Core77

Flotspotting: "Gio," a Better BG meter by Sara Krugman & Eric Forman

By Ray Hu - October 14, 2011

in Flotspotting | Medical

Editor's note: Updated on Wednesday, October 19

About a month ago, we had the pleasure of meeting Brooklyn-based designer, artist and health educator Sara Krugman at Maker Faire, where she eagerly told us about "Gio," the One-Handed Blood Glucose Meter. The project, a collaboration with fellow designer and artist Eric Forman, made it to the semi-finals of the Diabetes Mine 2011 Design Challenge.The Gio is a small, sleek one-handed blood glucose (BG) meter designed to make testing fast and instinctive. It combines existing technologies (meter, lancet device, and lancet/strip drum) in a sleek and portable form that can be used at work, on the street, while exercising, even while walking fast to a late appointment. Displaying BG results only, the Gio offers a radically simple and clean user experience.

The device itself is intuitive and ergonomic, neither over- nor under-designed, and duly unassuming. The "Gio" is so discreet, in fact, that it might be mistaken for something else—an office accessory, candy dispenser or even a toy—such that a user would still be wise to keep it somewhere safe.- On-the-go usability: needs just one hand and no surface
- Fast: 7 second total test time vs. ˜70 seconds with current meters
- Less pain: lancet drum automatically changes lancets
- Compatible with all application and other devices via bluetooth and mini-USB
- Self-contained and durable: no external case needed
- Dual-sided screen for fast testing with either hand
- Clear viewing lens keeps port clean while allowing visibility
- Lancing depth adjustment via intuitive finger pressure
- Fits in your pocket

I can't say that I've had firsthand experience with a BG meter, "small, sleek [and] one-handed" or otherwise, but I can imagine that the "Gio" marks a huge improvement over existing options, especially in a field that's generally underserved by design innovation.

Forman has brought it to my attention that the full project page is online here, and a revised document is online here, though the "Gio" remains "a prototype / design exercise only, and there are no plans to actually build it." He also notes that "Sara and I are both Type 1 diabetics, and started discussing our frustrations with design innovation in that space, which is how the collaboration started."

Similarly, while we tend to highlight pure eye candy in our ongoing Flotspotting posts, Coroflot is home to countless projects that deserve a closer look. Credit to Sara (and Eric) for conceiving the "Gio"—maybe we'll see it in the Core77 Design Awards this year?

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Sara

13 years ago

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Thank you for the responses and feedback. Its great to share.

It is a prototype design concept only at this point, and we are in the process of patenting it. To Davids point, we didn't engineer it yet, we focused more on the design and user interaction. The strip/lancet ring would be disposed of after 12 tests- we haven't tested that yet, because it is a prototype, but the blood gumming up the mechanics will be a problem to solve.

Dannygumballs- good point, size is to be considered, there is a fine line of big enough not to loose and small enough not to be cumbersome. The Gio's size is 2.5" x 4" x 0.5", in the range of current BG meters but does not need a case or separate lancet and strip bottle. I wonder how those extra pieces effects ones ability to keep track of it all, I think it makes it more streamlined and less to keep track of if its all in one.
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Chris

13 years ago

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David has spotted the issue - there is a reason the blood is kept away from the device on a disposable strip!
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ones

13 years ago

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very nice concept...
did you patent this product already?
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David

13 years ago

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Could be nice. Unfortunately the engineering is at best glossed over. I worked on a similar concept of the auto lance and sampling a while back. Excess blood tends to botch the system and getting the sample strip to the same point as the lance isn't simple. I see in their illustration they are using a magically bending sample strip. Good luck.
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dannygumballs

13 years ago

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Very nice concept and design.
As a med device designer, and having designed small portable diagnostic products, I do have some advice for Sara:
Be wary of making the product too small. Understand the balance between discretion of small device, and the availability of a larger one. The users of these product cannot afford to lose the product, either clinically or economically. I'm not suggesting that the product grow, just consider the use of the product the other 99% of it's life not measuring glucose.
Still, very nice.
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Paul Pickard

13 years ago

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when can I get one?
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