KneeCare🦵🩹
Offer an innovative IoT product designed to enhance recovery and provide real-time monitoring for individuals with meniscus injuries.
Aug 2022 — Dec 2022
UXR-UXD
Team work with my student Jiaqi Liu
App Design
Healthcare IoT System
AR Scene Design
User storyboard & Journey Map
Connected Device Interface
Meniscus injuries present physical and psychological challenges for patients, from pain management and restricted movement to prolonged recovery times that can lead to frustration, lack of motivation, and anxiety. Despite the importance of correct exercise and consistency in rehabilitation, many patients struggle with maintaining proper form, tracking progress, and staying motivated through the lengthy process. Additionally, the absence of real-time feedback and support can result in further injury or slow recovery.
Problem Statement
Possible Solution
An intelligent knee brace designed for meniscus injury rehabilitation could bridge this gap by providing real-time biofeedback, motion tracking, and pain management support. Through an integrated app, users can set achievable goals, receive personalized rehabilitation plans, and access video tutorials and motion guidance to ensure safe exercise. The device’s built-in sensors would monitor activity, gently remind users to maintain correct posture, and notify them when to adjust intensity or take breaks. With added community features for shared experiences and themed virtual environments for a more engaging exercise routine, this solution promotes effective, supported, and emotionally encouraging rehabilitation.
Research Phase
Context & Backgrond
Meniscus
WHAT?
What is a meniscus injury?
What is the condition of individuals with meniscus injuries?
Why should I design?
A meniscus injury refers to damage or tearing of the meniscus, which is the cartilage tissue on the inside and outside of the knee joint. Symptoms include pain, swelling, a sense of joint locking, and restricted movement.
What are the common people with meniscus injury?
High-intensity athletes or sports enthusiasts
Individuals engaged in physically demanding labor for extended periods
Joint degeneration in elderly individuals
WHO?
WHY?
HOW?
Based on my student
She injured her meniscus due to improper exercise, leading to prolonged pain and forced time away from her favorite sport. Frustrated by the lack of effective rehab tools and slow progress.
Personal experiences and needs
About others
On November 21, 2021, Sohu News released data stating that every year, there are approximately 5 to 6 million knee injury patients worldwide.
Knee rehabilitation patients
Psychologically
Anxiety and torment
Difficulties and setbacks
During rehabilitation
Physiologically
Knee pain and discomfort
In daily life
Limited mobility and activity
Under what conditions can the meniscus exacerbate damage?
WHEN?
Knee flexion
Rotational movement
Gravity loading
Squatting and standing up
Extended periods of activity
Centered around patients with meniscus injuries, I delve into understanding the needs, expectations, and pain points of potential users to ensure that the system effectively meets the requirements of all relevant users.
Rehabilitation exercises often feel monotonous and lack sufficient interactivity, making the long-term recovery process dull.
The rehabilitation process is too lengthy, leading to frequent anxiety and a lack of sustained motivation.
I need more strength training, but often, the rehabilitation exercises are generic and struggle to meet individual differences.
Long waiting times for medical appointments make it difficult to receive timely and professional rehabilitation advice and treatment plans, leading to delays and uncertainties in the recovery process.
Define Phase
User Storyboard
Qualitative Interviews
Quantitative Interviews
Brainstorming
During these 'days of lost freedom,' I had to give up the sport I loved.
I have also been doing rehabilitation exercises, aiming to gradually restore normal mobility.
Due to improper exercise, I suffered damage to the meniscus.
The meniscus injury has brought me prolonged and agonizing pain.
I hope there is a product that can assist in my rehabilitation process.
In the long process of rehabilitation, the difficulty in perceiving changes in the knee has gradually led me to lose a positive mindset and patience.
The existing rehabilitation tools and resources have many inconveniences.
About My STUDENT JIAQI’S Meniscus Injury Story
To understand the difficulties that different patients may encounter at various stages of knee rehabilitation, I interviewed six patients.
I plan to create a smart knee brace product for patients with meniscus injuries to enhance the success of rehabilitation and improve the overall recovery experience for users.
How can we?
How can we?
How can we?
How can we?
How can we?
How can we?
In view of the pain points of patients recovering from meniscus injury, the following is the thinking process of intelligent knee pads and their application key functions:
Key features:
Key features:
Key features:
Key features:
To boost the motivation of rehabilitation patients.
HOW MIGHT WE？
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Set achievable short-term goals and provide encouraging notifications.
Assisting users in managing pain and providing some rehabilitation recommendations.
