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2009-03-19T16:05:17-07:00
<p>When Bill and Cathy Schmid’s daughter, Haley, died in her sleep, they wanted answers. They learned that Haley most likely had suffocated in her own exhalations when her tiny arms created an air pocket near her face. Bill, an engineer, was determined to find a way to prevent that from happening to other babies. He invented a mattress that would gently deliver fresh, filtered air to the baby. But the initial design, while functional, was cumbersome and hard to clean. So Bill came to me.</p><p>I’m a mechanical engineer specializing in full product development. I turn clients’ invention ideas into marketable products, using a focused process that has applications to any kind of problem-solving — in business, industry, or life. Here’s how it works:</p><p>1. Define the problem, including a goal.<br /></p><p>2. Establish the top 3 or 4 issues/requirements.<br /></p><p>3. Design with the end in mind.<br /></p><p>4. Avoid inefficient tangents.</p><p>First, we defined the problem: “When a baby’s arms create an air pocket near its head, C02 can suffocate it as it sleeps.” Our goal, then, was to design a crib mattress that prevented C02 buildup around the baby’s head.</p><p>We brainstormed to identify essential requirements:<br /></p><p>• Fresh air to baby<br /></p><p>o Gentle air flow<br /></p><p>o Room temperature<br /></p><p>o Allergen free</p><p>• Safe for baby<br /></p><p>o Fireproof, but no chemical flame retardants<br /></p><p>o Minimal sag tolerance<br /></p><p>o Meets size requirements<br /></p><p>o Sturdy construction</p><p>• Parent friendly<br /></p><p>o Lightweight<br /></p><p>o Easy assembly<br /></p><p>o Easy cleaning</p><p>Now it was my job to engineer the initial design to fit our requirements. In my experience, this is the place where most inventors get stuck. They focus on one criterion at a time, then go on to the next. But, by meeting one criterion in isolation, they often introduce new problems for meeting the rest.</p><p>For example, if we focused only on sturdy construction, we might end up with a 400-pound bed — safe, but not parent friendly. Or, if we focused on easy assembly, we might not meet safety requirements. Part of my job is to keep all the features of the end product in mind at once while I work out the engineering.</p><p>Bill sometimes said, “What if…?” and suggested other features. If it helped meet the criteria, we added it to the design. If not, we put the idea aside. Every change would cost more money and time. And each day the bed was not on the market was another day of risk for the babies Bill hoped to save.</p><p>What was the invention? The Halo Active-Airflow Crib Mattress (https://www.halosleep.com). Thanks to Bill and a simple process, Halo saves lives every day.</p>
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2009-05-31T20:04:22-07:00
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Halo for Haley; A Life Saving Invention Born Through Simple Problem Solving
2010-02-07T21:53:51-08:00
halo-for-haley-a-life-saving-invention-born-through-simple-problem-solving
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