EXD3 (External Patient Alarm Device)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Insight was asked to develop the second generation External Patient Alarm Device (EXD3). The EXD3 is one of the external components within a system of peripheral devices that as a whole provides a means of detecting and warning a patient of a variety of changes in his/her electrocardiogram. 

CHALLENGES

Patients who have had a heart attack or who are at high risk are primarily elderly, so we needed to design a device that fit into their lifestyles and was easy to use. Multiple research sessions were conducted to generate a strong understanding of the needs, use, ergonomics, and experiential requirements of patients.

SOLUTIONS

The conceptual design activities focused initially on creating a variety of concepts to use in the field research, testing possible directions for the EXD3. Upon completion of the research work, I used the learnings from the field to develop EXD3 concepts that met the needs of patients, addressed opportunities that were revealed, and integrated appropriate ergonomics and aesthetics. Three concepts were chosen for further design refinement and taken back out into the field for an additional round of testing before narrowing down to one direction for design finalization.