Many people have careers that place them on the brink of life and death. While there are many technologies out there to help people who are placed in those situations, there are still many advancements that need to be made. For the brainstorming process, we brainstormed many different scenarios and careers that place people on the brink of life. Among these careers are deep sea divers, firefighters, high altitude mountaineers, and back-country skiers. People who take part in these activities experience hypothermia, low oxygen levels, and frostbite, among other issues. While doing research on hypothermia we found that one of the first things that doctors do to treat hypothermia is give them a heated IV. This heated IV allows the patient to raise their body temperature, easing them out of hypothermia. Our group thought that creating a portable heated IV would be great for people who are experiencing hypothermia while high altitude climbing, and once treated with this IV, they will be healthy enough to summit the mountain to seek medical help.

Originally, we were going to have IV bags that people would carry in their packs. After thinking about that for awhile, we realized that carrying an IV bag would add a bunch of extra weight to a backpack. Most high altitude climbers use Nalgenes, so we decided to use the water from our Nalgene for the IV. The water in the Nalgene will be purified by UV lights. Additionally, in the compartment there will be a salt tab that will mix with the water to create the saline solution that is normally found in an IV bag.

The first iteration of the portable heated IV screwed onto the top of the water bottle. This cap was comprised of 6 holes for the UV lights, with a hole in the middle for the IV. We liked the shape of the compartment, and it screwed on and off of the Nalgene cap easily, so we continued off that idea for our next iteration. However, the piece wasn’t long enough, so we decided to lengthen it. We knew before creating the piece that it would not hold the cuff and the necessary technology involved in our piece, but we created it to test the shape and idea.

In our second iteration, we redesigned the cylinder so that it actually had two compartments that would screw together. Though there were two compartments, there would be a small piece in between the two that would screw them together, so that they remained the same diameter and size. We designed the piece to fit exactly between the two compartments so that it wouldn’t be visible when the entire piece was together. The part had triangular shaped spaces cutting through it where the IV tube and wires for the technology side of our studio fit. In the upper cylinder, the holes remained for the UV lights, but there was more space underneath for the Arduino. In the bottom compartment, we created a hole in the middle designed to fit the IV reservoir and tubing, and small spaces directly next to the reservoir where the resistors to warm the reservoir sat. This spacing for the pieces worked well, except that the entire reservoir piece took up too much room, so much that all of the compartments didn’t screw together. Underneath the inner part designed to hold the reservoir and resistors, there was room underneath to hold the arm cuff and the excess tubing. We also designed two caps to close together the whole piece. Except for the fact that it was a bit sharp and there some minor fitting issues, the caps worked well and made the entire piece compact and portable. For the next iteration, which was the final one, we made a few critical changes.

    The next iteration was the design of the arm cuff. The purpose of the arm cuff is to hold and stabilize the needle, making it easier to slide and secure in the user’s arm. However, the cuff couldn’t be too big, because otherwise it wouldn’t fit in our bottom compartment, defeating the purpose of keeping all the pieces in one place. On Fusion, we created the piece so that it rounded to sit on the user’s forearm comfortably. There were two cutouts on the ends to connect with the Velcro strapping that would allow for adjustability and security. The top of the cuff had a track allowing the needle holder to run back and forth. The needle holder was just a semi circle piece, with the length across being the diameter of the needle holder on the tubing, so that the needle holder would just pop into place on the cuff. There were a few issues with the piece, though. The two cutouts on the ends were thin, so they weren’t strong enough to hold the strapping - one of the pieces actually broke. Another problem was the semi circle needle holder on the cuff didn’t hold the actual casing around the needle, so it fit it but didn’t keep it in place. Also, the body of the cuff wasn’t long enough to fit comfortably. For our final iteration, we had to change these issues.

The final iteration of the container is pretty similar to the previous, we only changed a few things. The major change that we made was to the canister. We moved the IV holder to the side so that the tube and electronics can go out the side instead of through the middle. The second compartment that we added was for the battery pack. Adding this battery pack allows us to use a bigger battery, and still fit everything within the container. The final thing that we made space for in the container is the cuff. Secondly, we reprinted the connector screw. While keeping the hole consistent throughout, we made the reel slits only halfway through. We kept the slits so that we can twist the screw, but we made part of it solid so that the user can not see the arduino and chords while in use.

