CPR Lifeline is a device that automates cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Its creators, including alumnus Tazwar Bin Hasan (MechE 2T2+PEY), have been named national runners-up in the 2024 James Dyson Award competition. (image courtesy of Ergonic)
Tazwar Bin Hasan (MechE 2T2+PEY) and his team have earned national runner-up status in the 2024 James Dyson Award competition.
Their invention, CPR Lifeline, is an automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) device designed to be safer and more versatile than current models.
Hasan’s team includes Sadat Anwar, a graduate of University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the same faculty, and industrial designer Mohammad Shadab Naveed, a graduate of Arizona State University.
The three initially became friends in their native Dhaka, Bangladesh, and have met up regularly over the years. During one of these visits, they decided to take a CPR course together.
“We are the sort of people who are always up for a new experience, just to see what we learn from it,” says Hasan.
“In that class, we found out that not many people know how to do proper CPR, and that results in a lot of preventable injury each year. With our backgrounds in engineering and design, we thought that we might be able to create something that could help.
“Naveed found an opportunity to explore this further during his thesis and heavily researched on the best industrial design solution for the device, while Anwar and I researched on the internal mechanisms, fabrication and prototyping. Early this year all our work came to fruition to create the final product that you see.”
The idea of an automated CPR device isn’t completely new, with at least one model already available commercially. But Hasan and his team believed they could improve on the design in terms of versatility and safety.
“Existing models don’t really fit large patients, which is unfortunate as they are the ones most likely to suffer from cardiac arrest,” says Hasan.
“They also cause secondary injuries, such as skin lesions and rib fractures; while injuries are common in CPR in general, these devices can make them more likely.”
In contrast to existing devices, CPR Lifeline uses an adjustable strap, with the device sitting flush against the patient’s chest. Hasan says this makes it more applicable to larger adults.
The team also redesigned the actuator that provides the CPR. Instead of a suction cup, their actuator ends in a flat disk covered in microfibre material, which the team says will reduce injuries.
In building the prototype, Hasan says he drew extensively on skills he learned at U of T Engineering.
“I focused on mechatronics, learning to design and build systems integrating mechanical, electrical and software components. I also got a lot of practical experience during my Professional Experience Year Co-op work term, which included working on automated packaging machines,” he says.
“But most importantly, U of T Engineering taught me how to manage multiple projects simultaneously, how to build teams and assign tasks effectively, and really just how to get stuff done. I learned how to pivot and be quick on my feet, which is really valuable in the work I do now.”
Hasan and Anwar have founded a company, Ergonic, to develop more products of their own design, as well as for clients. Among their creations are a wearable pill reminder, an autonomous fruit picking robot and a digital Rubik’s cube.
“Being a national runner-up in the James Dyson Award competition is a real vote of confidence for the work we do,” says Hasan.
“We’re now looking for investors who can help us take CPR Lifeline the rest of the way toward production. But whether it’s this, or another innovative project that we can help entrepreneurs bring to life, our overall mission remains the same: to design devices and products that make life better for everyone.”
– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on December 13, 2024, by Tyler Irving.
