Father develops device to know her his daughter needs a diaper change

Because of her condition, Mariel is a quadriplegic and developmentally delayed. So she needs care around the clock.

According to her father, Mariel has been getting good care in special facilities. However, her diapers were changed according to caregivers’ schedules, not hers. Because of this, she regularly developed urinary infections and skin breakouts.

This led Jim to look for a solution. And that’s how CareChanger was born. It consists of a device with a wireless sensor tag used to monitor humidity in wine cellars and linked it to a computer tablet slung on the back of Mariel’s wheelchair and to his own phone. With this system, the caregivers can just look at the computer tablet and he can look at this phone and know whenever the patient needs a change.

According to the invention, the gadget works well because since it has been used, Mariel has been free of all related infections since the device went into use over two years.

The father had help from eleven engineering students from the UVic Biomedical Engineering Design Club.

This solution led the students to get second place in a Canadian national contest.

Jim is meeting with a technology and design firm to discuss developing the device further, possibly getting it into the market.

Adapted from: https://bit.ly/37jEDSc