Q&A: Whipsaw, wearables and pandemic changes
Med-Tech Innovation News spoke to Dan Harden, Whipsaw CEO, founder and principal designer and Cole Derby, Whipsaw director of industrial design about the company, the impact of the pandemic on the wearables market, as well as the thinking behind its innovations.
Answers from Dan Harden:
Tell us about Whipsaw and what you do?
Whipsaw is an industrial design, UX, and engineering consulting firm that designs products for many diverse industries, including consumer electronics, business equipment, medical, and commercial products. One of our specialties is wearable design and engineering. We designed the Blumio blood pressure monitor, the Nike FuelBand, Ceribell EEG, Spry Health wearable, RecoverX electronic ice therapy, Vivy Diathermy deep heat therapy, the Empatica monitor, Nod Labs ring, and more.
Why are you designing medtech wearables?
Medtech wearables are fascinating to design because they encompass everything we aspire to and offer as industrial designers and engineers. They must be ergonomically perfect, durable, attractive, easy to use, and cleverly packaged into tiny form factors. Perhaps most importantly, good wearables provide instant value to the end user, and your job as the designer is to make sure that value is delivered during every point of product consumption and brand contact. When done right, wearables feel magical in the way that they effortlessly glean information from your body. To partake in the development of that magic is an absolute joy.
What effect has the pandemic had on this sector?
The pandemic has forced us all to think more about our own personal health, safety, and wellbeing. We are paying more attention to how we feel, what we eat, our exercise patterns, our sleep patterns, and our own particular health issues. I think we’ve become more aware of our own body conditions which wearables are intended to expose and help with. The pandemic has also made us more homebound with infrequent visits to the doctor, so wearables are supplementing professional medical advice in some cases. Wearables are also becoming a good communication and data bridge between an individual and their larger healthcare infrastructure. The pandemic has sped up that linking capability.
Where do you think this space is headed?
Wearables have been evolving steadily for several years, but up until recently they have been focussed primarily on the fitness category. They are now rapidly expanding into broader medical applications, such as glucose control, heart health, essential tremor control, blood pressure, diet monitoring, sweat sensing, sleep enhancement, and much more. Sensor technology has greatly improved, and the software and data processing solutions that empower this technology have finally all merged to make far better complete solutions. Wearables can simply do more, for more specific problems. I expect this trend toward precision medicine to influence future wearable development. I also expect much more backend integration of healthcare providers with wearables, which will be further enhanced by AI-processed data to improve their accuracy and speed. Where applicable, and when it makes sense, some wearables will be implanted into our bodies, which will make for a truly ambient and seamless experience for the end user. Wearables will be considered “essential medicine” in the not-so-distant future. They will be used to detect, diagnose, and even treat many ailments.
Answers from Cole Derby:
Tell us about the design of the Blumio BP sensor.
Blood pressure is the single best indicator of general health however blood pressure monitors are cumbersome and uncomfortable. Blumio had conceived of a new type of monitor that used small radar sensors to measure blood pressure instead of the conventional air pump cuff that squeezes the arm. Relocating the blood pressure monitor from the upper arm to the wrist allowed a few things to happen. Comfort is one aspect, since the device has become smaller and unobtrusive. However, the biggest advantage in its small size was that it gave us the ability to ditch the traditional arm/wrist band and rely solely on an adhesive patch. This gives doctors the ability to accurately locate the patch directly above an artery and gives patients the flexibility to remove the device without disrupting the sensor location.
The advantages of continuous monitoring are well known. Are these maintained with the sticker type design?
Without a doubt, the adhesive style design prevents the device from shifting during use. Unlike an armband that relies on tension, and could loosen over time, the patch stays in place for up to one week of use. Its ability to continuously monitor blood pressure in a location on your wrist also produces far better results than anywhere else on the body.
Your innovations such as the Rodin Ring seem to be subtle in that you wouldn’t see them on another person from afar. Is that part of where you see the wearables market going?
Wearables are ubiquitous, and now offer more advanced biometric data than ever before. We’re no longer tracking steps as a way to manage health. We’re now tracking actual measurable biometrics instead. Medical wearables have always suffered from social stigmas, so in general, there has been an industry push to blend them into everyday life. What allows this social camouflage to occur is the miniaturisation of sensors and electronic components that provide biometric feedback. For example, the Rodin Ring has the ability to sense hydration and overall cardiovascular wellness, housed in a unique but understated design that doesn’t scream “medical wearable” like devices from the past. The same can be said for Empatica’s EmbracePlus. What’s really interesting is how immediate and available biometric data is today for all of us. Devices that focus on health for specific ailments are now becoming a normal part of everyday monitoring. It certainly makes us more aware and encourages us to live healthier lives.