OCD symptom reliever

Background

I developed a medical product to relieve OCD symptoms during work/study for many affected in China. The disorder’s impact on their lives hindered productivity, motivating me to create this solution, driven by my friends’ struggles.

What's OCD?

Symptoms of OCD

Tony had severe OCD which caused him much pain.

The lingering thoughts made him unable to focus.

He always repeatedly check if the door is locked.

How OCD affects patients?

Scenario: When working, Tony is constantly interrupted by unwanted thoughts. Those thoughts are caused by trivial things like casual impolite behaviour to colleagues. He thinks they will cause disasters. 

An example:

1. Tony is talking with his boss.

2. He said a bad word by accident.

3. He is worried that he will get fired because of the bad word.

Existing therapies

Morita therapy: diverting your attention was towards other things to intervene with symptoms.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: Observe subtle sensations in a particular area in your skin. Perceive and observe the thoughts in your mind. Practice accepting any of those sensations. 

Forcing yourself to face what you are afraid of: Forcing yourself to confront what you are afraid of (e.g. germs). And restrain yourself from reacting to it. 

Deficiencies of existing therapy

According to Morita therapy, diverting people’s attention was an effective way to intervene in symptoms. However, patients needed a private instructor to remind them while they were being intruded into by symptoms and guided them to react to symptoms with proper treatment methods. 

Why the product works (rationale)?

The theory of the process of this product

Step 1: When detecting symptoms, it stimulates the user’s skin by generating vibrations to intervene with the symptoms.  

Step 2: The user switches the device to “relieving” mode, which generates vibrations on him. The frequency of vibration is synced with his respiratory rate. Thus, he shifts his attention to his breathing, stopping from overthinking.

My target

Help workers and students with OCD to work and study without being affected by OCD.

Research

Personas

Here are some people who have OCD. I want to find out the following:

1. What symptoms affect them?
2. What therapy do they use?
3. What do they do to relieve symptoms every day?

Background

• College student.
• Have suffered from OCD for 11 years.
• Work on his thesis for 7 hours every day.

Environment

• Crowded library makes me nervous.

Symptoms

• Being worried of potential harms.

Therapies

• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy.

Does the therapies work?

It works sometimes.

Background

• Freelancer
• Have suffered from OCD for 5 years.
• Work for 4 hours a day.

Environment

• Quiet home with her mom.

Symptoms

• Being worried of potential harms.

Therapies

• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy.
• Meditation

Does the therapies work?

It works. And I trust it.

Journey Map Of An OCD Patient

Purpose

I want to find out:

• What does he do when he is most severely affected by OCD?
• Why the current treatments are not effective in relieving symptoms at work?

Journey Map 1

Journey Map 2

Conclusion of Journey Map

Patients always have problems in public places (such as libraries) when using “therapeutic methods” for relief (like meditation and mindfulness). Therefore, the commonly used treatments (meditation, mindfulness) are not suitable for relieving OCD symptoms in public places.

Reasons Why Treatment Methods Are Not Suitable In Public Places

Problems encountered when using meditation and Mindfulness outside:

Due to the strain of work, the human brain becomes drowsy and cannot observe the sensations in the body.

People feel dull because they have to sit for 30 minutes and get restless.

Patients tend to be nervous in public because other people are around, so they feel embarrassed when practicing “Mindfulness.”

What Are The Users’ Needs For The Existing Treatment Modalities?

• The treatment requires concentration, which the patient cannot do.
• The treatment usually takes more than 10-15 minutes to have an effect. The treatment effect is slow.
• Surrounding people are suspicious of the patient’s treatment behaviour.
• Treatment is difficult for novices to master.
• Treatment requires a quiet, relaxing environment, which is not available in public.

Interview Of An OCD Patient

Q: “How do you generally do your mindfulness practice?”

A: “I’d walk down the hallway or corridor and say, “It is what it is.”

Q: “How is the effect?”

A: “The effect is okay but too tiring. As I keep saying, the mouth is very tired, the heart also gets anxious quickly.”

“The effect is not always good, because sometimes there are too many people around, and it is not convenient to say: ‘It is so’.”

Q: “How long does it take for the symptoms to fully resolve?”

A: “About 7-8 minutes, sometimes a little longer. Basically, you can regain mental peace.”

Competitive Product Analysis

At present, all the methods to relieve OCD symptoms at work are listed here.

All Current Solutions, And “Market Vacancies” That Have Not Been Solved Are Highlighted In Orange Colour Above.

Conclusion of competitive product analysis

• To have a professional approach, but also to receive the symptoms effectively.
• Help patients eliminate symptoms in a short time.
• Also, it can help patients to relieve their symptoms anytime and anywhere.
• Help patients to calm down and have a good state of mind for breathing exercises.

Product Development

Ideation

“Breathing exercises” is one of the therapies for OCD.

Other ideas

Problems

Solutions

People can’t shift their attention fast enough.

Looking at other parts of the body can help people ignore symptoms immediately.

One cannot concentrate on the breath.

Touching something textured and stimulating to the skin can make people feel less anxious.

I was embarrassed to be seen by others during the “breathing exercise”.

To avoid embarrassment, the product should be concealed.

One cannot do “breathing exercises” anywhere, anytime.

Make the product portable so that people can use it anywhere, anytime.

Sketches

What I need to design is a small wearable device that can be used to stimulate and distract people’s attention on various occasions. A person can use it anywhere and anytime.

Prototypes

Prototypes – Problems With The Preliminary Model

Among the models selected in the sketching stage, the main problems found were:

• Multiple products;
• The inconvenience of portability.

My solution

Merge the two products.

The Solution To The Disadvantages Of The Prototype

Putting two products together is the best way.

The Final Model

Other Models

Modified Final Model

How To Use It?

Use it when the patient is disturbed by OCD symptoms and can not concentrate on work.

The First Way To Use This Product

Step 1: Combination of detection products and vibration modules.

Step 2: Hang the product on your chest and focus on your breathing

The Second Way To Use This Product

Step 1: Pull the bracelet out of the test product

Step 2: Fix the vibration module on the wrist with the bracelet

Step 3: Use the vibration module to stimulate the wrist, while the product on the chest detects the breathing rate of the person

Final 3D Model

How To Use The Product

Exploded-View Of Products

Process Of Using Products

Use Mode 1

Step 1: Open the cover of “the vibration module.
Step 2: Insert the “test product” into the “vibration module”.

Step 3: Close the cover of the “vibration module” and fix it

Step 4: Place the “vibration module” fixed on the testing product under the chest of the body.
Step 5: Snap the hook on the “testing product” to the collar.

Use Mode 2

Step 1: Separate the “wristband” that is stuck in the “test product”

Step 2: Insert the “bracelet” into the “vibration module” fixing slot, and fix the  bracelet” to the right position.

Step 3: Place the “vibration module” inserted into the “bracelet” on your wrist, and
Step 4: Find the right position. Fix the “vibration module” on your wrist with the bracelet” and start using it.