Aeropace Controller
designed at DesignThink for Lungpacer
the AeroPace therapy system is made to improve patient outcomes for those on a ventilator by providing repetitive exercises to help rebuild diaphragm muscle strength. These exercises are controlled by nurses who have to interface easily with the AeroPace system.
Our goal was to redesign the controller taking it from a one-button system to something far more usable, ergonomic, and intuitive.
Lungpacer had an incredible innovation.
it was also incredibly hard to use.
This one button was meant to perform all of these actions:
Retry
Recruit
Auto stimulate
Power
Enable
Stimulate
A Little Adjusting
After working with a separate team and going through a second round of user testing, our client expressed concerns.
Nurses who tested the product found lots of usability problems while the client had manufacturing concerns, especially with parting lines and the ability to sanitize the equipment.
I was brought on to the team to help address these concerns and present our concepts in a way our clients could better understand.
clunky, too complex, and too large
liked the buttons but not comfortable
Revisiting Form
A1
A2
A2 update changed the button pad to be much larger, reduced the potential of mis-selection, and put the hand in a much more natural comfortable position.
B1
B2
B2 Update included changing wire position to be more natural, paying attention to form and thumb reach, and creating a more intuitive button pad. Hand position can be neutral and relaxed.
Everything Within Reach
Buttons on either side are dished in to provide a tactile difference between button areas without nurses having to look down to use the remote.
Inspiration for this was drawn from a real-life example many of us use each day on our keyboards.
Because of how important it is to hit the right button in this system, the central action button rises high above either side.
The entire remote was made to be sure that buttons were within reach even for the smallest percentile of hand size for users.
The Full System
Through working with our user experience team, we created a lighting and haptics scheme that worked with the AeroPace software and made it so the controller worked seamlessly and allowed nurses to keep their eyes on the patient rather than the screen and remote.