Biometrics Process

This process began by deciding what sensors and devices we wanted to use in order to perform the most beneficial functions to the portable IV.  The first and most obvious function was a heating device due to the extremely cold temperatures on mountains that the user would be hiking in.  This heating device would be used to heat the IV to the optimal heat between 104 and 106 degrees Fahrenheit.  The idea of this heating device is that is using the heat that resistors generate in order to heat the IV drip to the optimal temperature.  This process began by simply hooking a 3.9 ohm resistor up to the Arduino and attaching the resistor up to the temperature sensor in order to read the heat that the resistor was giving off.  Initially there was not enough power to make the resistor heat up to the optimal heat.  Many alterations were then made over a span of three days.  The result was four resistors saudered in series hooked up to an 11 volt lithium polymer battery. This battery provided the correct amount of power in order to heat the resistors up to the correct temperature.  The four resistors could now be wrapped around the temperature sensor in order to insulate the increased heat.  This allowed for the temperature to increase faster.  The arduino was then programmed to cool down if the temperature exceeded 106 degrees and heat up if the temperature fell below 102 degrees the resistors would heat up again.  After this was successfully programmed the sketch was uploaded to an Arduino Micro, and the necessary wires were saudered into a perf board in order to minimize the size of the device in order for the device to fit into the piece.  After this was done, UV lights were attached in series and saudered together in order to fit into the holes in which they are meant to be placed within the piece.  However, the lights should have been attached in parallel rather than in series.  This issue was fixed and the lights worked.

 After learning all about electronics, the first step we took in deigning the electronics for our biometric sensors was to determine what sensors were necessary. Initially, we thought that we would use an EMG sensor to measure muscle exhaustion in high altitude hikers. However, we later decided to use other sensors placed around a single hand to instead measure hypoxia, a more serious condition. In addition, we added a temperature sensor to detect hypothermia. After we knew which sensors would be used in detecting hypoxia, we started building the actual sensors. The first sensors that we started to build were the temperature sensors. The circuitry for this was fairly simple and we got them to work fairly quickly. 

    Soon after we decided to create a device that would measure hypoxia, the design team thought of different ways to house all of the necessary components, including the voluminous Arduino. We needed to create an ergonomic housing that was compact, and displayed information in an easy to view space. The information being displayed had to be simple because many climbers with altitude sickness lose their basic cognitive skills. We decided that using an UP arrow, a DOWN arrow, or a STOP with corresponding lights would be the best way. 

    Next, we worked on a pulse oximeter, which is a two part sensor which measures both blood oxygenation and pulse. This took a lot more work; getting the pulse oximeter to work was not an easy task. The amplifier circuit, which was needed to make it work, took two full days of work and was ultimately unsuccessful. There were a few flaws in the circuit surrounding the operational amplifier that kept it from working. Ultimately, we found an off the shelf pulse sensor which worked flawlessly. The circuit was simplified for the oximeter by simply using an infrared LED pointing through the user's finger. On the other side of the finger was a photo transistor, which allows differing amounts of electricity through due to the amount of light which it detects. Since oxygen absorbs infrared light, this method can be used to approximate the amount of oxygen in one's blood stream.

    We came up with many housing ideas, and in the end settled on a wrist-mounted design. The sensors would be attached to the hand and the glove. We began drawing ideas for this watch, and eventually created the 3D models in Rhino. We found that our first iteration, which was never printed, was extremely bulky, and not user-friendly to a high altitude mountaineer. For our second iteration we decided to switch to Autodesk Fusion. 

    Our second iteration was much more compact and sleek, and ideal for the average mountain climber. It fit the Arduino snuggly, there was a comfortable bend to the watch for the wrist, and the cap was easy to read with the arrows. Unlike the first iteration, our second iteration had one big, main compartment instead of lots of smaller ones. This larger extrusion worked a lot better, and gave way for a sleeker design.

    Aside from a few minor tweaks, which included the insertion of a few more holes and a compartment for the altimeter, our second iteration carried on to our final.

    Another sensor we built was the altimeter. This measures pressure and temperature to calculate pressure. Although the built-in altitude detection algorithm didn't work, we were able to use the provided temperature and pressure readings and calculate the altitude on our own. We placed a second temperature sensor on the finger of the user to detect hypothermia, which worked without an issue. 

    All the circuitry is hooked up to an Arduino micro, which is soldered to a perfboard. This allows for compact processing of all the sensors, while still being in the easy to use Arduino format. The whole thing is powered with a 9 volt battery. 

    Finally, we used a strip of LED's to indicate the danger which the hiker was in. One of the LED's indicates that there is no immediate danger and the hiker can continue hiking. The second indicates that something is beginning to go wrong and the hiker should slow down and take a break. Finally, the third LED indicates that there is a serious issue and the hiker needs to get help quickly and descend from the mountain. 

