This is not just Asha's story.

In India an estimated

43 million

women suffer

from Osteoporosis

It's time to change these numbers

The objective of the project is to provide accessible osteoporosis detection facilities in rural Indian ecosystem. 

SCOPE

Studying current healthcare ecosystems to identify elements that help detect and manage the disease to design a relevant intervention

On mapping the entire ecology of osteoporosis concerning the patient, the caregiver network, and external service providers, I observed that the current rural health care system is not sufficiently equipped to detect and prevent the disease at an early stage. The objective was to design an accessible osteoporosis detection facility that benefits the patient as well as the caregiver networks involved.

Team

Self

​

Project Advisor

Hugh Dubberly

Tools

  Principle

Illustrator

 Photoshop

Hand sketches 

Duration

4 weeks

Key skills

  Design research

 Systems design

End to end product design

Motion Study

INTRODUCING

Portable bone density scanner 

PDexa

RESEARCH

Understanding the disease, its trigger, detection processes, and treatment modules. 

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis occurs when bone density reduces due to the lower rate of bone matter deposition, which results in weak bones that may break from a fall.

Currently, Osteoporosis gets detected by performing a bone mineral density (BMD) assessment using a dual-energy, X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA scan. The scan highlights Z Score and T Score to detect osteoporosis.

How is it detected?

T Score

The T-score on the patient's bone density report shows how much their bone mass differs from the bone mass of an average healthy 30-year-old adult, which serves as a point of reference for good health.

Z Score

A Z-score shows how much the patient's bone mass differs from the bone mass of an average person belonging to the same age, gender, and overall body structure.

CAREGIVER NETWORK STUDY

Mapping the urban caregiver network highlighted the importance of access to testing centers as the main source for diagnosing and managing the disease at an early stage

CAREGIVER NETWORK STUDY

Primary health care clinic infrastructure does not support osteoporosis testing facilities 

The rural population does not have access to proper testing facilities. They depend on primary healthcare clinics with minimum infrastructure. The lack of proper care prevents early detection of osteoporosis, eventually causing long-term damage.

How might we design a portable bone density scanner that can be operated at a pop up primary healthcare clinic with limited infrastructure?   

SOLUTION

P-Dexa is a portable osteoporosis detector that can be used in primary healthcare clinics

Wrist bone mineral density (BMD) has a significant correlation with other skeletal sites and it could be used as a diagnostic method for osteoporosis. 

CONCEPTUAL MAP

Mapping the information flow between the wearable device and website

FORM EXPLORATION

Ideating on an ergonomic and feasible wearable device

KEY SCREENS

Designing a cohesive UI system across various touch points

The color scheme used was based on the screens being used for medical purpose . Since the product lied in the healthcare domain, the Primary color selected was a variation of green.

Dark grey and white are paired with primary color to achieve maximum contrast, especially on the wearable device.  

The typeface for brand name P - Dexa is made to resemble the font used on x-rays

to create familiarity.​

KEY SCREENS

Interactive wearable interface and website

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN  

Identifying the right technology and components to support the functioning of P-Dexa

Transmitter and Receiver

of high-frequency waves that penetrate the skin

Micro Controller (uC)

Converts reflected data into an image

LED display

Interactive touch pad

Wifi chip

connects with nearest router to transfer data to website

Leveraging the data collected to support nutrition camps to aid prevention

FUTURE SCOPE

Once P-dexa gets used on a wide scale at different primary health care clinics the system would start gathering data around average bone density levels amongst women in different villages and its relation to demographics.  This analyzed data can be utilized to design targeted nutritional  education programs run by Government and Nonprofits in villages. 

Identifying leverage points and Designing within limitations 

KEY LEARNINGS

• While addressing a challenge that is embedded in a large ecosystem and interwoven with different components, the key is to identify a leverage point that can enable maximum impact.  

• Value of information and how it can be utilized to benefit the system by feeding it back in.

• Designing within limitations of feasibility and viability.