DESIGN PROCESS

Project Selection
- Project Ideas
  - Wearable than can diagnose disease
  - Not specific enough for project
- Hearing loss App
  - A lot of device already existed on the market that have similar ideas
  - Apps that attempt to diagnose levels of hearing loss based on frequencies that can and cannot be heard
- Athletic movement/track movement
  - Not enough interest
- Arm sleeve with accelerometers than can measure movement in every direction. Like an upgraded version of current kinetic sensors
  - Not enough interest
- Knee scooters - how can they be improved? Made more compact, made cheaper, stronger?
  - Not enough interest
- Physical therapy after knee surgery
  - Leg brace that can massage/stretch and ice the knee area at the same time
  - Can have user interface so temperature and level/area of applied pressure can be customized
- Lyme disease app
  - Not enough interest
- Vitamin deficiency test - non-invasive method to determine vitamin/mineral deficiencies
- Not enough interest
- Phone AED
  - Already many items and ideas that have been attempted to be marketed
  - Similar ideas already on the market
- Wound monitoring bandage – CHOSEN PROJECT
  - Little existing already in the field
  - Be able to produce consistent monitoring of wound healing progress

Research
- Related devices
  - “Smart” bandages to monitor healing [1]
  - Electric fields to track healing [2]
  - Printed bandage for pH, pressure, irregular bleeding [3]
  - Smart bandage for wound oxygenation [4]
  - Bandage for monitoring wound pH [5]
  - Nitric oxide wound monitoring [6]
  - Wound area fluid monitoring [7]
  - App to calculate wound healing [8]
- No devices that already exist on the market or already have existing patents
Project Problem
- Yet to exists a single device that can accurately monitor wound healing
- Meant to target device for larger wounds from surgeries
- Surgeons can determine progress of wound healing without having to remove bandages or affecting the healing process
Design Goals
- Identify and monitor in bandages
  - pH
  - Oxygen
  - Nitric oxide
- Different types/designs for different types of wounds
- Monitoring components on surface of bandage so bandage does not need to be removed
Prior Art
- Articles
  - “Smart” bandages to monitor healing [1]
  - Electric fields to track healing [2]
  - Printed bandage for pH, pressure, irregular bleeding [3]
  - Smart bandage for wound oxygenation [4]
  - Bandage for monitoring wound pH [5]
  - Nitric oxide wound monitoring [6]
  - Wound area fluid monitoring [7]
  - App to calculate wound healing [8]
- Existing patents
  - Sensor to monitor movement that can be inserted into a bandage [9]
  - Monitoring parameters that lead to a medical condition [10]
  - Platform for monitoring wounds and ulcers through hydration levels [11]
Brainstorming
- Bandage device that can adhere to skin
- Alerts for different colors for different conditions present, 3 different parts that change colors to represent the different areas for test
  - pH
    - Significance of surface pH in chronic wounds [12]
      - higher pH = wound
      - lower pH = healing
    - Bandage changes color to indicate state of wound underneath [13]
    - Bandage-based wearable sensor for monitoring wound pH [5]
  - Nitric oxide
    - Release regulates collagen formation, cell proliferation, and wound contraction [14]
    - Critical to wound collagen accumulation and acquisition of mechanical strength [15]
    - Necessary for clinical therapy [15]
    - Need to continue research to determine levels of nitric oxide for healing
  - Oxygen
    - GOOD = normal subcutaneous tissue oxygen tension = 30-50 mmHg [4]
    - BAD = low oxygen tension in chronic wound = 5-20 mmHg [4]