BME100 f2017:Group6 W1030 L2

Dr.Stork

Dr. Stork is a baby monitoring system designed specifically for premature babies that is installed into a baby crib. It monitors the baby’s position, breathing, and heart rate through optical fibre pressure sensors And a heart rate monitor, which prevents the top problems facing premature babies (apnea, respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosis). Other features include an absorbent pad covering with many designs, and a an app that has many other features in itself. The app connects to the sensor unit of the pad (which attaches to the pad but attaches to the outside of the crib) through bluetooth, and allows notifications to be sent to the parents’ phone(s) when there are any changes in breathing, heart rate, or position that could be a threat to the baby’s health. The app also allows the parent to play music through a bluetooth radio and project images onto the ceiling through a bluetooth projector.

Technical Feasibility

The Dr. Stork will be imitating a hospital grade monitoring system for premature babies into the home. A baby's breathing , heart rate and sleeping positions are important to monitor which is why the pad integrates the technology of an apnea monitor and cardiopulmonary monitor into one. In order to reduce the cost, the breathing and the position of the child will be monitored not by traditional apnea technology but with fiber optics. Heart rate monitors will be placed throughout the pad. Challenges include the complexity of fiber optics technology. Another thing is that heart rate monitors usually require direct contact with the skin, so a solution needs to be created in that it would not be necessary for the baby to have the skin touch the pad. The overall issue lies in that the sensor might lose accuracy when placed inside the padding. Maximizing the baby’s comfort is the number one priority, and a comfortable pad that is soft would ensure that.

To increase likeability this device would have some novelty factors. The design would integrate the aesthetic of a typical nursery with light colors of blues and pinks. The device would also have a projector attached which will add night time ambiance, shining soft tones and shapes onto the ceiling acting as a modern day baby mobile.

Clinical Feasibility

The Dr. Stork will work at home because it is minimally invasive and has many features that are geared towards keeping the baby and parents comfortable. No sensors have skin-to-skin contact with the baby; all electronic parts are kept outside the crib and away from the baby. The cover that fits over the top of the pad is absorbent just in case of accidents, and comes in many different designs to make the device more cute and comfortable for the baby’s room. One issue that has come up in competing baby monitors is that the sensors are too sensitive and give too many false alarms; the Dr. Stork will be customizable to the baby’s specific weight and normal heart rate, avoiding false alarms and in turn lowering the anxiety levels of the parents. Additionally, what makes Dr. Stork different from others is that there is a bluetooth function that connects to the parents’ phones, and also controls a radio for music and a projector. The phones will be connected to the device to give feedback on the baby’s status, and will provide alerts when there is something out of the ordinary. The projector will project pictures onto the ceiling for the baby to see, as sort of a crib mobile.

Although the product is minimally invasive, there are a few clinical risks associated with the technology used. As the sensors, radio and projector will use computer and bluetooth technology, there are regular risks associated with that of everyday computer technology. Though the product relies on computer technology, there are no outstanding risks that makes this device more dangerous than a household computer.

Only a few companies such as iBabyGuard, Heartlight, and Owlet that have conduct clinical trials on their baby sleep monitoring products in the United States because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require testing on minimally invasive products. Ibabyguard clinical tested their product the Infant Smart Mat at “Singapore’s largest pediatric hospital” for five months in 2012.[1] IBabyGuard’s product monitors a baby’s sleeping, by detecting the breathing and heart rate.[2] Another company that clinical tested was HeartLight, where they tested a heart rate detecting baby hat in Nottingham, United Kingdom from March 2016 to September 2016.[3] Although, Owlet did not conduct a clinical trial, they were one of the only companies to obtain clinical validation on their product’s sensors.[4]

Sources:
Owlet, For Physicians. Retrieved September 19,2017, from http://www.owletcare.com/physicians/
Clinical Trials.gov, HeartLight: Heart Rate Monitoring for Newborn Resuscitation(HeartLight). Retrieved September 19,2017, from https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02701920
iBabyGuard, Infant Smart Mat. Retrieved September 19,2017, from http://www.ibabyguard.com/products/infant-snooze.

Technical and Clinical Feasbility Scores

Technical Feasability 1: Due to the technology the device requires to become unique among competitors, large amounts of research would be needed

Clinical Feasibility 2: More research would be needed especially when the sensors would require relatively new technology

Value of Dr.Stork

Dr.Stork is created for the comfort of parents, giving them the reinsurance their child is breathing normally in their sleep. To accommodate our customers we prioritize the protection and comfort of the baby. The sensors used in the mat are fiber optics cable, to ensure that no live wires can burn the child. Our product also has the power box located at the end of the mat, can has the capability to be rotatable. Which allows the box to flip upwards and slide between the bars of a crib putting the box outside so no wires or hard pieces will disturb the child’s sleep. The design of the mat would also integrate the aesthetic cloth covering styles that can be customizable. Dr. Stork also contains novelty factors as a projector attached to the power box to create a night time ambiance of shining soft tone shapes onto the ceiling, acting as a modern day baby mobile.

Cost of Dr.Stork

When evaluation the cost of Dr.Stork we used whole sale prices for the materials and approximated on the high end for components that would have to be produced. The final cost we came to for the production of the Dr. Stork is around 25 dollars. This is a justifiable price because of the amount of fiber optics inside of the device and the cost of the electronic components that will need to be used.

Average Sale Price

The Average Sales Price or ASP for our device is around 100 dollars. We got this number by multiplying our production cost by 4 to cover the cost of marketing. This is a reasonable price because it puts us in the same price range of our main competitors.

Market Size

1: Since the device is branded currently for pre mature babies the market is relatively small. But, the device has the potential to reach the baby industry and can be marketable to more.

Overall Fundability

2