Leena Kuukasjärvi is the software test lead at Innokas. She was one of the 10 candidates in the Vuoden Testaaja (Tester of the Year) competition. In addition to testing, her duties include verifying and presenting test results. Leena was the only candidate in the competition working in the MedTech field. She specializes in embedded software—software that runs inside a device.

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Despite the mystery, Leena says she is flattered to have been nominated. She enjoys bringing attention to the work and expertise at Innokas. "Anyone in our team could have been a candidate," Leena says. "The life of a tester is such that you have to be a little curious—sometimes even a little paranoid. A device used with patients in a hospital should never harm anyone,” she explains, outlining how developing software for medical devices differs from other types of software.

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“You have to consider all user groups of the device. For example, it must be ensured that the person in the patient’s position does not receive an electric shock from an oxygen saturation sensor. Naturally, the device must also display the correct result to the nurse using it. We also consider the hospital engineer who configures the device to work within the hospital network. All hospitals have different networks, and the device must function in any of them. Some features must be accessible only to hospital engineers; we must ensure that nurses and patients cannot access special menus intended solely for engineers,” Leena says, describing the complexity of these devices.

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“When a person’s life and health are at stake, the device must not be capable of causing harm, even in situations where someone tries to use it maliciously,” Leena emphasizes. In other contexts, harmless programming errors might be overlooked, but Leena stresses that in medical device development, every mistake must be corrected.

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Delivering high-quality medical products with reasonable effort is central to Innokas’s mission. It is in every MedTech organization’s best interest to minimize risks, especially in the event of an adverse outcome, such as a patient’s death.

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"Innokas does demanding programming work. Today, standalone software for medical purposes—like a web or mobile app—is also classified as a medical device and must meet the same policies and requirements. There are many special considerations. It’s much more complex to develop this kind of software than non-medical software,” Leena explains. "We don’t just think about how to solve the problem programmatically. We have to consider the conditions,” she adds.

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“It’s rarely possible to create flawless software. Harmful mistakes are corrected in every field, but in this one, quality truly plays a major role. As a tester, I feel that we’re doing truly meaningful work. Every mistake is analyzed and never swept under the rug.”

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Leena’s attitude toward testing and programming is highly development-oriented. “Software is a world of continuous improvement, which is also worth testing constantly. That way, all faults are found, and changes can be made much faster and more cost-effectively. When changes come faster, that’s when testing is really needed.”

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Interviewee

Leena Kuukasjärvi

Software test lead

leena.kuukasjärvi@innokas.eu