Diabetes
Travel Kit
Bachelor Project | 9. Semester
Solidworks, Keyshot, AI (Viscom, Gemini)
6 Months: 3 Research, 1 Concept, 2 Design
Diabetes
Managing insulin-dependent diabetes on the move is physically burdensome, stigmatizing, and deeply fragmented.
Current medical gear forces you to turn a public tray table into an exposed, clinical operating room.
Traveling light is never an option. While others pack just a carry-on, diabetics pack a portable life-support system.
Diabetics don’t pack light, they carry a fragile, stigmatizing pharmacy just to stay safe while on the move.
Rapid sketching helps me test ideas quickly and get them out of my head. Putting rough thoughts on paper makes it easy to compare directions, discuss options with others, and see what actually works before jumping into CAD.
My design process starts with exploring form languages and curating moodboards to define an aesthetic direction. Once the visual tone is set, I move into sketching to translate those cues into concrete product concepts. After that initial setup, the work becomes a steady back and forth between sketching, rough mockups, and constant refinement.
The first idea is rarely the best one. Exploring different form studies in CAD and constantly evaluating what works is a lengthy journey. Finding the right direction usually means leaving dozens of discarded concepts behind, but that iteration is what makes the final design solid.
Visualization is an essential part of the design story. For this case study, I explored AI tools to generate contextual environments, lifestyle scenes, and short motion clips. The physical product remains strictly CAD built and rendered in KeyShot. Generative tools were used purely to build a compelling narrative around the kit.
FLOW mini is a self contained kit designed for complete insulin therapy on the go. Instead of relying on unnecessary smart features or digital gimmicks, it is built around long standing and proven mechanics. The result is a safe, dependable companion that prioritizes pure reliability when you are away from home.
Blood glucose monitoring
Blood glucose monitoring is the indispensable first step in every insulin therapy routine. In conventional setups, testing blood sugar requires up to fifteen individual actions, from unpacking sterile lancets and handling loose strips to manual blood application. This fragmented sequence makes testing on the go slow, cumbersome, and prone to handling errors.
FLOW mini condenses this entire testing procedure into a single seamless interaction. Both the sterile lancets and test strips are integrated into an internal magazine that only needs replacement every sixteen measurements. To test, users simply place their finger into the ergonomic recess, allowing the device to automatically prick the skin and measure blood glucose in one fluid step.
The pen deliberately breaks away from clinical syringe aesthetics, taking inspiration from modern consumer technology instead. Its flattened, softly rounded profile improves grip ergonomics and prevents the pen from rolling off flat surfaces.
A central innovation is the high contrast digital display. Both high and low blood sugar levels regularly cause acute blurred vision, turning tiny mechanical dose windows into a major safety hazard and leading to frequent dosing errors.
Users reload the pen themselves using standard insulin cartridges and single use needles. Instead of locking patients into proprietary disposables, the system builds directly on the familiar mechanical workflow they already know.
Streamlined for Daily Life
Everything needed for insulin therapy now lives in one unified product. By organizing insulin vials, prep wipes, fresh needles, and the automated testing magazine together, FLOW mini cuts out repetitive handling steps. The integrated magazine system eliminates the awkward juggling of tiny parts, giving users confidence and comfort on the go.
FLOW max introduces an integrated approach to modern diabetes care. By combining continuous wearable glucose monitoring with a streamlined insulin pump, the system automates therapy on the go while keeping production practical and economically accessible.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Continuous glucose monitors are an established standard in modern diabetes care. While the sensor itself is remarkably compact, conventional single use applicators create massive packaging waste. FLOW redesigns this process by cleanly separating single use hygiene components from the mechanical insertion tool. Sterile elements like the needle and adhesive patch remain strictly disposable, while the mechanical applicator becomes a durable, reusable companion.
This separation of parts enables a shared mechanical architecture across multiple devices. Both the glucose sensor and the insulin pump infusion set use the exact same insertion tool. Relying on one universal applicator for two different products eliminates redundant hardware and drastically reduces the gear you need to pack.
Rather than creating another disposable patch pump, this design miniaturizes a traditional reusable insulin pump down to pocket size. The key advantage lies in how it loads: the pump accepts standard insulin cartridges straight from ordinary pens. Users skip the messy, high friction routine of manually transferring insulin with syringes.
The screenless pump connects directly to the CGM to automate insulin delivery quietly in the background. Tactile buttons allow quick manual dosing, while the dedicated sport strap keeps the lightweight unit secure during active travel.
A simple swap is all it takes to reload, keeping daily maintenance fast and clean. This fundamentally changes how approachable and effortless insulin pumps can be to live with.
Smart Therapy on the Move
FLOW max turns automated insulin management into a durable, pocketable companion that cuts down hardware redundancy and keeps daily care effortless. By pairing a reusable applicator with a pump that runs on standard pen cartridges, the system drastically reduces luggage bulk and eliminates single use clutter, creating a streamlined and truly packable travel experience.
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