or 5x faster. The Redbud Stage is also a stage in the traditional sense: it is the first physical object Redbud’s customers interact with when using MXR, and it serves as a platform, literally and figuratively, for showcasing Redbud Labs' technology.

To elevate the experience of utilizing MXR chip technology, Trig's senior industrial designer Patrick Murphy crafted the Stage to overcome obstacles inherent in providing thermal control, internal configuration flexibility, and uncomplicated assembly.

Trig is a leader in design thinking as it pertains to medical technology

The Stage's aesthetic communicates the speed with which it performs tasks over predecessors. Luxury sports cars and agile runners from the animal kingdom are sources of inspiration for every iteration leading up to the final form selection. The messages that Redbud Stage delivers are: MXR is fast, easy to use, yet packed with highly sophisticated technology.

An additional design triumph is maintaining the organic, sleek, and unorthodox enclosure while meeting Redbud’s engineering requirements. These include precise temperature control (±1ºC) and passive ventilation to prevent overheating of the internal electronics. The most unusual feature is complete modularity: Redbud Labs frequently customizes the internals of the Stage to meet particular customer requests, so all of the active elements of the system are reconfigurable without revision to the product housing.

"I was excited to see Industrial Design be invited to play a major role in the design of a nanotechnology device" expresses Trig leader Ty Hagler. "Not what you would expect, but even when the process is happening at a molecular level, humans still have to control and interact with it at our scale."

Ricky Spero, co-founder and CEO at Redbud Labs, said, “It’s hard enough to be simultaneously creative and fast. But with Trig we went one step further, designing a product that sends exactly the right message. Redbud Stage is intuitive, sophisticated, and practical—just like our products, our technology, and our team.”

Lead designer Patrick Murphy said of his experience working with the Redbud Labs team: "Redbud has been great to work with. Ricky has great aesthetic instincts, strong opinions, and cares a lot about how something looks and feels. It was one of my favorite client interactions. Some of the best design happens when the client cares enough to dive in with you."

About the International Design Excellence Awards
IDEA is a premier international design competition, recognizing and promoting excellence across a wide array of industries and disciplines, including commercial products, entertainment, home goods, social impact designs and student designs. Gold Silver and Bronze winners are recognized. Winning entries receive worldwide press and are housed in a permanent collection at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

About Redbud Labs
Redbud Labs develops advanced microfluidic components for the life science industry. World-class firms in diagnostics, instruments, and biotechnology use Redbud Labs technology to boost assay performance. Redbud Labs was founded in 2010 as a spinout from Professor Richard Superfine’s research group at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We combines a breakthrough MEMS technology platform with deep scientific expertise to develop elegant solutions to the toughest microfluidic challenges. Redbud Labs is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

About Trig
Now in its eleventh year, Trig is a full-service industrial design firm focused on excellence in insights and ideation, design and development, and brand asset management services for entrepreneurs and product development teams around the world. Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Trig offers services ranging from design-for-manufacturing to virtual ideation and marketing automation.

Prior Trig IDEA Wins and Recognitions Include:
ALTR ERGO Sanctuary Saddle
410 Medical LifeFlow Rapid Infusion System
Sunscreenr UV Camera

Media Contact
Ty Hagler, Founder and Principal

www.trig.com