Musical Respiratory Trainer

Organization:

Duke University BME Design Fellows

Project Description:

Two major issues with common respiratory training devices on the market are patient noncompliance and inability to track progress over time. As a result, it is difficult for clinicians to get their patients to stick to a training regimen, and it is difficult to evaluate how a training regimen is benefitting the patient. To address these issues, our team designed a musical incentive spirometer. Music was chosen to increase the enjoyment factor of the device and to introduce an element of rhythmic entrainment which is beneficial to recovery processes, particularly in patients with neurologic conditions. The device provides breathing instructions to the patient (inhale, exhale, pause) on beat with music. The patient blows into the device and readings from an airflow sensor are used to envelope the melody output thus allowing users to manipulate the music with their breath. Furthermore, readings from the airflow sensor are recorded for future evaluation by the clinician. Lastly, an airflow resistance modulator allows the device to be customizable to different patient capabilities which is the part of the device that I took point on.

What I Learned:

This device incorporates mechanical design, hardware, and software. Throughout the project, I gained experience working on a cross functional team and integrating different components. Since this device is designed for use by Parkinson's patients stages 1-3, I also learned a lot about user centered design through ways that the design was changed or constrained to best suit this patient population. During the project, I took lead on mechanical design of the resistance modulator; however, I also gained an understanding of microcontrollers and sensor integration both through working on the design of the device and through working on concurrent projects.