Sleep Well

Diabetes Mine Design Challege 2009Jordan Diatlo & Megan Langdon

Don’t worry about diabetes tonight...

Sleep WellBracelet and Alarm System


“As a parent one of your biggest fears is waking up in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning and either testing your child and finding them dangerously low or possibly dead.”

-From an interview we conducted with the mother of a diabetic child


The ProblemThe dead in bed syndrome is a fear that rattles the mind of diabetics and their care-takers. Statistics show that the dead in bed syndrome accounts for 6% of all deaths in diabetics under the age of 40*. This occur-rence is often caused by severe hypoglyce-mia, when the diabetic experiences a dangerously low blood glucose level. Although death is rare, the thought of it plagues the minds of many diabetics and those watching over them, causing unnecessary anxiety.

In order to prevent emergency treatment, blood sugar levels must be monitored throughout the night. Since this issue is more common in diabetic youths, this burden often falls to the parents who sacrifice a full night of sleep in order to monitor their diabetic child. One mother that we interviewed who has an 8 year-old diabetic daughter shared that she hasn’t slept through the night since her daughter was diagnosed 8 months ago. She keeps a baby monitor in her daughter’s room incase of any alarming noises, but she is still forced to check at least twice every night, praying each time for a healthy reading. While nobody wants to give up a full night of sleep, parents in this situation will tell you that they can either lose sleep, or risk the life of their child.

A full night of rest is important for every-one. For a diabetic or a parent to be able to sleep soundly and worry free, a product that allows for the easy surveillance of a diabetics nightly blood glucose level is necessary. This device should provide current readings to both the diabetic and their caregiver. Additionally, it is important to log and track this information to determine how to better structure your evening routine and prevent a dangerously low or high blood sugar levels during the night.

Our solution to this problem is a bedside device that wirelessly communicates with a non-invasive blood glucose meter that the diabetic can wear throughout the night. The bedside device can be used to monitor the child by the parent in their own room, while the child can sleep soundly and independently in their own bedroom.

The Solution

* - statistic from http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0n_g00.htm


The child can sleep comfortably and peacefully wearing the glucose reading bracelet. The noninvasive wrist accessory checks the blood throughout the night using infrared sensors. If she awakes during the night feeling uneasy about her blood sugar levels she can easily check. By simply pressing in the two buttons on the sides of the screen, the backlight will brighten to show the glucose level reading. If dangerous levels are reached during the night, the device will awaken her by alarm and vibration. She has no reason to worry because she knows her mother is headed her way after receiving the same message in her room.


Sweat-wicking Fabric Interior

Notches to Adjust Fit

Large Readout of Blood Glucose Level

Battery Life Display

Buttons for Backlight

variety of color opportunities

Comfortable ElastomerMaterial

Bracelet

Infrared Blood Glucose Reader


No more sleepless nights. The mother can now monitor the health and safety of her child without leaving her bed. The device can be set to wake her at the onset of a dangerous blood sugar level. Addition-ally, if she awakes in the middle of the night, she can easily review the nightly activities of her child at the convenience of her bedside. If an emergency occurs the alarm will sound, and she can head down the hall, taking the monitor with her to tend to her child with the aid of the information displayed.


The convenient, portable screen can be removed from the base dock for closer viewing and taken around the house. The display provides the mother with her child’s current blood sugar level, her past level at this time, and graphs detailing changes and trends over time of the child’s blood sugar level. The device is not only useful at night, it can also be used around the house during the day or when the child is at play within range of the dock’s reception.


Charging Pad

Large Screen for easy reading

Removable, Portable Screen

Large Clock Screen

Button Controls

Monitor


Large Blood Glucose Reading

Record of Previous Days Readings

Chart of NightlyActivity

Lighting Strip

In an emergency situation the device will shine brightly and alarm to awake the parent or diabetic. Important statistics will be displayed prominently to ensure proper and timely treatment.

Screen


This device also provides an easy way for a parent to track and record the nightly be-havior of the child’s blood sugar level. The simple graphs allow for easy comparisons and analysis used to determine the best methods to treat the nightly highs and lows. All of this valuable information is gathered and stored as the parent experiences a peaceful night of sleep. The device can connect to a computer through the USB port, so information can be uploaded to the computer, and easily shared with doctors and others with expertise.


After extended use the bracelet can be placed and stored on the charging dock of the main device. During the day, both the bracelet and portable screen can be charged and synced for use again when night comes.


This product addresses the needs of an individual that is often over-looked in the design of diabetic products. Our device allows for the parent, guardian or caregiver to have a connection to the diabetic user while giving them peace of mind at night. For diabetic children who are so dependent on the constant care and assis-tance of others, it can provide a heightened sense ofindependence.

Beyond that, this product also has applications and uses that can be used not only by the parent of a diabetic. The alarm system and data tracking can be useful to a diabetic of any age. Our design will not only provide instant information, but record and organize data over extended periods, aiding users in determining healthy lifestyle and routine choic-es. The night will no longer be a period of anxiety for diabetics and the people who care about them. Finally the diabetic and their caregivers can get the full night of sleep they deserve, and be better prepared to face the day ahead of them.

About us:Jordan Diatlo and Megan Langdon are two energetic, young designers who look to use their design talents to improve the lives of others through innovative product design. As recent graduates, we have explored only a small part of the design world and are eager to explore and expand our knowledge. Communicating bi-coastally through endless email threads we passed back and forth countless brainstorm ideas, concept sketches, research findings, interesting interviews, and renderings.

Conclusion

Sleep Well

Documents

Transcript of Sleep Well