Custom-made solutions: a medical device translation success story
Introduction
I collaborated with VERBA, a language service provider, on a project for a company in the field of biomaterials in regenerative medicine. I translated instructions for use for 13 different products into Serbian.
VERBA sought a reliable language partner capable of delivering user-centric translations tailored to their end customer’s needs. The outcome was a clear and precise translation facilitating safe, effective and efficient use of regeneration materials for the end customer.
The story of VERBA
VERBA is an international translation service provider with offices in Croatia and Denmark. They offer services that range from translations, revision, proofreading and layout formatting to automating entire translation processes.
With more than 2 million words translated in more than 2,000 translation projects a year, VERBA’s main areas of expertise include life sciences, marketing, IT, technology and legal.
The challenge of translating instructions for use
VERBA contacted me for an English-into-Serbian translation of instructions for use for 13 different products for tissue regeneration materials, including bone substitute materials, soft tissue substitute materials, allografts, membranes, wound support materials and fixation medical devices.
They required a translator specialised in the field capable of providing reader-centric translations to ensure the safe, effective and efficient use of their end customers’ products in clinical settings.
Why Verba chose me
VERBA has been one of my regular clients since 2019. Over the past five years, we have collaborated on numerous medical device localisation projects, encompassing vascular intervention, in-vitro diagnostics, gastroenterology, orthopaedics, medical imaging and laboratory data management devices. Together, we have translated more than 2 million words.
They required a language partner whom they could trust to deliver precise and clear translations for their life sciences customer.
How I responded
For this project, there were no previous translations and glossaries to reference. My first step was to establish a consistent and authentic voice and tone for the documents.
Using terminology familiar to healthcare specialists in their day-to-day work is crucial for building trust between the end customer and healthcare specialists. I extensively researched terminological equivalents in Serbian and coined new terms when necessary.
To ensure the highest quality in my translations, I prepared a query sheet for the end client and used Verifika, a QA tool, to review the bilingual files.
The results
The result was a clear and precise translation facilitating safe, effective and efficient use of tissue regeneration materials for the end customer. Another translator at VERBA reviewed the translations to ensure the message and tone of voice were effectively and consistently communicated in the target language.
This is one of the best, if not the best, translations I have reviewed. In addition to being terminologically perfect – using previously translated terms and providing highly creative solutions where translations of terms did not exist – the text demonstrated a high level of mastery in grammar and orthography. […] I have not encountered a style this beautiful in medical translations for a long time.
Reviewer at VERBA
Let’s work together
If you need a localisation specialist to create effective and engaging content to help you grow your medical device business in Serbia, feel free to contact me at milica.translations@gmail.com or send me a request on LinkedIn.
I localise medical device labelling and software apps into Serbian to ensure effective, safe and efficient use of your medical device(s). I can also recraft your website, blog posts and email marketing content to attract, engage and delight your users and customers in the Serbian market.