Design and produce a proof-of-concept prototype for a device that improves accessibility by automating a task
The device must accept sensor data and perform a minimum of 2 output processes
The output processes must communicate information to the user
The device is encouraged to make use of a mechanism
One of the few types of medication that children are expected to administer to themselves as asthma puffers
Young children have difficulty operating the commercial puffer’s mechanism independently leading to inconsistent doses
Some children overmedicate themselves without their parent's knowledge
Children with asthma often avoid using their puffers due to fear of ridicule
<aside> 💡 Our Mission: Design a low-profile, portable wrist-attached asthma inhaler that automates the dose dispersion, detects fluctuations in a heartbeat that may correlate with an asthma attack, and prevent it.
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Design Project 3 introduced me and other students to a more open-ended style of assessment. We were tasked with finding gaps in the market and identifying target demographics that may be in need of a medical device that is yet to exist. Given such a broad set of requirements, we had to narrow down our field of research. Online research simply leads to more and more questions and infinite possibilities, thus our group attempted a different approach. We surveyed each group member discussing different medical conditions that they had heard of or are familiar with. Eventually, through this method one of our group members mentioned a younger relative they have who has difficulty self-administering their asthma medication. This catapulted our research and narrowed down the type of medical device we wanted to design.
<aside> 🧠 What I learned: Personal connections and experiences can be just as valuable as official research and I believe both should be utilized in tandem for optimal results.
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Preliminary concept sketch of the Peter Puffer
To produce consistent dose administration, we needed to implement a mechanism that is capable of repeatedly producing the same motion in a nearly identical fashion every time. Following group discussion, feedback from teaching assistants, and online research we decided on using a cam and follower mechanism the push down the inhaler in our device.
Concept Sketches of cam and follower mechanism and potential dimensions.
Basic Mechanisms: Cam and Follower
Furthermore, we decided on a heart sensor as our sensor of choice following a discussion with our professor. Initially, we had decided on using a gas concentration sensor, however, Dr. McDonald had brought up an excellent point regarding the fact that exercise is a severe trigger for many asthmatics and it is very common for a child patient to completely forget their inhaler out of reach when they are so excited to get moving!
<aside> 🧠 What I learned: Feedback and iteration can help elevate an initial design drastically and offer an external perspective that a group may have overlooked during intense project design.
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In order to make our prototype as appealing as possible for children we decided to use a superhero as a marketing strategy. Additionally, we ensured to conceal the inhaler to avoid the user being ostracized by their peers. Other additions to our design include a timer that notifies the user when the medication will be administered, prompting them to have their mouth on the nozzle, as well as a cooldown preventing a child from voluntarily overmedicating themselves.