Minimalist design firm Method, in collaboration with healthcare start-up Bay-Innovations, designed a hands-free wearable to revolutionise healthcare. The device, Vivi, is a heads-up display that provides surgeons with the patient’s vitals at a glance, removing the need to look away during an operation.
Clinicians’ duties are hampered by bulky equipment and sheer workload. While trying to perform life-saving procedures, clinicians need to keep a watchful eye on the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. To streamline this process, Method designed Vivi, a small, head-mounted display that hovers over the wearer’s eye and can be moved out of the way when it’s not needed.
Glancing at the display, the surgeon is able to see a basic breakdown of the patient’s vital signs as configured through his or her smartphone. This improves response times, as the clinician is able to see crucial information at a glance without looking away from the patient.
The device is designed to work in tandem with other devices and is not meant to replace the expertise of the physician. “It enables them to perform more effectively under difficult conditions and during periods of high stress or mental workload,” reads the company’s website.
While the product was developed with the healthcare industry in mind, it could also function in other spheres of life, says Method’s CTO David Rajan.
“Sport is possibly one of the first places where the product could achieve some market penetration and success. Cyclists often have Tom Tom and Garmin [GPS devices] and have to look down. Runners are also always looking at their watch to see if they’re making their performance target, “ Rajan was quoted as saying.
