Developing a wearable medical monitoring device

Abstract

As Covid-19 spreads around the world, and hospitals become overwhelmed, the use of cost-effective remote patient monitoring systems becomes more relevant than ever. To combat the pandemic, these solutions provide real-time data on the vital signs of patients, enabling the monitoring of an order of magnitude more patients, while reducing the risk of infections.

This thesis explores the development of a wearable medical monitoring device with a focus on the design process of the case and the sensor enclosures. The secondary goal of the thesis is to investigate the additive manufacturing processes currently viable for small companies, evaluate and compare them, and present their use cases relevant to prototyping and manufacturing wearable devices.

First, the thesis lays down the theoretical foundation for the design process, including the design guidelines and the technologies used in the device. It also presents the technical details of the most common additive manufacturing processes. Subsequently, the design process and decisions are discussed, followed by the design solutions of the final device, in conjunction with its accessories.

This is followed by a section exploring the peculiarities of different additive manufacturing processes and their use cases in prototyping and manufacturing parts for a monitoring device.

Finally, the thesis shares the results of validation tests and concludes the thesis with a summary and possible improvements for the future.