Remedi

Remedi demonstrates a highly professional and methodical design process, effectively addressing the challenge of improving peadiatric medication adherence through user-focused innovation. The project followed a structured user-centered design approach, beginning with research that identified 95% of children aged 12-18 fail to complete regular medication and antibiotic treatments due to pain, discomfort, and poor time management.

Early user interviews and stakeholder engagement ensured that design decisions were based on real-world needs, rather than assumptions. An iterative development process involved form prototyping, mechanism testing, and refinement based on continual feedback. Despite university capstone constraints of limited budget and timeframes, the project maintained professional standards through systematic validation processes. Finite element analysis (FEA) ensured structural integrity, while design for manufacture (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) validated commercial viability, and cost analysis confirmed economic feasibility, allowing the project to progress from concept sketches to manufacture-ready CAD models. While the original brief focused on improving medication adherence, Remedi exceeded expectations by simultaneously addressing multiple challenges: eliminating pain through 0.25mm microneedles, ensuring precision via optical sensors and linear actuators, incorporating sustainability through modular design, and creating scalability for varied treatments and patient needs.

The final wearable design integrates advanced technologies into a compact 20x60x45mm form. Key features include an innovative push-valve system within the microneedle array that ensures sterile, fluid-tight delivery, with a snap-on mechanism to enable easy component replacement without complex procedures, replaceable reservoirs and microneedle arrays to reduce waste, LED indicators for user feedback, and ingress protection to prevent contamination.  The design process culminated in a functional test bench prototype, validating core mechanisms, while manufacture-ready CAD files demonstrate commercial readiness. This progression from concept to implementable solution showcases a robust and professional design methodology that transforms research insights into tangible healthcare innovation, establishing new benchmarks for medical device development.

Remedi addresses a critical global health crisis where 95% of children aged 12-18 fail to complete medication treatments, directly contributing to antibiotic resistance. This innovative wearable device exceeds fundamental design criteria through its integration of functionality, accessibility, and sustainability.

The device delivers precise 10mL doses over 48 hours using 0.25mm microneedles with optical sensor monitoring and linear actuator control, while ingress-protected electronics prevent contamination and sterile, replaceable components ensure clinical safety. LED error signaling provides real-time feedback, maintaining clinical precision throughout treatment. Remedi transforms peadiatric medication adherence by eliminating pain, discomfort, and complex routines that currently provide barriers to effective peadiatric treatment, with its discreet, wearable design to allow children to maintain normal activities at home and school.

The intuitive snap-on and bite valve mechanism for microneedle component replacement requires no complex steps, making it accessible to young users and caregivers, while the pull tab reservoir with spring loading allows for easy removal and re-insertion. Remedis circular economy approach features reusable electronics housing with replaceable reservoirs and microneedle arrays, significantly reducing medical and electronic waste. This modular design makes it cost-effective while addressing environmental concerns in healthcare. The design process incorporated early research and user interviews, creating a child-friendly solution that addresses both physical and emotional barriers to treatment. Visual decals assist with proper usage, while the optional outer protective sleeve accommodates active lifestyles.

Remedi sets new standards by combining cutting-edge microneedle technology with empathetic design thinking. Its scalability potential extends beyond pediatrics to aged care and disability support, demonstrating how Australian design can address global healthcare challenges. The project validates feasibility through cost analysis, finite element analysis, and design for manufacturing, establishing a replicable model for innovative medical device development that positions Australia as a leader in compassionate healthcare design internationally.

Unlike traditional approaches focusing on education or reminder systems, Remedi eliminates human compliance factors by automating medication delivery. Remedi is a compact, wearable device that delivers antibiotics to children using a novel combination of components designed for comfort, usability, and sustainability. Remedis linearly actuated drive system precisely controls the delivery of medication through a minimally invasive microneedle array, enabling minimally invasive subcutaneous delivery of liquid medication, over a 48-hour period.

