If there’s something that the pandemic taught us it’s that health truly is wealth! We cannot take our health and well-being for granted, and a mindset of preparedness and precaution is extremely integral during such times. The medical industry has been making leaps and jumps in its innovations, to ensure such a brutal pandemic doesn’t occur again. Designers have been coming up with new and improved, life-saving medical designs that not only boost medical care but relieve some of the pressure from our tireless medical force. From an award-winning inflatable stretcher design to a Dyson award-winning injection accessory – these designs tackle a variety of problems in the health and medical field. They’re a boon to modern healthcare and a reminder that we cannot take our health for granted any longer!
1. The Inflatable Stretcher
Designed by Yu-Hsin Wu, a student at Taiwan’s Shih Chien University, the Inflatable Stretcher provides a much more secure way to transport patients from the location of the incident to a hospital. Almost like wrapping someone in bubble wrap, the Inflatable Stretcher cushions patients and even secures them in place with its unique design. Besides, it even comes with its own first-aid kit to help treat injuries that require immediate attention.
2. Kubota’s Eyeglasses
Japanese pharmaceutical startup Kubota designed special eyeglasses that can improve or even cure Myopia. Kubota’s wearable design has been amped with an array of nano projectors, which project light at the wearer’s retina in a specific pattern, to cause blurring at short distances, in turn forcing them to look further away. This helps the eyeball to morph back into its original shape and allows one’s vision to return to normal. You’re supposed to wear the glasses for a couple of hours a day, usually when you’re simply relaxing or unwinding in the comfort of your home.
3. Cobi
Cobi, a means of personal mobility for seniors, is designed one, to positively impact an aged person’s attitude toward life, two, to change the society’s outlook toward the aged population which is considered a liability especially when free mobility becomes a task for them. With something like the matte-finished Cobi, the aged generation will lead a better, less dependent, mobile life; it’s a given! To earn such credibility, the accessory is meticulously created in two individual parts: a walker and a mobility device, which combine to form one state-of-the-art wheelchair. Even more exciting; Cobi runs without human intervention.
4. Uray
Uray brings something to the table that many might downplay as unimportant. The device comes in an appealing design that could actually be mistaken for a liquid soap dispenser, especially if attached to a wall. Not only does it make the urine analysis device look more approachable but also less embarrassing to be seen by anyone else. If you don’t have to take it out of storage every time you need to use it, you are more likely to actually use it and test your urine for potential health problems. The colored lower portion not only makes it look more interesting but also leaves room for manufacturer customization.
5. The Caregiver
If the biggest purpose of technology was to help make lives better, the Caregiver smart cane is proof that the same technology should serve the needs of people beyond the purview of the ‘common user’. While bone-conducting hearing and camera-based smart navigation have been available to us ‘regular folk’ for decades now, the Caregiver leverages the technology to help enrich the lives of the elderly. The smart cane comes with its own built-in GPS tracker, radar-imaging cameras, and bone-conducting earpieces to help its users navigate effectively and hear well. When not in use, the Caregiver docks in its wireless charging base that helps replenish its batteries.
6. The Multi Scoop Pro
The Multi Scoop Pro gets its name from being able to scoop up patients instead of having them lifted and placed onto the stretcher. The stretcher splits open laterally, allowing it to be placed on either side of the patient on the ground. When the two halves are brought back together again, they scoop the patient onto the stretcher platform, which can then be lifted and transported to the nearest ambulance. For patients with less serious injuries, the Multi Scoop Pro can simply be folded into a wheelchair, allowing a single medic to transport them while they’re comfortably seated.
7. The Medicine Delivery Drone
Although designed for urban setups, the Medicine Delivery Drone’s main focus is on urban residents who cannot step out on their own to buy medicines. The drone, designed specifically for carrying pills, can travel between a pharmacy and a residence, dropping off life-saving medicines without any effort on the part of the patient. The drone was designed as a response to the strict Zero Covid policy instituted in China, where lockdowns are imposed to help curb the virus, often affecting the ability of people with serious ailments to step out and buy medicines. In such situations, the drone does the job for them, fulfilling prescription requirements by shuttling between nearby pharmacies and the recipients.
8. The Pinsoft
While its appearance could easily be mistaken for a fancy meat tenderizer, the James Dyson National Award-winning Pinsoft is an injection attachment that helps people deal with Trypanophobia or a fear of needles. Its terrifying appearance aside, the Pinsoft sits around ‘ an injection, and its multiple round-tipped prongs help stimulate and confuse your skin as the needle makes its way through. The gentle stimulation caused by the prongs distracts your brain since it can’t immediately tell the difference between the prongs touching your skin and the needle piercing your skin. By the time you realize what’s happened, you’re done with your shot!
9. Gelassette
The designer actually created a biodegradable cellulose-based rapid test back in 2020 but now he has come up with something based on this but with an improved and optimized design. This new prototype uses no plastic with the positive characteristics needed to be mimicked by gelatin. This material is already utilized in other medical technology and is a fully biodegradable material. With this material, you get 4 weeks of soil biodegradability and less than 3 hours of water dispersibility.
10. The CIONIC Neural Sleeve
The CIONIC Neural Sleeve is a wearable leg sleeve that can help people with mobility issues to walk and move more freely with the help of Artificial Intelligence and electrical stimulation. It’s basically bionic clothing that can help people walk by augmenting human movement. And unlike other devices that can seem robotic and uncomfortable, this is actually something that is comfortable to wear on a daily basis and is easy to put on and take off.