The Iditarod is a 1,000 mile dog sled race across Alaska during which the sled dog racers must go through mountain ranges, frozen rivers, tundra, and blizzards in temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit. During these races, the dogs that pull the racers’ sleds can get hurt or even die without the racers knowing what is happening to them. Sled dogs can get hypothermia because their owners do not know how cold the dogs are, and they can also die of exhaustion since they must pull their owners, a sled, and survival gear in such frigid conditions. I have designed a coat for the sled dogs that can warn their owners about the beginnings of hypothermia, and also tell them when the dog needs a rest. The main signs of early hypothermia are a slow pulse and a body temperature below 95 degrees, while the sign of exhaustion is slowed muscle contractions. Because of these signs, my dog coat has a temperature sensor that goes in the ear, attached by a clip and an Electromyography sensor (EMG) that goes on the front right leg of the dog. Because dogs have fur I was unable to find a way to measure the heartbeat, but there is a new dog collar that measures heartbeat using a patented technology which utilizes low frequency radio waves. The sensors are connected to an Arduino that has an LED light strip attached to it on the outside of the coat. If the dog’s body temperature drops to below 95 degrees, the light strip glows red, and if the muscle contractions become very slow, the lights glow blue. In the case that both the temperature and muscle contraction times are at a dangerous level, the light strip glows purple. If I had a working heart rate monitor, I would have made the lights glow green for a slow pulse, yellow for both slow pulse and low body temperature, turquoise for slow muscle contractions, and white for if all three of the sensors detected problems.

Introduction

My design prompt was to design something for sled dogs that would warn their owners about when their dogs were going to get hypothermia or die from exhaustion during races. My solution to the problem of owners not knowing about their dogs’ health was to make a dog coat with sensors to warn owners about their dogs’ problems.

Product

There is only one iteration of my product, and almost everything works well. The sensors that I included in the jacket both do what they are meant to do. The temperature sensor senses when the body temperature is too low, and the LED strips on the jacket light up to show that. The EMG also senses what it has to, and the LEDs light up blue to show slow muscle contractions. The ear clip that hold the temperature sensor to the dog’s ear is sturdy and will not fall apart anytime soon. Because dogs have fur, I could not find a way to make my own heart rate monitor, but there is one already, called the Voyce. The Whole circuit fits on the coat, but the coat does not look as good as I would have liked. Since I do not have a design team, I used a store bought coat which did not allow me to put the electronics inside of the coat so I had to put everything on top of the jacket. If I had more time and also a design team, I would create a coat to put the circuit in, and I would also find a way to measure the dog’s heart rate using a collar.

Conclusion

The dog coat works by measuring the body temperature and the time it takes for the dogs muscles to contract. If the dog’s body temperature is below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, the LED strip on the coat lights up red. If the dog’s muscle contractions are too slow, it can be a sign of exhaustion. If the muscle contractions take a long time, then the LEDs glow blue. If both sensors detect problems in the dog, the LED strip lights up purple. When the dog’s owner sees the coat lighting up a specific color, they know what problem has been detected and can either give the dogs a break, or warm them up.

Final Post

The Iditarod is a 1,000 mile dog sled race across Alaska during which the sled dog racers must go through mountain ranges, frozen rivers, tundra, and blizzards in temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit. During these races, the dogs that pull the racers’ sleds can get hurt or even die without the racers knowing what is happening to them. Sled dogs can get hypothermia because their owners do not know how cold the dogs are, and they can also die of exhaustion since they must pull their owners, a sled, and survival gear in such frigid conditions. I have designed a coat for the sled dogs that can warn their owners about the beginnings of hypothermia, and also tell them when the dog needs a rest. The main signs of early hypothermia are a slow pulse and a body temperature below 95 degrees, while the sign of exhaustion is slowed muscle contractions. Because of these signs, my dog coat has a temperature sensor that goes in the ear, attached by a clip and an Electromyography sensor (EMG) that goes on the front right leg of the dog. Because dogs have fur I was unable to find a way to measure the heartbeat, but there is a new dog collar that measures heartbeat using a patented technology which utilizes low frequency radio waves. The sensors are connected to an Arduino that has an LED light strip attached to it on the outside of the coat. If the dog’s body temperature drops to below 95 degrees, the light strip glows red, and if the muscle contractions become very slow, the lights glow blue. In the case that both the temperature and muscle contraction times are at a dangerous level, the light strip glows purple. If I had a working heart rate monitor, I would have made the lights glow green for a slow pulse, yellow for both slow pulse and low body temperature, turquoise for slow muscle contractions, and white for if all three of the sensors detected problems.

