COPD Chest Band
A solution to monitor symptoms and support patients.
Supporting patients through technology
COPD is a chronic lung disease requiring close monitoring and frequent hospital visits, impacting patients' daily lives. This project aimed to design a system for individual symptom monitoring to reduce hospital visits and increase patient independence.
Skills
User Research, Circuit Building, Arduino, Processing, UX design & User Testing.
Client
IMEC
Year
2017
Specific sensors for symptom monitoring
Collaborating with IMEC, we identified user needs through contextual research and developed the prototype iteratively. We built the circuit and designed an app, connecting them using Arduino and Processing.
The circuitry inside the band. A breadboard was used because some of the sensors needed to be returned to IMEC.
Iterative design process
Each prototype was tested and the results used to improve the design in the next prototype.
The final prototype is a chest band with sensors for tracking disease progression and promoting breathing exercises. An accompanying app visualises vital signs, gamifies exercises, and facilitates symptom sharing with doctors.
Three different iterations for the visualisation of breath frequency, heart rate and O2 blood levels.
The water in the visualisation rises and falls according to the breath rate and inhale/exhale length of the user. The color of the water indicates the oxygen levels (SPO2) in the blood, as measured by the sensors in the chest band.
Redesign as a guide for breath exercises
I redesigned the chest band for a project called Pulsela, where it functions as a sensor to visualize breathing and guide users through breathing exercises. The visualisation is designed with soothing colours and indirectly presents breathing patterns through the visual. The visualisation is designed to calm the user and draw their focus to their breath, helping them become more engaged with their breath and regain calmness.
Redesign of the chest band with a stretch sensor and SPO2 sensor.