Hydracup

Aquarate

The Hydracup is an automated system that provides precise fluid balance monitoring. Rebecca Taylor founded this company back in 2016, when caring for her grandmother from a distance became a challenge due to the recurrence of dehydration and falls. Rebecca wanted to create a product that not only helps the older generation stay healthy and hydrated but allows nursing staff to track and monitor patient’s fluid intake 24/7.

Rebecca studied at John Moores University in Liverpool, graduating with a degree in product design engineering. The skills and knowledge Rebecca obtained from her degree and previous experience has allowed for an amazing and much needed product to be created within a growing market.

IoT System Solution

The only automated hydration tracking system. No more paper-based records. The purpose of the Hydracup is to track and monitor the fluid intake of patients. This product has not only been created to keep patients’ fluid levels up but to also aid nursing staff and allow for a better quality of care.

The cup itself can detect falls and impacts so if a spillage occurs, the cup will recognise what has happened and it won’t affect the patent’s fluid intake data. Each sip taken is sent to the gateway from the cup in use, and via the gateway then onto the web server. Every cup is connected to a wristband allowing individual taking each sip to be identified.

The cup has a soft sleeping setting, when the cup isn’t in use the soft sleep mode saves battery power so that the battery life is maximised. When fully charged the battery, ideally suited to charging during a person’s normal sleeping routine. If the battery power is running low a red light will come on giving a reminder to charge the battery within the next 24 hours. The Hydracup is commercial dishwasher safe to allow for easy and quick cleaning.

Product Launch

Having demonstrated their IoT solution and completed the initial design for the Aquarate team required a trusted partner to ensure their design was ready for volume product launch, including:

- Regulatory Approvals

- Critical Design Review and Component Shortage Management

- System robustness with frequent use and possible misuse

- Hydracup reliability and accelerated lifetime testing

- Effective manufacturing transfer for volume ramp up

Invent Design Build provided support across all technical disciplines including mechanical, electronic, embedded software and manufacturing process engineering.

- Utilising a proven design review process the electronics/ embedded software and mechanical design were evaluated and a prioritised risk assessment produced.

- Regulatory approvals were obtained for the system through testing and sub-system reports analysed ensuring due diligence in compliance and providing confidence in self-declaration of conformity.

- Accelerated life testing was planned and performed cost effectively through frugal product development techniques and the ingenuity of the IDB team.

- The Hydracup design was updated making it easier to manufacture and ensuring processes were poka-yoke, avoiding possibility of mis-assembly.