Design of Appropriate Technology-Assisted Urine Tester Enabling Remote and Long-Term Monitoring of Health Conditions

Hyun-Kyung Lee and Jeong-Hyeon Bae
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Hyun-Kyung Lee: Division of Culture & Design Management, Underwood International College, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Jeong-Hyeon Bae: School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: A novel design idea supported by affordable design processes can address unresolved social problems such as the imbalance of opportunity in healthcare services, owing to high costs and a lack of access. We designed an appropriate technology-assisted urine tester to provide healthcare services for the elderly and underprivileged in order to monitor their health conditions daily and remotely help them determine whether to visit hospitals/clinics for in-depth diagnoses. To minimize production costs, we used a charge-coupled device camera for colorimetric-type urine analysis in conjunction with commercially available urine test strips; all other electronic components were mass-produced. We calibrated this urine tester and compared it with a commercially available high-end tester; the results showed high accuracy for most urine compounds. We verified its major device functions by recruiting four participants who tested their urine over four weeks and provided self-surveys of their health conditions. The proposed tester demonstrates a low price-to-performance ratio with high reliability, while its production and maintenance costs are as low as 20 USD per set. We focused on a human-centered technological approach from a simple and innovative design point of view in order to serve people and healthcare providers in an affordable way. We believe that the tester can be widely distributed, exemplifying appropriate technological application for those who require, but cannot enjoy, proper medical services, thereby improving social healthcare sustainability.

Keywords: appropriate technology; healthcare design; noninvasive health monitoring; portable healthcare device; autonomous detection; remote urine tester (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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