CannonDesign and Blue Cottage partner with University of Michigan to develop smart CPR device that aims to restart more hearts

Backed by a $5.5 million grant, the University of Michigan Medical School’s Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation is developing INSIGHT-CPR, a first-of-its-kind AI-powered point-of-care wearable sensor that helps rescuers personalize CPR in real time. We’re bringing expertise in design thinking, ethnography, medical technology implementation and go-to-market strategy to help make the life-saving device intuitive and ready for real-world impact. 

Each year, more than 350,000 people in the U.S. experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Survival often hinges on the effectiveness of resuscitation efforts, yet responders today have limited tools to know whether their methods are working in real time. INSIGHT-CPR has the potential to change that and allow CPR providers to alter their approach based on real-time individualized feedback on effectiveness of perfusion during chest compressions. 

Developed by a global team led by Cindy Hsu, MD, PhD, MS, of the Division of Critical Care in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Michigan Medicine, the device uses a non-invasive wearable sensor, worn on the wrist or finger, to transmit real-time data on diastolic blood pressure (DBP), a key indicator of effective CPR. With the aid of an embedded neural network, the device provides rescuers with immediate feedback, allowing them to tailor techniques to each patient and dramatically improve outcomes. 

Ben Bassin, MD, an Innovation Fellow at Blue Cottage of CannonDesign and the Director of Innovation and Technology and faculty member in the Division of Critical Care in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Michigan Medicine, is serving as a Co-Investigator on the project. Additional CannonDesign and Blue Cottage contributors include Juliet Rogers, PhD, MPH, MAPL, Aaron Call, Kimberly Silver and Christine Kiefer. 

In addition to Michigan Medicine, other organizations contributing to this project include the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the UK. 

“This effort really gets to the core of our ambitions at CannonDesign as we continue to expand our impact to include not only the built environment but how care is delivered through devices, experiences, processes and technology that can save lives,” said Aaron Call, CannonDesign's Executive Director of Incubate & Launch. “INSIGHT-CPR is set to be a catalyst for countless life-saving moments. Saying we’re proud to be a part of the project is an understatement.”

With funding secured, Dr. Hsu and her team will now develop prototypes to test defibrillation compatibility, validate DBP detection accuracy during CPR and compare INSIGHT-CPR’s DBP-guided strategy to current advanced life support protocols. 

Our firm’s involvement in INSIGHT-CPR is a powerful example of how we’re applying Living-Centered Design in new ways that shape everyday life, through new partnerships, products, offerings and more. “We’re not limited by the traditional role of a design firm," adds Aaron. “We see pressing challenges and step in where we know we can make a difference. Our vision is to deliver lasting impact, across every dimension.”