Designing a digital inhaler
(2017) MMK920 20162Innovation
- Abstract
- Untreated asthma limits the ability to live an active life, still many asthmatics does not have the level of control over their asthma as they could have. In addition, about 50% of the asthmatics use their inhaler incorrectly, which affects the result of the medicine negative. The asthma inhaler is central in an asthmatics living and has great potential for de- velopment towards a modern asthma monitoring tool and could possibly improve the user’s overall asthma knowledge.
This thesis was done as a collaboration with Zenit Design AB and Iconovo AB and the object of the project was a generic inhaler from Iconovo’s inhaler platform. The mission for the thesis was to explore possibilities, solutions and designs for a connected inhaler in... (More) - Untreated asthma limits the ability to live an active life, still many asthmatics does not have the level of control over their asthma as they could have. In addition, about 50% of the asthmatics use their inhaler incorrectly, which affects the result of the medicine negative. The asthma inhaler is central in an asthmatics living and has great potential for de- velopment towards a modern asthma monitoring tool and could possibly improve the user’s overall asthma knowledge.
This thesis was done as a collaboration with Zenit Design AB and Iconovo AB and the object of the project was a generic inhaler from Iconovo’s inhaler platform. The mission for the thesis was to explore possibilities, solutions and designs for a connected inhaler in order to increase and improve the asthmatics ́ use of asthma medicine.
The overall goal with the project was to localize user needs and discover ways to implement electronics into the inhaler in order to solve the needs and improve the user experience. In the initial phase, research was done through literature studies and interviews with asthmatics and asthma professionals, providing a broad understanding of asthma and how it is to live with asthma. By de ning user needs and problems with today’s asthma inhalers the design process was initiated.
Thinking entrepreneurial and developing the product by the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) approach, the function of the inhaler was initially designed with just enough features to solve the main user needs. Added to the entrepreneurial approach was an own method - to advance the MVP with additional functions in order to ful l more user needs and improve the asthmatics inhalation technique.
When a superstructured MVP was set, the project evolved into a small system containing an inhaler with a detachable module and a belonging mobile application. The three components – the inhaler, the module and the app – was designed and developed in an iterative process.
In the end, through playing with light and sensors, a digital asthma/COPD inhaler was designed to aid the patient to use their inhaler correctly. When using the inhaler, the attached module registers and communicates data to the app. The app, in turn, processes the information and presents data and the numbers to users and caregivers to give them insights into the asthma conditions. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- During this thesis a digital asthma inhaler was designed to encourage correct usage while providing the patient with personalized data about their asthma and it’s poten- tial triggers - all packaged into a consumer friendly and emotional design.
One out of ten people in Sweden are suffering from asthma. While at the same time, an alarming 32 percent are using their asthma inhaler incorrectly. is substantially a ects the dose delivered to their lungs. rough playing with light and sensors the inhaler provides feedback and encourages the pa- tient to use their inhaler correctly throughout all stages of the inhalation procedure, because the way the medicine is deliv- ered to a patient’s lungs is as important as the medicine itself.
To... (More) - During this thesis a digital asthma inhaler was designed to encourage correct usage while providing the patient with personalized data about their asthma and it’s poten- tial triggers - all packaged into a consumer friendly and emotional design.
One out of ten people in Sweden are suffering from asthma. While at the same time, an alarming 32 percent are using their asthma inhaler incorrectly. is substantially a ects the dose delivered to their lungs. rough playing with light and sensors the inhaler provides feedback and encourages the pa- tient to use their inhaler correctly throughout all stages of the inhalation procedure, because the way the medicine is deliv- ered to a patient’s lungs is as important as the medicine itself.
To increase the patient’s awareness of their disease, allowing them to avoid things that triggers their asthma and to take
their medication proactively the inhaler is connected to a smartphone. Because by register when and where a dose has been inhaled coupled with public data from potential asthma triggers such as weather and pollen, patterns can be visualised and the patient can gain valuable insights into their asthma.
During the user studies many asthmatics said that their tur- buhaler was ugly (one of the most used inhalers on the mar- ket), although, this is not the entire truth. Because the inhal- er is, apart from something that opens up a person’s airways and giving them the freedom to do many things, also is the object which binds them together with the disease. With this in mind, the aim was to design a more consumer friendly and emotional product, while trying to keep the dignity and respect a medical product should have. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8906203
- author
- Ngo, Kent LU and Axhed, Erika
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- An inhaler for the digital world
- course
- MMK920 20162
- year
- 2017
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Technology, digital, inhaler, healthcare, medicine, asthma, copd, dpi, dry, powder, iot, internet, of, things, tech, Medtech, design, industrial, mechanical, sensor, pressure, spirometer, spirometry, turbuhaler, pulmicort, symbicort, discuss, pif, pef, led, emotional, user, experience, lund, university, product
- language
- English
- additional info
- Made in collaboration with Zenit Design and ICONOVO
- id
- 8906203
- date added to LUP
- 2017-05-03 13:45:10
- date last changed
- 2017-05-03 13:45:10
@misc{8906203,
abstract = {{Untreated asthma limits the ability to live an active life, still many asthmatics does not have the level of control over their asthma as they could have. In addition, about 50% of the asthmatics use their inhaler incorrectly, which affects the result of the medicine negative. The asthma inhaler is central in an asthmatics living and has great potential for de- velopment towards a modern asthma monitoring tool and could possibly improve the user’s overall asthma knowledge.
This thesis was done as a collaboration with Zenit Design AB and Iconovo AB and the object of the project was a generic inhaler from Iconovo’s inhaler platform. The mission for the thesis was to explore possibilities, solutions and designs for a connected inhaler in order to increase and improve the asthmatics ́ use of asthma medicine.
The overall goal with the project was to localize user needs and discover ways to implement electronics into the inhaler in order to solve the needs and improve the user experience. In the initial phase, research was done through literature studies and interviews with asthmatics and asthma professionals, providing a broad understanding of asthma and how it is to live with asthma. By de ning user needs and problems with today’s asthma inhalers the design process was initiated.
Thinking entrepreneurial and developing the product by the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) approach, the function of the inhaler was initially designed with just enough features to solve the main user needs. Added to the entrepreneurial approach was an own method - to advance the MVP with additional functions in order to ful l more user needs and improve the asthmatics inhalation technique.
When a superstructured MVP was set, the project evolved into a small system containing an inhaler with a detachable module and a belonging mobile application. The three components – the inhaler, the module and the app – was designed and developed in an iterative process.
In the end, through playing with light and sensors, a digital asthma/COPD inhaler was designed to aid the patient to use their inhaler correctly. When using the inhaler, the attached module registers and communicates data to the app. The app, in turn, processes the information and presents data and the numbers to users and caregivers to give them insights into the asthma conditions.}},
author = {{Ngo, Kent and Axhed, Erika}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Designing a digital inhaler}},
year = {{2017}},
}