Deezen
University graduate from Loughborough University, Peter Astbury, has developed a wristband which is designed to regulate and alleviate hot flushes for menopausal women.
Having noticed a gap in the market for menopausal relief products, Astbury aimed to create a design that would provide women with an effective solution, while also helping to break down ‘cultural taboos’.
His project resulted in the Grace wristband, which uses an integrated cooling system to specifically target hot flushes – one of the main problems experienced during menopause.
“At the onset of a hot flush, the body’s thermoregulatory system is falsely triggered and acts to lose heat. This causes sweating, a rise in heart rate, shortness of breath and a reddening of skin,” the designer said.
“Besides being a deeply uncomfortable experience, this is also embarrassing and inconvenient, striking at any time – day or night.”
The latest fashion accessory
The wristband to is designed to appear as a ‘fashion accessory’, and is decorated with a geometric metal casing and an interchangeable leather strap.
It incorporates three sensors, which are able to detect a hot flush approximately one minute before it becomes apparent to the wearer.
A cooling mechanism is then triggered on the underside of the wrist to replicate the sensation of running your wrists under cold water.
A technique commonly used by women to provide instant relief from flushes, according to Astbury.
Astbury also claims that the wristband offers a less invasive alternative to current menopause treatments available.
The medical side
For example, hormone replacement therapy, which he noted has been linked to breast cancer.
The wristband is aided by an accompanying smartphone app, which gives users a more detailed understanding of their symptoms.
“Syncing with the Grace band, a vast wealth of information is displayed ranging from hot flush intensity to sleep quality.
“This data will enable women to see patterns and trends that previously went unnoticed,” Astbury said.
“The hope is to eventually allow women to anonymously share their data from the app. The output of this could facilitate the largest menopause study to date, highlighting global patterns in relation to age, nationality, lifestyle and more,” he added.
Awards
Grace was one of the projects nominated for the UK edition of the James Dyson Award.
which is open to university-level students and recent graduates in product design, industrial design and engineering.
The award was won by Royal College of Art graduate Ryan Mario Yasin, with his line of expandable children’s clothing that is designed to grow with their wearer.
