Healthcare
Designed a product & service ecosystem for glaucoma patients & their caregivers, to constantly monitor & manage their chronic progression for a better lifestyle
Background
Glaucoma is a chronic condition caused by the increase in ocular pressure which leads to the optic nerves getting damaged and, when left unattended can cause permanent blindness. This project aims to help the patients and their caregivers better manage this chronic condition and to provide necessary aid & assistance to prevent further damage.
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator
Challenge
Currently, there are no continuous, non-invasive methods to self-monitor glaucoma progression. Patients either need to visit a doctor or rely on someone to frequently help them use a home kit throughout the day. Nighttime spikes in eye pressure can occur unexpectedly, posing a serious risk of permanent blindness.
Outcomes
I designed Optic Gauge, a theranostic system for glaucoma patients and their caregivers. This product-service ecosystem continuously monitors ocular pressure and administers medication as needed to maintain safe levels. It also connects users with their caregivers, sending real-time alerts during emergencies to ensure timely intervention.
Continuous
Predicts
Connects
User's Caregiving Network
My Design Process
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
01
The eye continuously produces aqueous humor, which should drain out at the same rate through the drainage angle to maintain stable intraocular pressure (IOP). If the drainage angle is blocked, fluid builds up, increasing eye pressure and potentially damaging the optic nerve.
From the user interviews and secondary research, I understood their lifestyle and narrowed it down to the major problems they face while managing their glaucoma condition
No initial symptoms or a cure
Increased ocular pressure directly affects the optic nerves, leading to permanent sight loss without any initial symptoms. With no cure for Glaucoma, the only solution is to keep the pressure inside the eye within a stable range.
Silent thief of sight
Most studies have continued to show night-time peaks in glaucoma, these peaks tend to occur later in the night or early morning, making it difficult to monitor, hence increasing the risk of damage infliction.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
02
How might we
IDEATION
03
Looked at the current methods of measuring eye pressure to manage glaucoma progression
Currently, the most common method to measure IOP involves multiple clinic visits at different times of the day. In the past, eye pressure was tested using a puff of air, but now most ophthalmologists use a more precise device that measures pressure through direct contact with the eye.
Applanation Tonometry
Requires anesthetic (Numbing) drops
It cannot be performed virtually or at home.
Eye pressure is measured based on the force required
to flatten a fixed area of the cornea gently.
Rebound Tonometry
Do not require Numbing drops
Can be performed at home
A small plastic-tipped probe bounces gently against the cornea. (Based out of a series of rapid 3-6 Rebounds)
Explored upcoming technology:
Specialized smart soft contact lenses
New smart soft contact lens technology developed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers and health care researchers at Purdue University and Indiana University School of Optometry looks to gather important intraocular pressure measurements for 24-hour cycles as a way to detect glaucoma. (Purdue University photo/Rebecca McElhoe)
I leveraged smart contact lens technology to create a connected product ecosystem, linking it seamlessly to its digital twin.
The product ecosystem consists of a wearable system and a digital system that work in cohesion to provide the best support to glaucoma patients and their caregiving network
Opticguage is a product-service ecosystem for Glaucoma patients and their caregivers, to continuously monitor their ocular pressure, and administer necessary medication to keep it within a nominal range. It connects the user to their caregivers and notifies them during emergencies.
The system utilizes a feedback loop to continuously monitor ocular pressure and administer medication as needed.
The smart contact lens uses strain gauge sensors to measure ocular pressure, comparing it to a safe range set by the ophthalmologist. It automatically administers medication to maintain pressure within this range. If the pressure exceeds the threshold, the system sends an alert to caregivers and doctors for immediate intervention.
How does the system function
USER CONCEPTUAL MODEL
04
Before heading to prototyping & product design, I mapped a user's guide to how to navigate through the whole product-service ecosystem
A user conceptual model acts as a guide, outlining all data types, their relationships, and system operations to help users navigate and understand how it functions. Leveraging this model, I developed the information architecture and designed the mobile app's screens. This holistic overview allows for seamless modifications or feature additions, as it provides a clear view of the system as a whole.
PROTOTYPING
05
Utilized the user conceptual model to design mobile app prototypes, ensuring key features were highlighted and accessible to all users.
The smart contact lenses are linked to a cloud-based digital twin, accessible through a mobile app designed using a user conceptual model.
To ensure accessibility, especially for glaucoma patients, I incorporated large icons and text for better visibility.
A darker background with high contrast was used to reduce eye strain and improve readability.
An emergency help/alert button is included on both the product and app for immediate assistance.
Constant Wellness Monitoring
The measured data from the strain gauge in the smart contact lens is converted into the equivalent intraocular pressure (IOP) and is continuously updated on the application. The interface shows the current measured IOP, the nominal range for a stable eye pressure, and the maximum IOP of an eye beyond which it can lead to permanent blindness, where an ophthalmologist's intervention is needed.
System Status Tracking
The application acts as a digital twin for the entire system. It keeps a check on whether all the components are properly functioning or not. Additionally, it notifies the user when it is time to change contact lenses, and refill the medication stored in the infusion unit.
Regular Analytics Report
Daily and weekly pressure analysis and constant monitoring of the condition, help to understand the level of Glaucoma progression to the user and their caregivers (Family/ Friends/ Doctors)
Predicting Glaucoma Progression
The data sets are constantly recorded and analyzed using cloud-based LLM platforms. This helps to predict the peaks in eye pressure for the user and prevent excessive damage by administering necessary medication and alerting caregivers.
Alerting Caregivers
Both the wearable device as well as the mobile application have an emergency alert button, so that in case of an an unforeseen circumstance the user has the freedom to directly call for help. This sends an alert message to the assigned doctor and the emergency contact list which has been added to the profile of the user
LEARNINGS & REFLECTIONS
06
For the 80 million people worldwide affected by glaucoma, this product ecosystem addresses key wellness challenges for both patients and their caregivers.
Continuously Monitor & Administer medicine for glaucoma progression.
Helps the ophthalmologist to better understand and predict the chronic condition.
Easy to connect to the network of caregivers when in need.
My Learnings
This project helped me gain a huge chunk of insight into systemic thinking and how we can incorporate this into the health tech industry. Exploring user conceptual models helped me focus on smaller things, keeping in mind the bigger perspective in the picture. While working on this, I realized the importance of not only helping the direct user but to connect and aid the people who are a part of the ecosystem as a whole and not just one person.
