This graduation project is part of a double degree program for the master’s in Biomedical Engineering and Communication Design for Innovation, conducted at the Cardio-Respiratory Engineering And TEchnology laboratory (CREATElab) in Melbourne, Australia.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death globally, with out-of-hospital cardiac arrests often resulting in poor outcomes due to prolonged periods of compromised blood flow. Prehospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (pECPR) offers a promising rescue intervention to reduce treatment delays. This design study improved the RApidly DEployable (RADE) ECPR kit prototype 1.0, which demonstrates full ECPR equipment compatibility for prehospital settings while streamlining the treatment workflow. Based on clinical insights, prototype 2.0 aimed to optimize the RADE ECPR kit’s speed and performance. Testing with clinicians at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne showed significant improvements in deployability, equipment organization, and overall usability compared to the conventional pECPR suitcase and prototype 1.0.

Additionally, this study examined the impact of leadership absence on innovative scientific performance. While the effects of leadership gaps on research teams remain underexplored, the departure of the CREATElab’s Director provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the challenges and consequences of such disruptions. Using a mixed-method approach, the findings revealed that leadership absence hindered collaboration and motivation, shifting lab dynamics toward task-oriented isolation. Shared decision-making and distributed leadership were identified as communication strategies to sustain innovation during such gaps, with The CREATElab Challenge offering a gamified solution to strengthen connectivity and morale.

The studies highlight the critical role of engineering design optimization in improving outcomes for cardiac arrest patients and underscore the importance of adaptive communication strategies in sustaining scientific innovation, particularly in challenging circumstances.