A huge congratulations and thank you to all who participated in this open innovation contest! This is truly “crowdsourcing” at its best — asking the community for its brightest ideas on how to improve life with diabetes.
At final toll, we received over 150 entries from participants describing themselves as:
- Students – in Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Biotechnology, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, and Business
- Electronic and computer engineers
- Graphic designers
- Entrepreneurs
- Medical device design engineers
- User experience researchers
- Parents of Type 1 children
- Children with Type 1
- Spouses of diabetics
- Children of Type 2 parents
Participating universities included:
- UC Berkeley
- Harvard
- Stanford
- MIT
- USC
- Northwestern University
- UC San Diego
- University of Maryland
- Iuav University od Venice
- UNAM (Mexico City’s National University)
We judges spent HOURS reviewing all the ueber-creative ideas, and this was no easy task, in great part because the entries were so varied that it often felt like comparing apples to oranges to pineapples and mangos. In other words, we had everything from slick, geometric combo devices to patient mentoring programs, board games, emergency lollipops and shoes that measure your glucose. Wow!
The core principle we tried to keep in mind when selecting our Grand Prize winner was: improving life with diabetes. What new idea would have the most meaningful impact on everyday life with diabetes for the largest possible patient population?
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
We are proud to announce that the $10,000 Grand Prize winner is something called:
Eric and Samantha are both graduate students at Northwestern University in Illinois, and had the joint vision for a “complete diabetes management system using the phones users already carry… integrating control of glucose meters, insulin pumps and logbooks into a single easy-to-use iPhone interface.”
In other words, forget about carrying and using disparate diabetes devices! Why can’t they all be housed in your mobile phone?
We had many iPhone-based entries, but what these two students have designed goes beyond a single logging, data calculation or learning application. Their concept stands out for a number of reasons:
* we believe the LifeCase & LifeApp solution is a glimpse of the future; they’ve taken the integration of diabetes devices to its fullest conclusion.
* …meaning the phone acts as a glucose meter, controller for your pump, and data logging application all in one, with built-in capability to share the data across platforms. The case even houses a lancet and test strip storage for a complete, all-in-one solution.
* as you can see, they’ve developed a great visual prototype of both the phone case and the software application(s).
* the system could easily be expanded to include continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).
* this system is not limited to the iPhone models, but could be implemented on any smartphone, and truly improves life with diabetes.
* and the wonderful thing is, the technology to make this system happen is all here and functional. It just needs some visionaries to push for implementation.
The winners will receive $10,000 in cash, a mini-workshop with Health and Wellness experts at the global design and innovation firm IDEO; and one free access ticket to the “innovation incubator” Health 2.0 Conference planned for October 2009 in San Francisco, CA. (All cash prizes are provided by the non-profit California HealthCare Foundation.)
MOST CREATIVE WINNER
Again, creativity abounded in this competition. So we judges aimed to single out something we found both innovative and potentially impactful where a good solution is sorely missing. We are proud to award this prize to:
Anyone diagnosed with diabetes as a child can tell you how strange and uncomfortable it feels to have to learn to poke yourself with a needle, and to be that “different kid” at school. Having a stuffed animal friend who also has diabetes is sure to help “normalize” the situation. To date, there are some stuffed bears who wear cloth pumps, but nothing particularly interactive. Jerry, on the other hand, has his own functioning glucose meter, can be given injections with a toy syringe, and can even “eat” glucose tablets and then give feedback on how he feels.
The judges felt that this interactive toy, and the accompanying web play space — something like Webkinz for diabetic kids? — could be an excellent teaching tool for newly diagnosed children. It’s the kind of thing we could see being employed in hospitals around the country.
Design for America is a team of students from Northwestern University, including these individuals:
Yuri F. Malina
Kushal Amin
Hannah Chung
Can Arican
Katy Mess
Rita Huen
Sourya Roy
Justin Liu
Kevin Li
Mert Iseri
Congrats to this team! They will receive $5,000 cash, plus a consulting session with IDEO design experts.
KIDS CATEGORY WINNER
We’re pleased to award this prize to:
It’s a relatively simple idea that no one’s done yet: retractable insulin pump tubing. Brilliant! Enough said.
