Hydration Check Patch

Hydration Check Patch

Master Thesis in Advanced Product Design

Master Thesis in Advanced Product Design

Master Thesis in Advanced Product Design

Year:

2024

Type:

Hardware Development

,

System Design

How might we create a seamless and passive hydration monitoring solution that delivers evidence-based, reliable insights, integrates effortlessly into the busy routines of caregivers, and reduces material use in single-use components?

About the Project

Non-invasive biomarker reading is a method of assessing biological markers in the human body without resorting to invasive techniques like blood draws or biopsies. This approach analyzes bodily fluids which can be obtained quickly and without causing pain for the patient, such as saliva, sweat, urine, breath, and tear fluid. Each of these substances can provide valuable information about various health conditions. For instance, saliva can reveal hormonal imbalances, infections, and drug levels, while sweat can offer insights into electrolyte balance and metabolic functions. Urine testing is widely used to detect glucose, proteins, and blood cells indicative of diseases like diabetes or kidney issues. Breath analysis, detecting volatile organic compounds, could help diagnose respiratory diseases and certain types of cancer. Tear fluid is also gaining attention for its potential to reveal ocular and systemic diseases. The development of sensors to measure biomarkers in skin interstitial fluid is an emerging area of research. The benefit of non-invasive methods lies in their minimal risk and discomfort, making them especially suitable for continuous monitoring required in chronic disease management and in sensitive populations such as children and the elderly.

As technology advances, the accuracy and scope of non-invasive biomarker readings are expected to improve continually, positioning them as an increasingly vital tool in medical diagnostics and personalized medicine. This project will be designed for individuals and patient groups with a need for dependable insights into their hydration levels and overall health. My goal is to introduce a simplified tracking process by eliminating the need for manual tracking of water intake and the unpleasant experience of time-consuming blood draws. This should not only ease the user experience but also offer peace of mind to the users and their loved ones, ensuring a seamless and passive approach to health monitoring.

Collaborators

Design and Project Management

:

Nils Achenbach

Professor

:

Thomas Degn

UID Tutoring

:

Johan Gustavsson, Tord Berggren

External Mentoring

:

Dhruvee Tyagi, Ignacio D'Avola, Barbara Schussmann

Are you interested in learning more about the project, the tools I used, challenges I faced and the lessons learned? Contact me for the full project documentation that dives deeper into my design process.