Student creates device to help Parkinson’s patients use the toilet

“When I was taking care of my grandpa, I realised there were many things that he had trouble doing in his daily life, so he became more dependent on family members. One of his biggest problems was going to the bathroom. And this was something I wanted to change because for people with Parkinson’s, especially when they have an urgent need to sit down and use the toilet, the act of turning around can be difficult and cause injury”, she explained.

So, with the help of her teacher (whose mother also struggles with Parkinson’s disease), she invented Libue - a device that eliminates the need for patients to turn around, bend and sit on the toilet. Libue allows patients to adopt a straddling position and also features a bidet function to promote proper hygiene after use. The device also includes LED buttons so that patients can use safely at night.

Emily won the James Dyson Award and now hopes to introduce her design to the government, for use in hospitals.

“One of the biggest problems in Hong Kong is that a lot of product designers like to focus on aesthetics. They don’t try to tackle other problems. It would be great if more people start [focusing on ergonomics], to raise awareness. More designers may start thinking about health care products”, she said.

Adapted from: https://bit.ly/2Ef6h65

More info: http://emilytangstudio.com/project/libue/
https://vimeo.com/134544936