This week's story from the Medical Device Manufacturers meeting in New York describing how nurses are evaluating device packaging, reminds us all of the vital role that the end user needs to play in the design of any product. In our little corner of the universe, we know how critical it is that device manufacturers consider the cleanability and sterilizability of their products. Too often, brilliantly innovative surgical devices have proven to be impossible to clean (i.e., lap instruments without flush ports). Hopefully this event in New York becomes the norm in our industry.