Congrats to Griffin, who wins $2,000 in cash — hopefully an incentive to follow up on his idea.
Again, CONGRATULATIONS and thank you. We hope to see these winning design concepts converted into commercial products that we can all get our hands on real soon!
NOTE: Many more exciting designs from the contest will be featured and discussed here in the days and weeks to come, so please be sure to tune in.
WOW!!
Congrats to Eric and Samantha!!!!
And to the Design for America Team and to Griffin!
What wonderful, innovative ideas!
[...] Read the original: » ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS: The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge … [...]
Amazing and wonderful ideals to make our lives better!
Kelly K
The iPhone app is right on! now if the medical device companies will help facilitate integration, we will be on our way!
Fantastic! I look forward to seeing the other great ideas in the days to come! Thanks Amy, the judges and the California HealthCare Foundation for their sponsorship!
Some very good ideas. I would buy the LifeCase/LifeApp right now if it were available. Like you said Amy, the technology is there…hopefully the various companies will be willing to work together to make integrations like this a reality. The Lifescan partnerships with Animas and Medtronic are certainly a step in the right direction, I hope Apple will bridge the gap and be open to 3rd party add-ons like this.
I agree with Harry: I would buy the LifeCase/LifeApp right now if it were available. Great ideas all!!!
I never fancied myself an iphone user, but if that was available (and iphone wasn’t in cahoots with AT&T…), I’d be so on board with that. Very cool idea!
Congrats to all the winners!
I had the exact same idea as the grand-prize winner, without the case, just the iphone and a reduced size pump. There is no addressing the fact that the pump technology for their pump does not exist. At least my product addresses that. Call me a sore loser but what the hell? Thier product is not the best product for the diabetic. This contest is fixed. What a waste of valuable time this contest is.
@ David,
We realize that there were some similar entries. As noted, we chose the one that we found most well-developed and designed. Sorry that not everyone can be a winner. Absolutely no “fixing” involved here.
Were both teams from Northwestern’s NUvention? They kind of look like it. As part of the inaugural NUvention class, let me just say…well done!
More info about the NUvention program for those interested.
http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/news-northwestern-nuvention/16769506
PebbleBelly seemed very similar to the creative category winner, any feedback on what you thought of that entry would be gratefully received.
Regards,
Ricky.
Thank you so much! We will make this happen!
Design for America is an interdisciplinary student group centered on design thinking and social entrepreneurship, based in Northwestern University.
You can find out more about us at: designforamerica.pbworks.com
Sincerely,
DfA Team
Great job, if this iPhone app is real the biggest challenge is FDA approval and product liability/insurance. Interfacing to a pump is a major project and the communication API (Application Programmers Interface) for each pump is different and complex. I would ditch the idea of interfacing with a pump and just get the glucose tester and iPhone app working. I spent thousand of dollars to create the app that I entered but it is a real app that could be deployed on iTunes tomorrow. The main reason it has not been uploaded to iTunes is liability. Why not just give it away for free you ask? Even if I give the app away anyone can still sue me anyways.
As for the lifecase, my guess is it would take around $50-80,000 to complete the application that the Northwestern team prototyped. That does not cover testing, FDA certification and who knows what else required for a true medical device. The glucose meter case is much easier. Just take the guts out of an existing product stuff them into the case and then right code to interface to the iPhone. BTW the case that won is not correct, the interface for the iPhone is on the bottom so this design needs some changes. I will be very sad if this case is just some off the shelf iPhone case made to look like a special diabetes design. I actually have all the development tools to develop iPhone apps and the winner is not using them. Apple has a iPhone simulator for prototyping code but the screen shots in the lifecase were not from the toolkit. I hope this thing is not just pure smoke and mirrors done with photoshop. Would love to see further posts of the actual application working and not just a blood dot flashing an still screens shots.
An iPhone pump controller would be a completely new application that would have to be throughly regression tested. Anyone that has a iPhone will tell you that they hang, reboot, lock all the time when running a app and getting a call on the phone. Just think if the application is telling the pump to give a bolus and then you get a phone call that locks the application. We use the term “mission critical” for computer applications (air traffic control, pace makers, EKG) and the iPhone is not that platform for a pump controller/mission critical app.
