Ultrasound Therapy for Osteoarthritis – Low-Cost Home Physiotherapy Device

Project Overview

This project was developed in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi and IIT Delhi to create a low-cost physiotherapy device for patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis (OA).
The goal was to enable home-based therapy, reducing the need for repeated hospital visits and making treatment more accessible for elderly and working individuals.
Led the new product development, combining medical insights, user needs and industrial design to translate LIPUS therapy into a compact consumer-focused device.
A provisional patent was filed for novel design and usability architecture.

Osteoarthritis leads to progressive cartilage damage, causing chronic knee pain and restricted movement.
Through interaction with orthopaedic specialists, physiotherapists and patients at AIIMS, I mapped the major challenges:

Daily hospital visits are difficult for elderly patients
Long treatment cycles (up to 2 years) make users drop out
Existing devices are expensive and not designed for self-use
There is no reliable home-based LIPUS treatment option

This need analysis formed the foundation of the product requirements — portable, easy-to-use and clinically effective.

Current treatment involves diagnosis, medication, steroid injections or physiotherapy.
However, physiotherapy requires repeated centre visits, making long-term compliance extremely low.
By reviewing existing solutions and market offerings, I identified a clear opportunity:

✅ No affordable home-use device for early to moderate OA
✅ Therapy requires no clinical supervision if made safe and automated
✅ Large user group — middle-aged office goers & elderly

This validated the commercial and clinical potential of a wearable LIPUS knee therapy device.

Using insights from doctors, physiotherapists and patient usability studies, I developed multiple concept sketches and 3D models focusing on:

Compact form factor
Ease of wearing and removal
No assistance needed from another person
Secure contact between probe and knee joint
Adjustable straps for different body types

Ergonomic prototypes were tested with users to validate comfort, mobility and placement

Multiple wearable concepts were designed to hold the ultrasound probe securely against the knee joint while keeping user comfort and mobility intact.
Working with IIT Delhi researchers, we tested LIPUS transducers, frequency settings and thermal safety to confirm that ultrasound therapy could be safely miniaturized.

Key outcomes:

Stable ultrasound coupling with skin
Comfortable fit for different knee sizes
Safety maintained during long-duration therapy

These validated learnings led to the final prototype and provisional patent.

Role & Responsibilities

Led full product development independently — from clinical research, need analysis and user studies at AIIMS to final working prototype.
Designed & engineered the device end-to-end, including concept sketches, 3D CAD, ergonomics for elderly users, and integration of LIPUS module, electronics and battery system.
Conducted technology validation with IIT Delhi, testing ultrasound parameters, safety, heat profiles, and ensuring effective therapy delivery for home use.
Filed a provisional patent for the wearable design and therapy mechanism, after completing prototyping, usability testing, and cost-optimized manufacturing architecture.