Alleviating patients' feelings of frustration.
Addressing psychological challenges during the long-term rehabilitation phase.
Providing continuous support for long-term rehabilitation adherence.
Ensuring that users correctly perform exercises during the rehabilitation process.
Rehabilitation patients face a lack of motivation, making it challenging to persevere.
Patients are troubled by the lack of accurate exercise guidance.
The occasional fluctuations of pain and discomfort during the rehabilitation process are challenging to overcome.
The rehabilitation process is lengthy, and patients find it challenging to perceive, leading to a sense of frustration.
Prolonged rehabilitation exercises make the recovery process excessively monotonous.
During the long-term rehabilitation process, patients face psychological challenges such as anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and more.
Design virtual rehabilitation environments with different themes to immerse users and enhance the sense of participation and enjoyment in exercises.
Create community features that allow users to connect, share experiences, and provide mutual support.
Customize a personalized pain management plan by integrating user's pain feedback and physiological data to effectively assist users in coping with discomfort during the rehabilitation process.
Regularly send positive and encouraging notifications, reminding users of achieved progress and the next steps to inspire them to continue their efforts.
Provide detailed video tutorials and animated demonstrations in the application, with the smart knee brace offering real-time biofeedback to guide users in performing exercises correctly.
Key features:
Key features:
Early stages of rehabilitation
Mid-term rehabilitation
Long-term consolidation phase of rehabilitation
Pain
anxiety, and a sense of frustration
knee joint stiffness
lack of motivation
Pain alleviation
Mild swelling and discomfort
Joint mobility limitation
Lack of rehabilitation confidence
Increased difficulty in rehabilitation
Preventing relapse
Requires active rehabilitation and exercises
Requires additional psychological support
Mild discomfort related to movement
Joint mobility gradually returns to normal
Based on the interviews about rehabilitation challenges, the main findings are:
Challenges in the rehabilitation stages
Impact on mental health
Difficulties in sustaining monotonous rehabilitation exercises and the ongoing costs of rehabilitation equipment and tools.
The rehabilitation process is accompanied by emotions of anxiety, depression, and concerns about the future.
Design Phase
Concept Development
Comprehensive and sustainable rehabilitation support for patients with meniscus injuries.
Rehabilitation progress tracking:
Provides visualized reports on rehabilitation progress, helping users understand their improvement.
Motion tracking:
Built-in sensors track the user's range of motion and activity levels, monitoring rehabilitation progress in real-time.
Internal monitoring
Internal monitoring
Motivation
Persistence
Positive reinforcement of motivation
Cultivating rehabilitation habits
Assisting in rehabilitation execution
External tracking
External tracking
Assistive
Real-time monitoring of knee data
Visualization of rehabilitation data
Smart knee brace
Smart knee brace application system
Hardware component
Software component
Product Prototyping
Adjustability
Integration of smart sensors
Supportiveness
Monitoring the load on the knee and joint activity of the patient during the rehabilitation process.
Biofeedback device
Using slight vibrations to remind users to avoid inappropriate movements.
Charging port
Switch
The application system connects via Bluetooth, enabling real-time data transmission.
Information Architecture
Real-time data monitoring
Upload MRI
Personalized recommendations
Rehabilitation exercise guidance
Visualized environment
Add a plan
Set reminders
Publish notes
My knees
Rehabilitation Duration Record
start
Today's Tasks
Goal setting
Reminders and calendar
My
Community
Add diary
Connect the smart knee brace
Home
Messages
Bluetooth
Diary
Schedule
Community
User Flow
The system receives data
Provide feedback perception to users in action
For users sitting for extended periods, vibrating reminders encourage moderate knee movement to prevent joint stiffness.
Detecting irregular gait, the knee protector reminds users to adjust their pace through gentle vibrations, maintaining the correct walking posture
During intense physical activity, the knee protector provides vibration reminders for users to reduce exercise intensity or take moderate breaks
Knee protection provides support when excessive force is applied to the knees while going up and down stairs
Real-time Data Visualization in the Application
Wearing the Smart Knee Brace by Users
Turn on the switch button to connect with the application system data
Wireframing
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Start Rehabilitation:
Start directly or choose to do so in the visual scene interface; a closing encouragement phrase will be displayed after completion.
My Knee:
Record images and reports from each MRI session
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Add a Plan:
Set Plans and Goals for Self, Assist in Rehabilitation.
Publish Notes:
Share Rehabilitation Process Notes Within the Community
Rehabilitation Diary:
Documenting Psychological and Physiological States During Each Recovery"
Hi-fi User Interface
Onboarding
Add
Cancel
Publish
Please enter the medical report results...