I want to thanks AmyT for providing the contest and would love to know if my app was even in the running. I will continue to develop and enhance my iPhone app but until I can get past the liability it will just have to stay on my iPhone and my sons iTouch ;(
Great job and I look forward to seeing the application on iTunes.
write code… not right code.. oops too late to comment, second paragraph half way done. Should have just gone to bed
A heartfelt congratulations to all the winners. well done.
Amy please remove my other post. Thanks
@ Bob – done, thanks.
[...] To read more about the rest of the winning entries, click here. [...]
How I love this contest! Great ideas — can’t wait to see all of them in real life. Thanks to all the entrants, and congrats to the winners.
Eric and Samantha,
I find it funny there is not response or conversation on how to take this product to the next step. I think I challenged you on a few fronts and the response is silence. Why do bug you? I want to see something in the mainstream market.
You got $10K if you follow through my son could benefit, if not what a waste of money.
Thanks and I hope you use the resources amyt has gifted you.
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] an iPhone app that provides an desegrated hardware-software resolution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a rivalry separate by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to encounter an iPod-like figure or [...]
[...] 2.0, Web 2.0. trackback Amy Tenderich at DiabetesMine organized a unique event again so the The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge was a real success. Here are the [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS: The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge A huge congratulations and thank you to all who participated in this open innovation contest! This is truly “crowdsourcing” at its best — asking the community for its brightest ideas on how to improve life with diabetes. (tags: health b) [...]
good contest for diabetes- congrats to the winners and and also for all those who participated in this contest as participation is more important than the winning – because the main aim of this is to involve people to think some innovative steps – i felt so bad that i didnt participate in this though i am in medical profession and working for diabetes awareness due to some exams – ok any how looking for more competitions like this-
[...] ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS: The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge [...]
[...] were invited to take part in the challenge – they even had an Under 18 category! Ultimately the winners chosen were two grad students from Northwestern [...]
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a ,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
[...] the results are in – take a look at this year’s winners! The grand prize entry is above – but don’t forget to check out some of the other, more [...]
[...] 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge Jump to Comments » ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS: The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge – DiabetesMine: the all t… A huge congratulations and thank you to all who participated in this open innovation contest! This [...]
[...] at BlogHer ‘09The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design Challenge « Faint Voice on ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS: The 2009 DiabetesMine™ Design ChallengeSara on What a New Era of Pharma Marketing Means to (Diabetes) Patientsmarketing » Blog [...]
I spent thousand of dollars to create the app that I entered but it is a real app that could be deployed on iTunes tomorrow. The main reason it has not been uploaded to iTunes is liability. Why not just give it away for free you ask? Even if I give the app away anyone can still sue me anyways.
[...] for an iPhone app that provides an integrated hardware-software solution for diabetes patients, has won a $10,000 prize in a competition run by DiabetesMine. The competition aimed to find an iPod-like device or web app [...]
The application must be really cool … any chances to get a working copy after you deploy?
[...] who says medical devices have to be clunky? A little design sense, please! Watches, charms, phone apps… DiabetesMine™ puts on a yearly Design Challenge to spur on design ideas, including a [...]
[...] the 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge. Last year the contest garnered more than 150 entries and awarded a grand prize, a “most creative” prize, and a kids’ category prize. I can’t [...]
[...] Katz is the Grand Prize winner of the 2009 DiabetesMine Design Challenge, and now Global Product Manager at Medtronic Diabetes, where she’s working on the company’s [...]
[...] Last year’s Diabetes Mine Design Challenge winners included an iPhone application to monitor glucose levels, a teddy bear with diabetes to help children learn about their condition and how to treat it, and a retractable insulin pump tubing. From the complex to the simple, all ideas that address the daily needs of the diabetes patient. [...]
Great Blog With Useful Informatin . Im Grateful To this Kinda Blog Home
[...] on this topic.Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginMeet the Grand Prize winners of the 2009 DiabetesMine Design Challenge, two graduate students who came up with the $10,000 idea for improving life with this [...]