Tracheostomy Tube Redesign
Current tracheostomy tubes on the market perform their medical task well, but have significant quality of life impacts on some patients who feel the tube is too noticeable, or unattractive. Product designer Charlotte Dickson tackled the task of creating a desirable, customisable alternative.
Tracheostomy tubes are medical devices that are inserted into the front of a person’s windpipe (trachea) to provide them with an artificial airway. Tracheostomy is used in the presence of a range of conditions, including vocal cord paralysis, head or neck injury, throat cancers and sleep apnoea.
Existing tracheostomy tubes are quite obviously medical devices, designed for function, not aesthetics. A tracheostomy can be temporary or permanent, and patients wear their devices constantly.
Some patients’ experiences could be improved by the option of a more attractive device, and some also expressed a desire to get distance from the negative associations of tracheostomy – notably the uninformed public’s view of the procedure being linked with smoking.
Initial investigation revealed some key issues with the traditional devices:
Users have to work fiddly mechanisms to assemble
Front protrusions get in the way and draw attention
Straps are single use and disintegrate when wet
Straps are difficult to attach
Limited standard sizes are available
The new design offers tracheostomy patients a desirable, comfortable alternative to traditional devices, which is also functional and clinically sound.
Instead of typical straps, the invention uses a silver chain with a bar piece in the centre. This bar simply slots into a groove in the design of the outer tube and the chain fastens at the back like a normal necklace, making it simple to use. The silver chain is also durable, waterproof, and discreet.
The final component included in the invention is an ornamental front piece attached to the front of the inner tube, again using magnets. This component is not present in existing tracheostomy designs but was incorporated into the invention to reposition the tracheostomy as an object that can be used for self-expression. By choosing different materials, colours, or patterns for the front piece, users can individualise their tracheostomy as well as change it to suit their clothing or their mood.
Customisable and styled like a piece of jewellery, the design looks like a necklace rather than a medical device. This not only can improve the confidence patients in public, but may ease the frustrations of the intensive maintenance these interventions require as it may feel more rewarding to look after a piece of jewellery instead of a plastic medical device
Benefits of the new device include:
Front sits flush with the neck
Customisable to the user’s taste, with changeable magnetised cover pieces
Straps are replaced with a durable, washable silver chain
Chain slots easily in place with an elegant metal bar
The design can be 3D printed in silver and easily customised to any size
The first prototype has been completed. Further testing and refinement will be necessary, including trialing the process of custom fitting a prototype to a real tracheostomy user’s anatomy.
As the tube is similar in form factor to existing devices which have been used for many decades, it is not likely to take long to refine the design to a production ready level, assuming 3D printing proves to be the most efficient method of production – this likely hasn’t been explored as the design lab will only have access new additive manufacturing methods like 3D printing. Traditional manufacturing methods (for scale) should be explored.
Patent Pending. This project is protected with a patent application.
January 2019
CONTRIBUTORS
Charlotte Dickson - AUT Student
THANKS TO
Auckland University of Technology
Tracheostomy | From Stigma to Silver Linings won a Gold Pin for Student Product at the 2019 Best Design Awards.
