Moii: Design for Cystic Fibrosis

What it does

Moii is an Airway Clearance Therapy training kit for adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis. It enhances compliance through progressive training, increasing patient's' ability to expel mucus, reducing dependence on assistive devices, and minimising treatment impact.

Your inspiration

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic lung disease characterised by thick mucus buildup, causing irreversible lung damage over time. Daily Airway Clearance Therapy (ACT) is crucial for mucus removal, typically requiring two one-hour sessions daily. Yet, even with various effective products available, adolescents frequently experience lung deterioration during the "transition period" (ages 13 to young adulthood, when young patients take over their treatment management), mainly due to low adherence rates. This issue arises from neglecting the patient’s treatment experience. Recognising this, I prioritised the user experience in Moii's solution.

How it works

The Moii system consists of a breathing device, a chest mobility wearable, and an App. These physical devices collect data for the App to provide real-time guidance and feedback for each ACT session, as well as help plan a personalised progression path. The Breathing Device assists patients' daily ACT by providing resistance to stabilise airflow, prevent airway collapse, and help expel mucus. It also features a built-in sensor to measure airflow stability, speed, and volume. The wearable tracks changes in chest cavity size to calculate chest mobility. When a patient's breathing exercise is insufficient to expel mucus, the app provides visual instructions for chest movements. As patients progress, they receive advanced tips within the app and can reduce reliance on assistance by changing parts of the Breathing Device. This step-by-step approach offers intuitive short-term incentives and long-term motivation, encouraging patients to adhere to their treatment.

Design process

During the research phase, I interviewed the Swedish Cystic Fibrosis Association (RFCF), CF teams at CF Centers in Gothenburg and Uppsala, Fonden Citronfjärilen , and Genia APP. Additionally, I gathered questionnaire results from 28 patients and their families. Understanding the importance of airflow and chest mobility in ACT, I began the design process. With feedbacks from patients and experienced UX designers, I developed the "progressive training" experience. On the physical product side, I researched the commonalities between existing ACT products across different ACT techniques and boiled them down to a simplified version suitable for progression. To optimise the experience, I made low-fidelity models to test and streamline the usage process. I also used 3D printing models to test ergonomics. For calculating chest mobility, the design evolved from using skin-attached sensors to a wearable band under the thorax. Once the format was determined, I conducted a feasibility study using simple foam models to address variations in chest cavity size due to different postures and the growth of children's thoracic cavities with age. Finally, I adjusted the appearance of the product to make it more toy-like, with the goal of minimising the psychological burden on young patients.

How it is different

To date, no product has focused on "chest mobility training," despite its emphasis by physiotherapists at CF centres. Patients' weakness in chest mobility is one of the major challenges in home ACT. Weak respiratory muscles make breathing exercises and mucus expulsion difficult, leading to ineffective ACT and life-threatening complications. Without existing product references, Moii has achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1. Moii is the first product to offer a coordinated approach to breathing exercises and chest mobility training with proven technical feasibility. A medical device is only effective if used. Moii is not only effective ACT products but also a well-designed experience focused on patient psychology. It enhances adherence to ACT by outlining a progressive training path and providing visible rewards to boost motivation. This approach significantly increases the likelihood of prolonging CF patients' lives without adding to their daily ACT burden.

Future plans

The "transition period" is a focus and challenge in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) management. Improving adherence rates and enhancing patients' future independence is the goal of every management strategy. The shift from non-intelligent to intelligent products and from neglected to valued user experiences is crucial. Therefore, I want to present this project to potential partners, secure a start-up grant, and further develop the product. The next step involves testing the hardware and software with CF Centers. Involving Moii in CF management will greatly aid in home ACT, leading to a new era of optimized, convenient, and effective CF management.

Awards

Red Dot Design Award 2024; Core 77 Commercial Equipment Student Running Up; Core 77 Health & Wellness Student Running Up; UX Design Award New Talent Nominated