echo
In 2019, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced S. 1600 to the Senate to address aide to states working to end maternal mortality and morbidity. Maternal morbidity/mortality is death from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy.
American women are more then three times as likely as Canadian women to die in the maternal period. If the US is one of the most developed countries in the world with leading medical treatments, why are women in the US so prone to maternal mortality and what can we do to help them?
who is affected?
American Indian/Alaska Native and Black women are 2 to 3 times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.
causes
Cause factors can be found in the antenatal and postpartum period.
atypical pregnancy experience
talking to the experts
Since maternal mortality and morbidity are sensitive topics I wanted to talk to professionals who could give me insights that a google search could not provide. I conducted zoom meetings so I could learn about their experiences and problems they found in the system.
insights
The four doctors I was able to talk to gave me many points to consider and educated me on what they thought could improve how we care for pregnant women at risk of maternal mortality. The three biggest insights I pulled were that hypertension is a large health risk that women and loved ones aren't educated on, so taking preventative care actions don't take priority.
monitor simulation
Your blood pressure is checked every time you go to an appointment, but when you're not at the doctor the only way to measure blood pressure is with a cuff and timer or a device that you can purchase that isn't always regulated. I bought a portable cuff to take around for a day to see what it was like to keep track of my blood pressure.
problem summary
Many women, especially those of color, suffer from hypertension during pregnancy. This leads to morbidity and sometimes even mortality. There is a gap that needs to be closed for personal care during the pregnancy journey.
tech integration
trust and comfort
Since this is a product aimed towards women I didn't want the color palette to be hyper-feminized while keeping a cooler feeling.
soft but strong
branding
continuous monitoring
Echo allows moms to keep track of their blood pressure without having to actively take readings. “Set it to forget it”. It is worn like a smart watch but only displays information in the form of light. Rapid light signals will occur if mom has an elevated blood pressure.
ultrasonic technology
Piezoelectric transducers bounce ultrasonic waves off the near and far walls of the artery that the sensor uses to calculate the resulting blood pressure reading. This technology allows for a smaller and more portable alternative to the current solution.
easy to remove
The band mechanism makes it easy to take off and put on. Simply by pulling back the slider it frees the band from around the loop. This also makes switching bands easy to swap colors.
recharge
Echo comes with two charging docks, for the mom and their loved one. The dock charges conductively through the two prongs when it is placed down. A small Neodymium magnet in the device and in the dock help align it.
connecting with a loved one
By bringing a loved one into the care system it helps keep moms more accountable for their health. Light signals are displayed on the loved ones watch to let them know the status of the mom. The LED pulses under the surface of the watch.
phone connectivity
The echo wearable connects via Bluetooth with your phone to receive notifications and alerts. The echo app allows moms to check their blood pressure at that moment and over time.
Duration: 16 weeks
Detail: Individual Project. Using Solidworks, Research, Sketching, Prototyping, Photoshop, Keyshot.
