Aida
Harvard University | Fall 2020 | Product Design
Designing an at-home heart monitoring and emergency intervention created for individuals at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest and their loved ones.
Roles & Skills:
Problem definition, user interviews, journey mapping
Rapid prototyping, CAD modeling, rendered animations
Operational prototyping using Arduino
Researched existing marketplace competition
This project was done in collaboration with Rebecca Brand and Jiabin Wei during a six-week product design course at Harvard University.
Problem Definition
Our team chose to address the problem space of sudden cardiac arrest and the grim reality that in the United States, the fatality rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is over 90%. More specifically, we honed in on the 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that occur in the home.
Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs, are the leading medical tool to combat the effects of cardiac arrest. If used promptly and correctly, AEDs can increase the cardiac arrest survival rate by two or three times.
User Interviews
We conducted a series of interviews with individuals with heart conditions and their family members, experts in health and technology, and EMTs. Our two greatest takeaways were that 1) time is of the essence, and 2) not enough people, including those with the conditions themselves, feel prepared to act in an emergency situation.
From our interviews, we developed two user personals - one is someone with an existing heart condition who is at high-risk for sudden cardiac arrest and the other is a loved one who may live or interact with the former daily.
Synthesizing our research and interviews, we mapped the current user journey, which looks at both the low-level stress of living with a chronic heart condition and also zooming into the discrete experience of a cardiac arrest crisis.
We set out to design a product could mitigate some of the low-level stress on a daily basis and also be used during the crucial first few minutes of a sudden cardiac arrest.
Hypothesis
We can reduce the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest fatalities by providing individuals with pre-existing heart conditions a preventative and diagnostic medical product for their homes.
Intervention
As a smart health device, Aida combines the capabilities of an AED with tools for routine heart monitoring and everyday use, catered to the user’s peace-of-mind in the face of possible emergencies.
Meet Aida
In REST mode, Aida displays the time and date and is connected to a mobile application where users can access videos and resources on CPR and AED usage.
In EKG mode, the user can perform routine at-home electrocardiograms by placing their hands on Aida’s electrode pads. After analysis, the results appear on Aida’s screen and are also stored on the mobile application. The results can be sent to a cardiologist if desired.
In AED mode, Aida automatically calls 9-1-1 when released from the charging dock in an emergency. Aida then provides audiovisual instructions and utilizes smart defibrillation paddles to analyze the victim’s heart rate, only recommending shocks when necessary.
Functional Prototype
The most unique innovation of Aida is the automatic 9-1-1 call. When Aida is removed from the charging dock in an emergency, a 9-1-1 call is automatically sent out along with GPS location information.
To prototype the functionality, we used a proximity sensor and Arduino to connect to a cellphone via Bluetooth. The sensor sends data through an Arduino cloud system (Adafruit IO) to a web-based communication service (If This Then That), which makes the phone call.
Design Process
Our design process focused on creating a product that met medical grade standards for safety, reliability, and durability; had intuitive user design such that someone could use it without training and in high-stress situations; integrated into the user’s existing habits, technology, and lifestyle; and was a reasonable cost.
On the technical side, we sought to integrate the capabilities of an AED, an EKG, and a smart speaker. On top of that, we added the ability to automatically call 9-1-1.
Formally, we were inspired by products for the home that elicit delight and comfort, while considering the sense of trust and capability associated with a powerful machine.
Our sketches, models, and prototypes were also largely guided by the ergonomics of using EKG electrode pads and ensuring easy access to the defibrillator paddles.
Marketplace Research
The existing marketplace shows that most EKGs and AEDs are for commercial use, largely due to size and price. Aida sits in a unique position in the market as an at-home device that has both monitoring and AED capabilities for a more affordable price.
Aida’s components can be manufactured through partnerships with major healthcare production companies using parts that have already been FDA-approved. This will ultimately save time and money.