We wanted to help firefighters before, during, and after a fire by evaluating and helping their breathing rate. We chose to help firefighters’ breathing rate due to their strenuous conditions that are typically overlooked by the general public. Numerous firefighters have said that their heart rate can go from complete rest to dangerous levels in a matter of seconds. We decided to create a neck piece with a stethoscope on one side (to measure the heart rate) with a vibration notification when the pulse is too high (over 120). This vibration acts as a warning to the firefighter to start breathing exercises and to be aware that their pulse has been elevated for too long. In medical emergencies, if the heart rate stays at an elevated level doctors can perform carotid artery massage.

Rubbing the carotid sinus stimulates an area in the artery wall that contains nerve endings. These nerves respond to changes in blood pressure and are capable of slowing the heart rate. The response to this simple procedure often slows a rapid heart rate (for example, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia), it important to massage in a circular motion for 5 seconds on one side of the neck (underneath the jaw). 

In addition, we also created a carbon monoxide sensor that will the read carbon monoxide in the air and will warn the person through a buzzer when the carbon monoxide in the air is beginning to become too dangerous. Carbon monoxide as well as other numerous chemicals are in a fire’s smoke and are perilous to humans. This sensor later can be adjusted to read more hazardous chemicals in the smoke which will help firefighters lower their chances of cancer and other illnesses. Firefighters are frequently exposed to significant concentrations of hazardous materials including carbon monoxide, benzene, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, aldehydes, hydrogen chloride, dichlorofluoromethane, and particulates. Our aim was to prevent this exposure to these biomedical dangers. 

Hypothermia is a serious danger to high altitude climbers. When a patient suffering from hypothermia is brought to a hospital for medical assistance, a doctor typically begins treating the patient by setting him or her up with a heated IV. Injecting warm saline solution into the body raises the patient’s core body temperature as well as hydrates and provides the patient with nutrients. This ultimately relieves hypothermia. A large problem is that often times those suffering from hypothermia do not have immediate access to medical assistance. We wanted to create a portable heated IV for extreme climate situations and/or high altitude climbers suffering from hypothermia or dehydration. This product is not supposed to heal a person completely, it is intended to be used as a temporary aid to prolong the user’s life until they can receive medical assistance.

The device purifies the water using a cap with built in UV lights. This "purifier" screws into a separate compartment containing ceramic resistors that heat the IV drip reservoir. After being purified and heated, the water flows through the IV tubing until it reaches the needle. The needle is intended to be clipped into the specialized cuff created. The cuff is an 3D printed semi-circle placed on a person's forearm. The cuff is designed to simplify and secure the injection of the IV needle into the person's vein. The other compartments of the cannister hold other necessary components including the salt tablet/packet, a vein finder (Infrared light device), etc.

The importance of the product is clear--it could be the defying factor of a high altitude climber's survival. Without the Portable Warm IV, a person could possibly die of hypothermia on the mountain but with the IV, the chance of his or her core body temperature warming enough to prolong the survival long enough to receive medical assistance is likely. There are no existing products that are capable of helping high altitude mountaineers let alone in extreme conditions return their body to a normal temperature. Since hypothermia is such a serious threat to the lives of mountaineers, it is crucial to have a device that would keep them alive at high altitudes and dangerously cold temperatures. The portable warm IV would bring the user fundamental and pragmatic medical attention immediately, making it a life-changing product... Literally.

Oftentimes rescuers, adventurers and workers who bring us the raw materials for modern life find themselves in dangerous situations that put them on the Brink of Life - or the Brink of Death. In these moments, subtle decisions must be made instantly based on limited data. This studio will examine the biometric situation for those teetering on the edge of life and death and imagine innovations in wearable medical devices and integrated life support equipment that can help make sure users make informed decisions and come out alive.

The studio is organized into two section:

Biometrics - This section will focus on the hardware and software design of the wearable components as well as data processing and output for visualization. Based on use group conditions, equipment, and medical challenges, students will identify, design, build and program sensors from the ground up and encase them as a deliverable to be integrated into Interface designs.

Interface - This section will focus on improving, augmenting, or redefining aspects of the brink life support equipment. Based on the environmental, behavioral, and equipment needs of the use groups, we will reconsider the idea of wearables in order to improve safety and add functionality while integrating the sensors and data output designs from the other section.