This actuator is embedded within the reusable device body and activates automatically, eliminating the need for user intervention and ensuring consistent dosing. Remedis modular architecture creates unprecedented adaptability, allowing the same platform to accommodate different medications, dosages, and patient populations.

The essence of Remedi is the replaceable medication reservoir and microneedles. The reservoir is a sterile, sealed capsule that stores up to 48 hours of liquid medications, like antibiotics. It features an internal rubber piston that is engaged by a push rod housed within the reusable electronics unit, ensuring that the rod never comes into contact with the medication. After 48-hours, the rod retracts, allowing the empty reservoir to be quickly and hygienically removed via a spring-loaded release mechanism in the housing. The microneedle array backing plate integrates sixteen 0.25mm microneedles with optical sensors to provide virtually pain-free delivery. On assembly, the microneedle plate geometry actuates a bite valve style seal, embedded within the reservoir’s outlet, to provide leak-proof flow control and ensure that medication is only released when pressure from the actuator is applied, enhancing both sterility and safety during transport and use.

Remedi adheres to the body with a medical-grade pressure-sensitive adhesive, allowing secure placement on the arm, abdomen, and thigh. To accommodate childrens active lifestyles, an optional protective outer sleeve fits over the device and fastens around the arm with an adjustable strap, offering additional support.

Remedi delivers meaningful and long-lasting impact across social, environmental, and commercial domains, showcasing the value of professional design investment and reinforcing Victoria’s reputation as a leader in healthcare innovation. From a social perspective, Remedi addresses the global challenge of a 95% treatment failure rate in peadiatric medication adherence. By delivering medication through an automated, wearble, minimally invasive, it allows children with chronic conditions to maintain normal lives at home and school, reducing psychological barriers associated with traditional medical treatments. Its scalability to aged-care and disability sectors multiplies social benefits, promoting dignity and independence for vulnerable populations.

Environmentally, Remedi embraces circular economy principles through its modular design. A reusable electronics housing works with replaceable, sterile reservoirs and microneedle backing plates, significantly reducing waste compared to conventional single-use syringes and packaging. While the rechargeable battery eliminates the need for electronic disposables. This sustainable approach addresses healthcares significant environmental footprint while proving that advanced medical technology can be environmentally responsible without compromising clinical efficacy. The sealed sterile reservoir design prevents contamination, expanding market potential beyond peadiatrics and antibiotics, into chronic disease management, aged care, and disability support. The modular system enables pharmaceutical partnerships and recurring revenue models, establishing a commercially sustainable healthcare solution.

This university capstone project demonstrates professional design processes by utilising user research, iterative prototyping, finite element analysis, and design for manufacture and assembly considerations. The comprehensive approach from concept to manufacture-ready CAD showcases Victorias capability to compete internationally in medical device innovation.  By responding to emotional and technical needs, Remedi exemplifies empathetic healthcare design, and highlights the power of design to solve real-world problems, elevating Victoria’s creative reputation

Designing out waste is the key to Remedis modular design. While traditional automated drug delivery devices are often single-use, or highly specialised to specific medications, and manual delivery methods rely on disposable syringes, vials, and blister packs. Remedi replaces this with its innovative modular system where only consumable components (reservoir and microneedle arrays) require replacement every 48 hours. The core electronics housing, containing the most resource-intensive components including sensors, actuators, and control systems, remains reusable throughout the devices lifecycle, dramatically reducing electronic waste.

The design separates high-impact electronic components from disposable elements. Electronic housing components can be refurbished or recycled through established e-waste channels, while sterile consumables follow medical waste protocols. This separation prevents valuable electronics from contaminating medical waste streams. Beyond individual device sustainability, Remedi establishes a new way to design medical devices, where performance enhancement aligns with environmental responsibility. The devices adaptability to multiple medications creates economy of scale benefits, while the reusable architecture proves that advanced healthcare technology can operate within circular economy principles without compromising clinical efficacy or patient safety.