One of the first Electronic Sketches build in the project to start exploring the area of exercise and motivation together with COPD patients. The picture shows a walking stick that would alert it's owner if a freind is out for a walk close by, so they could go for a walk together.
Project description
As part of a research project for UNIK, I looked into the area of physical training for COPD patients. During the project several concepts was developed and tested together with patients, healthcare professionals like physiotherapists, nurses and relatives. All the concepts focused on the area of empowering, motivating and helping the patients to handle their own training and situation better.
One of the concepts, The Pacer was developed with both physiotherapists and patients in mind. While at a clinic, COPD patients would walk with the physiotherapists at a certain pace; however upon arriving home, the patients might be too worried to walk at the same pace by themselves, for fear of losing their breath, or might not remember the exact pace to walk at.
The Pacer monitors the patients activity during the day, and has the option of turning on a feedback that guides the patients to walk at an ideal pace. At the end of the day The Pacer collects the activity in a journal so the patients can see the effect of their training over time and inform the physiotherapist in the dialogue with the patient. The goal was to make a simple, easy to use device which would work without any technical training and would be discreet enough to wear on everyday clothing.
Additionally, a blood oxygen sensor was developed which patients could wear as a glove, indicating to them if their blood oxygen level was in a safe range. This reassured patients that they could continue walking at the prescribed pace. The glove was also collecting data which could be transferred to a phone, computer or tablet so the physiotherapist could see the results of the patient’s exercise. Further development with inhalers was done in connection with this project.
One of the concepts, The Pacer was developed with both physiotherapists and patients in mind. While at a clinic, COPD patients would walk with the physiotherapists at a certain pace; however upon arriving home, the patients might be too worried to walk at the same pace by themselves, for fear of losing their breath, or might not remember the exact pace to walk at.
The Pacer monitors the patients activity during the day, and has the option of turning on a feedback that guides the patients to walk at an ideal pace. At the end of the day The Pacer collects the activity in a journal so the patients can see the effect of their training over time and inform the physiotherapist in the dialogue with the patient. The goal was to make a simple, easy to use device which would work without any technical training and would be discreet enough to wear on everyday clothing.
Additionally, a blood oxygen sensor was developed which patients could wear as a glove, indicating to them if their blood oxygen level was in a safe range. This reassured patients that they could continue walking at the prescribed pace. The glove was also collecting data which could be transferred to a phone, computer or tablet so the physiotherapist could see the results of the patient’s exercise. Further development with inhalers was done in connection with this project.
Taking a walk with the COPD pacer.
Later Electronic Sketches of headphones that would guide the patient to walk at the correct pace, and the SPO2 glove.
Testing an Electronic Sketch of the SPO2 glove.
COPD patients training together with physiotherapists at the hospital.
Paper sketch of the SPO2 glove.
More information about the Project (in Danish)
http://issuu.com/mediegruppen/docs/helse20120503 (page 32 & 33)
