MediGlove: a diagnosis in next to no time

BESTFORM winners show the new prototype of their medical glove at the Hannover Messe

A diagnostic tool, magic glove, instrument for the laying-on of hands – the “MediGlove” has already had many names in the media. And all of them are somehow correct. With this medical glove, which combines pulse monitor, stethoscope and thermometer, two graduates of the course of study “Integrated Design” of Anhalt University of Applied Sciences have really hit the bullseye. Last summer they won first prize in the state competition BESTFORM. This has set everything in motion for them. At the Hannover Messe 2016, Philipp Rösler and Thomas Kores will now be exhibiting their latest-generation interactive prototype.

There is great interest in this glove that can do so much. In July 2015 the two designers received first prize in the BESTFORM Awards for creative ideas for their “MediGlove”. Back then, they made their project public for the first time. An absolute hit. Industry experts, specialist press, online editorial teams, daily newspapers and radio channels wanted to know what the glove is. “We have been overwhelmed”, says Philipp Rösler, “but we have also noticed that we certainly have to continue working on it.”

The “MediGlove” emerged from a small practical seminar of the Design Faculty at the Anhalt University of Applied Science in Dessau. Back then, the two budding designers were developing a glove with which doctor’s visits could be less stressful. Simply through a laying-on of hands with a method. The duo combined the functions of different medical devices in a glove. Pulse monitor, stethoscope and thermometer could be incorporated in the form of sensors, they thought to themselves. The idea behind this was that in this way the doctor could establish direct contact with the patients in examinations by gestures and touches and obtain the vital data entirely by the way. “The MediGlove has completely different possible applications. The glove could be particularly attractive for nurses and mobile care personnel. A more stress-free examination situation is thus made possible for patients with special needs such as children, and old or disabled people”, says Philipp Rösler. “The MediGlove is a cool piece of gear that can be incorporated into diagnostics like a magic glove.”

They tinkered for several months and considered how to best apply the commonly available technology: “The big advantage is that we are working with natural gestures and all the pieces of data gathered can be placed in context with each other. This is made possible by a digital patient sheet and an intelligent cloud service envisaged in our concept and currently being developed by various service providers. This not only reduces the administrative workload of the doctors considerably, but also allows a better understanding of the vital data.” This approach convinced the jury of the regional competition BESTFORM. It awarded the students and the Stuttgart partner company “mm1 Consulting & Management” the first prize. The jurors were impressed above all by the “human manner of the examination” and praised “the technology that makes it possible to concentrate on the essential”.

The student project is currently in a phase of continual further development. Thomas Kores, born in the city of Halle, and Philipp Rösler from the city of Leipzig could not, however, let go of their idea of turning their invention into a product ready for the market. They were indefatigable in presenting their project, discussing with medics and looking for answers and capable partners for their “MediGlove”. They already founded a start-up company during their course of study in the university city of Dessau, later also receiving the support of professors and employees of their former university – and were thus constantly enlarging their transdisciplinary team.

The BESTFORM prize moneys flowed straight back into the project. Philipp Rösler and Thomas Kores invested the 10,000 Euros in new technology and the construction of the prototype. “Without BESTFORM nothing would be the way it is now”, believe the designers. “The money was important and we also had an incredible amount of publicity.” Sometimes all of this left little time for research. “But hiding away is the wrong thing to do, it is important to communicate what we are doing”, says Thomas Kores. “Nothing at all is possible without attention and networks.”

If they themselves had to make a prognosis for the future, then this is what they would say: “We would like to carry on pushing ahead with our MediGlove and thus achieve our aim of making a more humane examination situation possible for everyone.” At the Hannover Messe, in cooperation with the Anhalt University of Applied Science, the two young entrepreneurs will be exhibiting their new interactive prototype of the “magic glove”.

Author: Manuela Bock
Photo: MediGlove