Increasing survival rates of patients with acute respiratory distress by creating a digital lung “twin”
Using a digital model to make better medical decisions
A sustainable future depends on homes that can not only produce but store their own energy. By storing solar, homes can power themselves through the night, eliminate gas appliances and even feed back to the grid at times of peak demand.
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Daylight has been Lunar’s design partner from the beginning.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a medical emergency that occurs when fluid collects in the lungs and prevents oxygen from reaching the bloodstream. It is one of the most serious potential effects of the Covid-19 virus and other respiratory ailments.
The German start-up Ebenbuild has developed an exceptional software that creates a personalized digital twin of the lung from medical images of ARDS patients. Once fully realized, this technology will allow doctors to run digital simulations to visualize and predict the impact of specific settings for mechanical ventilation of these patients. This will help the medical team choose precise, individualized treatments that can significantly improve the odds of survival and recovery.
Daylight designed the user experience for the prototype of this tool. The team observed and interviewed anesthesiologists and ventilation experts and then built a clear, coherent UX design that met the technical specifications. The resulting interactive digital prototype has been instrumental in helping the Ebenbuild team move forward with fundraising and development.
Iterative research and design for the ICU setting
Intensive care units (ICUs) are overflowing with displays, graphs and charts. Processes and workflows in this setting are complex, work is carried out under great time pressure, and distractions or mistakes can have severe consequences. This presents a difficult research setting to begin with; our research also took place amidst the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. This meant the standards for Daylight’s research protocols were exceptionally high, and our approach had to be flexible.
The team began by conducting in-person observations and interviews in the ICU–joining the ward round, observing ventilator handling and talking to doctors and nurses about their needs and pains regarding ventilation. We harnessed the insights and early hypotheses from our in-person research to build an initial digital prototype, which the team then used in follow-up remote interviews to get expert feedback on the envisioned functionalities, features and design.
Prior to our rebrand work, the San Francisco Health Network's messaging placed emphasis on the providers and the system. The Network described itself as the City’s “only complete system of care.” The Network logo was an icon of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Through our work, we wanted to shift focus from describing the system to communicating the value added for the patient. We sought to:
- Publicly reaffirm San Francisco’s commitment to accessible health care for all of its residents, regardless of immigration status or insurance;
- Create a unifying brand that resonated deeply with patients and staff; and
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
Insights drive design
The hands-on and remote research we were permitted to do in the ICU was invaluable, and several insights from the research and prototyping phase profoundly shaped our approach to the UX design:
• A patient is more than his or her lung
In order to create the best possible treatment, doctors need holistic visibility of a patient's history and health status, not just the lung visualization alone. For example, optimal respirator settings that consider the lungs alone might be hazardous for a patient with liver failure.
In response to this learning, Daylight's refined interface included a timeline detailing major events and milestones of prior treatment history, giving doctors immediate access to the most relevant data when needed. We structured the language of the tool to present its recommendations to doctors clearly, appropriately, and without introducing liability.
• To be used, the new tool needs to simplify existing workflows
Workflows in the ICU are complex. At the same time they must be extremely efficient and effective. Since a large number of devices and instruments are already part of these workflows today, a new software must fit in seamlessly and make things easier and more effective for healthcare professionals (HCPs). Daylight needed to design a solution that would be accessible and intuitive for a broad range of HCPs in this context, without adding any unnecessary visual noise.
Based on this real-world insight gathered by Daylight, Ebenbuild decided to build the software to run on existing devices across platforms, allowing for ventilation suggestions and manual simulations to integrate into existing workflows easily. Daylight also created a custom visual design system specifically for use in a clinical setting that prioritized consistency and clear visual hierarchy to simplify its use.
Prior to our rebrand work, the San Francisco Health Network's messaging placed emphasis on the providers and the system. The Network described itself as the City’s “only complete system of care.” The Network logo was an icon of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Through our work, we wanted to shift focus from describing the system to communicating the value added for the patient. We sought to:
- Publicly reaffirm San Francisco’s commitment to accessible health care for all of its residents, regardless of immigration status or insurance;
- Create a unifying brand that resonated deeply with patients and staff; and
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
The right tools at the right time
Daylight’s ability to tailor our design work and guidance to Ebenbuild’s needs as a rapidly evolving start-up proved highly valuable to them. Following our engagement with Ebenbuild, they were named one of the ten most important start-ups from Munich by Top50 Startups, the company has partnered with a premier German university, and they are attracting robust investor interest.
Prior to our rebrand work, the San Francisco Health Network's messaging placed emphasis on the providers and the system. The Network described itself as the City’s “only complete system of care.” The Network logo was an icon of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Through our work, we wanted to shift focus from describing the system to communicating the value added for the patient. We sought to:
- Publicly reaffirm San Francisco’s commitment to accessible health care for all of its residents, regardless of immigration status or insurance;
- Create a unifying brand that resonated deeply with patients and staff; and
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
- Give staff desperately needed tools to clearly and consistently describe the Network, its values, and its services.
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