Portable device for epileptic seizures to 'promote independence' wins US Dyson Award

Record ID: 1433028

  • Title: Portable device for epileptic seizures to 'promote independence' wins US Dyson Award
  • Date: 19th September 2019
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES DYSON AWARD U.S. NATIONAL WINNER 2019, UMA SMITH, SAYING: "It's supposed to promote independence. The thing is, after like my fourth seizure, I started being like, because I had three of them in college, I started being like pretty scared to go out by myself and I was always on the lookout for a safe space which I was like, well this is not the way I should be living my life. At which point, I decided, OK I should design Cocoon."
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2019 22:03
  • Keywords: Uma Smith epilepsy Cocoon James Dyson Foundation epileptic seizures James Dyson Award U.S. National Winner 2019
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON, MEXICO / CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON, MEXICO / CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA005AXBO8KB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: An epileptic and a recent graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York has invented a portable first aid kit for people with epilepsy that she hopes will empower those suffering from seizures to live without fear.
    "It's supposed to promote independence," said Cocoon inventor Uma Smith. "The thing is, after like my fourth seizure, because I had three of them in college, I started being pretty scared to go out by myself and I was always on the lookout for a safe space which I was like, well this is not the way I should be living my life. At which point, I decided, OK I should design Cocoon."
    Smith was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 11 years old. She remembers her first major seizure when she was 12 when she dropped to the ground and lost control of her body. She felt completely helpless. She decided to do something about it.
    Forty prototypes later, Cocoon was born. Smith made her two-in-one device because current head protection gear such as clunky helmets and anti-suffocation pillows don't have alert systems. "There's this kind of like, headgear and there's smart watches that you can wear to protect you and to inform caretakers when you're about to have a seizure," said Smith. "But sometimes that isn't the most viable solution because a caretaker may not always be able to come in time and headgear is a fairly intrusive thing to wear every single day. So I wanted to create something that was a middle ground between those two products and fit that necessary gap in the market."
    Cocoon works when epileptics experience "auras" at the beginning of a seizure. Auras are usually visual - such as seeing flashes of light or blind spots. They can also include problems like tingling sensations or numbness, or difficulty speaking or understanding language.
    Once Cocoon is opened after undergoing an aura, epileptics lie on their side and slide the device over their head. When the device is opened, it alerts caretakers of where they are. And if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, which is when seizures cause neurological damage according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cocoon calls an ambulance.
    First-aid instructions are printed on the pillow as well, so that bystanders know how to care for the person having the seizure.
    At least 3.4 million people in the United States suffer from epilepsy, according to the CDC. The seizures stem from abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
    Cocoon is the national winner of the 2019 James Dyson Award. Smith's invention received $2,500 and advances to the international round of the competition. The final winner of the 2019 James Dyson Award will be announced Nov. 14.
    More information can be found at jamesdysonaward.org and jamesdysonfoundation.com.
    (Production: Soren Larson, Roselle Chen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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