2023-05-26
MRI Date
Medical
Report
MRI
My knees
2023-05-26
Report
Knee Joint Meniscus Grade 2 Signal
Knee Joint Tissue Edema
April
2023
Left knee
MRI
Right knee
MRI
April
2023
Left knee
MRI
Right knee
MRI
April
2023
Left knee
MRI
Right knee
MRI
You're
getting
better today
Rehabilitation Duration Record
Mon
Tue
Wed
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thu
09
10
11
12
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15
6h
0h
Today's Tasks
16:00
18:00
14:00
12:00
Knee Joint Stability Strength Training.
12:00
-
12:30
Knee Joint Strengthening Exercises.
12:00
-
12:30
20:00
My knees
2023-05-26
Report
Knee Joint Meniscus Grade 2 Signal
Knee Joint Tissue Edema
Start
Home
Schedule
Community
Diary
Hi , Tianyi
You're
getting
better today
Rehabilitation Duration Record
Mon
Tue
Wed
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thu
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
6h
0h
Today's Tasks
16:00
18:00
14:00
12:00
Knee Joint Stability Strength Training.
12:00
-
12:30
Knee Joint Strengthening Exercises.
12:00
-
12:30
20:00
My knees
2023-05-26
Report
Knee Joint Meniscus Grade 2 Signal
Knee Joint Tissue Edema
Start
Hi , Tianyi
Home
Schedule
Community
Diary
June 16, 2022, 14:15
Objective: Knee Joint Strengthening Training
Time : October 7, 2023, 16:30—17:30
Tips
June 16, 2022, 12:35
Hi! Sitting for a long time may not be great for your knees. Why not stand up and move around a bit?
June 16, 2022, 12:15
Every little effort is a step closer to victory. Keep it up!
Start
Personalized Recommendations
Rehabilitation Guided Exercises
Visualized Scene
Real-time Data Monitoring
Joint Angle
Time
High
Low
Time
Force Distribution
Strong
Weak
Normal
Quadriceps
Semimembranosus
Fibularis
Muscles
Hamstrings
Quadriceps
Pressure Distribution
90
180
Start
Let's start
rehabilitation
exercises
KNEECARE
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Natural Landscape
Visualized Scene
"You're one step closer to the next rehabilitation milestone. Keep going!"
Activity
12
Favorites
25
Likes
25
122
122
Hi , Tianyi
Community
Home
Schedule
Community
Diary
Successfully achieved this week's rehabilitation goals. So happy! Keep it up.
2023-05-26
2023-05-26
You can do it
Tianyi
Leave a Comment...
Amber
Recent improvements in my condition, and I'm not as anxious anymore. Let's go!
2023-05-26
2023-05-26
Oh wow!!!
Tianyi
Leave a Comment...
Alin
Home
Schedule
Community
Diary
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Severity Level
Severity
Gentle
Average
Serious
Pain Level
11：00
12：00
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14：00
Actual Step Count：180
Ideal Step Count ：120
Friday
180 / 120
Step Count
11.02
Photo
×3
Recovery Duration
115 min
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Severity Level
Severity
Gentle
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Pain Level
11：00
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14：00
Actual Step Count：180
Ideal Step Count ：120
Friday
180 / 120
Step Count
11.03
Photo
×3
Recovery Duration
125 min
Hi , Tianyi
Home
Schedule
Community
Diary
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Severity Level
Severity
Gentle
Average
Serious
Pain Level
11：00
12：00
13：00
14：00
Actual Step Count：180
Ideal Step Count ：120
Friday
180 / 120
Step Count
11.02
Photo
×3
Recovery Duration
115 min
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Severity Level
Severity
Gentle
Average
Serious
Pain Level
11：00
12：00
13：00
14：00
Actual Step Count：180
Ideal Step Count ：120
Friday
180 / 120
Step Count
11.03
Photo
×3
Recovery Duration
125 min
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Pain Level
11.04
Cancel
Publish
Photo
Hi , Tianyi
Knee Joint Stability Strength Training
Single-Leg Balance Stand
Full-body Muscle Flexibility Exercise
Knee Joint Strengthening Exercises
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June 2023
Plan Setting
Create a Plan
Title
Start Time
Reminder 10 minutes before
End Time
Cancel
Publish
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Publish Note
Cancel
Publish
Please enter the copy...
Hi , Tianyi
AR Scene
Tracking Recovery