OuluHealth Labs are one-of-a-kind test and development environments located in Oulu. The environments have been established to stimulate innovation and support the implementation of health solutions. OuluHealth Labs are widely utilised by innovators from Finland and beyond who want to test and co-create their solutions in authentic environments and with genuine users. OuluHealth Labs are composed of four units: the Oamk SimLab, the OYS TestLab, the Pohde WellbeingLab, and the Mittlab.
All the labs belong to the OuluHealth ecosystem and are part of the Nordic Test Beds network.
The Oamk SimLab as an aid for students and companies
The Oamk SimLab is a versatile simulation and studio environment located at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences. It was established in 2010 and has significantly expanded over the years. The Oamk SimLab covers bioanalytics, nursing, emergency nursing, optometry, oral health care, radiography, and radiation therapy as well as rehabilitation learning, testing, and development environments with related equipment. This lab is often utilised for testing and developing health solutions as well as for educational purposes.
However, is the Oamk SimLab used only for product development or is there more to it? Who else could utilise this environment and for what purposes? To find out the answers, OuluHealth interviewed Eija Hautala, who manages the activities of the Oamk SimLab and Hanna Sirviö, marketing and sales coordinator at Monidor.
An interview with Eija Hautala, Senior Lecturer, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oamk SimLab
What is the Oamk SimLab and what services does it provide?
We are now at the premises of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences and here you can find one of the unique testing environments that Oulu has to offer, the Oamk SimLab. It provides excellent testing facilities for health companies to support them in developing their innovations. It can be used to test solutions in every stage of development, from an idea to a market-ready product. The work input of multidisciplinary students can also be utilised in research and product development. So far, we have had quite many test cases performed in our Lab, through which health companies from Finland and beyond developed their solutions. One good example is Monidor, a healthtech company from Oulu that used our testing facilities a few times.
Who can use this environment? Is it only for health companies?
Our Lab has been established not only as an aid for companies. It is used as a platform to develop new cooperation models and joint activities, for example, between students and companies. It is also a perfect environment for students to expand their knowledge and improve their practical skills.
How is the Oamk SimLab different from other environments?
The Oamk Sim Lab is very well–equipped. It grants access to new technologies and laboratories. During testing processes of new health solutions, the Oamk SimLab offers the expertise of our academic staff and feedback from students involved in testing. The Lab has, for example, high-fidelity patient simulators with all human vital functions, guided with a computer or even a wrecked car model that enables a reconstruction of a traffic accident. This is an authentic environment for students to practise how to successfully rescue accident victims. As you can see, the Oamk SimLab offers versatile support. Our services are also tailor-made and depend on the requirements of each test case.
Thank you for presenting the Oamk SimLab to us and we wish you many successful test cases to come.
An interview with Hanna Sirviö, Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Monidor
What is Monidor doing today in the Oamk SimLab?
Today is a day unlike any other. We are having our photo shoot and video session.
This is a bit unusual way of utislising one of OuluHealth Labs. How did you get the idea of having a photo shoot in this Lab?
We saw the need to update our marketing material, as we have new products launched. The Oamk SimLab is very familiar to us. It serves as a nice environment not only for testing health solutions but also for getting some visual elements to boost our company’s visibility. We are taking pictures and recording video material using the facilities provided by the lab. We have a professional photographer, Henri Luoma, with us today and we are really hoping for the best results possible. We are going to use this material in social media, on our web pages, brochures, etc. Monidor had photo shoots arranged here before. The Oamk SimLab is quick to respond. We were able to have everything set on short notice.
Monidor had its product tested earlier in OuluHealth Labs. Was it successful?
Actually, this is how the adventure with our product testing started. We tested the prototype of our solution here in this lab. It provided us with the feedback that we used to develop the device you can see here today. Then we had it tested also in the OYS TestLab. So, we can proudly say that our innovation was designed, developed, and manufactured in Oulu. In our opinion, the experience is good. The tests we carried out in both labs were summative and formative, great in an early phase of product development. The OuluHealth Labs’ representatives were very flexible, and the collaboration was easy.
Thank you for your time and good luck with the photo shoot. I hope to see the material published also in our OuluHealth network.
Visit our website for more information about OuluHealth Labs and to find out about other OuluHealth services: www.ouluhealth.fi
Text and images: Joanna Seppänen, Health and Life Science, BusinessOulu