wearable epipen
wearable epipen
wearable epipen
Reimagining an experience with life-saving function but outdated form.
Industrial Design · Research & Strategy · Prototyping · CAD & Rendering
[Solidworks, Keyshot]
USC Iovine & Young Academy, 2021
Advised by: Grant Delgatty, Lisa Krohn, Adam Hughes
01 Research
The EpiPen delivers emergency epinephrine to people experiencing severe allergic reactions. I conducted interviews and a literature review to understand its design and technology, its patent-protected monopoly, and the user experience and stigma surrounding it.
Technically, it works. But its bulky, non-intuitive form leaves room for life-threatening user error and its burdensome connotation leads many patients to leave it at home. An EpiPen that isn't carried can't save a life. Its cost, meanwhile, is inflated by inelastic demand on a patented monopoly.
There's an opportunity for an EpiPen that's compact, intuitive, affordable, and attractive enough that people who need it want to have it with them.
Target audience: individuals 15+ with anaphylaxis-inducing allergies.
02 Ideation
How might we make the device easier to carry? Wearable form factor. Stripped down to just the epinephrine. Reduced needle size.
How might we make it less wasteful? Reusable cartridges. One autoinjector, purchased once. Only the needle replaced.
How might we replace the burdensome connotation? A form unrecognizable as a medical device. Sculptural, jewelry-like design. The positive connotation of an adrenaline rush, rather than an emergency.
03 Solution
A bracelet with a slim metal case holding the full autoinjector mechanism, on an interchangeable leather band.
The status quo problem isn't function; it's that people don't bring the device with them. The current EpiPen is bulky and carries real emotional weight. This is built as its opposite: a well-made accessory rather than a medical burden. That distinction in connotation directly changes the likelihood that the device is carried.
The placement on the wrist is based on the orientation and motion of injecting an EpiPen. The device is already positioned correctly, removing the thinking otherwise required for the injection motion, saving time in a situation where seconds can be life-saving.
Reaching this size required stripping the EpiPen to its essential components and eliminating excess plastic and dead space. Every functional part remains (drive spring, plunger, cartridge, needle, control spring), repackaged for efficient use of space. Result: 5.5 × 0.6cm, against the standard 16 × 2cm.
A replaceable cartridge system reduces waste. The status quo requires discarding the entire pen after one use or at expiration. Here, only the cartridge is replaced, while the case and mechanism are reused. Cartridge dosage is based on research into the amount of epinephrine needed to relieve an average anaphylactic reaction while awaiting emergency services, a meaningful improvement over carrying no device at all.
Designed for ages 15+: older teens and adults are typically comfortable self-injecting, younger children generally aren't. The form is built for someone already at ease with the act.
A viewing window shows epinephrine level at a glance, stopping just short of revealing the needle for the needle-averse. Offered in five finishes, reinforcing the intent: an accessory, not a diagnosis.
Reimagining an experience with life-saving function but outdated form.
Industrial Design · Research & Strategy · Prototyping · CAD & Rendering
[Solidworks, Keyshot]
USC Iovine & Young Academy, 2021
Advised by: Grant Delgatty, Lisa Krohn, Adam Hughes
01 Research
The EpiPen delivers emergency epinephrine to people experiencing severe allergic reactions. I conducted interviews and a literature review to understand its design and technology, its patent-protected monopoly, and the user experience and stigma surrounding it.
Technically, it works. But its bulky, non-intuitive form leaves room for life-threatening user error and its burdensome connotation leads many patients to leave it at home. An EpiPen that isn't carried can't save a life. Its cost, meanwhile, is inflated by inelastic demand on a patented monopoly.
There's an opportunity for an EpiPen that's compact, intuitive, affordable, and attractive enough that people who need it want to have it with them.
Target audience: individuals 15+ with anaphylaxis-inducing allergies.
02 Ideation
How might we make the device easier to carry? Wearable form factor. Stripped down to just the epinephrine. Reduced needle size.
How might we make it less wasteful? Reusable cartridges. One autoinjector, purchased once. Only the needle replaced.
How might we replace the burdensome connotation? A form unrecognizable as a medical device. Sculptural, jewelry-like design. The positive connotation of an adrenaline rush, rather than an emergency.
03 Solution
A bracelet with a slim metal case holding the full autoinjector mechanism, on an interchangeable leather band.
The status quo problem isn't function; it's that people don't bring the device with them. The current EpiPen is bulky and carries real emotional weight. This is built as its opposite: a well-made accessory rather than a medical burden. That distinction in connotation directly changes the likelihood that the device is carried.
The placement on the wrist is based on the orientation and motion of injecting an EpiPen. The device is already positioned correctly, removing the thinking otherwise required for the injection motion, saving time in a situation where seconds can be life-saving.
Reaching this size required stripping the EpiPen to its essential components and eliminating excess plastic and dead space. Every functional part remains (drive spring, plunger, cartridge, needle, control spring), repackaged for efficient use of space. Result: 5.5 × 0.6cm, against the standard 16 × 2cm.
A replaceable cartridge system reduces waste. The status quo requires discarding the entire pen after one use or at expiration. Here, only the cartridge is replaced, while the case and mechanism are reused. Cartridge dosage is based on research into the amount of epinephrine needed to relieve an average anaphylactic reaction while awaiting emergency services, a meaningful improvement over carrying no device at all.
Designed for ages 15+: older teens and adults are typically comfortable self-injecting, younger children generally aren't. The form is built for someone already at ease with the act.
A viewing window shows epinephrine level at a glance, stopping just short of revealing the needle for the needle-averse. Offered in five finishes, reinforcing the intent: an accessory, not a diagnosis.
