There are a lot of things that happen as you age, one of which is something very personal that most people don't like to or won't talk about. Probably the most common one is the concern of bladder control. There are 500 million people worldwide that truly suffer from this issue. DFree was developed to help target those people with this problem. This is mainly the senior population or anyone who has a bladder incontinence condition.
DFree is a small wearable device that has an ultra-sound sensor. Being totally non-invasive, it is placed on the lower abdomen after applying ultra-sound gel and secured with medical tape. Using four ultra-sound probes, it is paired with your phone and tells you how full your bladder is so you can be prepared to find a bathroom if necessary. Through the app, there is a range of 1-10, with 1 being empty and 10 being full. We typically fall between 1 and 10. There is a notification threshold that can be set to a number to let you know how full the bladder is, say 80. When it reaches 50, it will notify you so you can plan on finding a bathroom. It has an analysis function that shows you several things. Some of these are how much urine is accumulated, how often you go to the bathroom, and how much time passes between bathroom visits. Much of this information seems unnecessary to some people, but if you live with this condition, any and all information can be very helpful in coping with the issue.
DFree has a USB port and is easy to charge. The charge lasts for 24 hours, allowing the user to wear it all day. This is available now for $399.99 but that is just for the hardware. There is also a minimal cost for the ultra-sound gel and the medical tape. For more info go to their website.
Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.
Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.