Hypothyroidism Care with Vitara
Vitara is a monitoring system that measures iodine levels, monitors physiological patterns through biosensing, and uses digital twin modeling to help hypothyroidism patients manage their conditions between doctor visits—transforming reactive treatment into continous, personalized care.
B2C
System Design
Ecosystem
Contribution
Persona Development, Competitive Analysis, Interaction Design, Systems Design, Wireframming
Team
Hugh Dubberly, Mentor
Timeline
4 weeks, Spring 2025
I led Vitara’s concept development, transforming chronic disease management through monitoring of triggers.
From research to product vision, I designed a complete ecosystem integrating biosensing, digital twin modeling, and AI agents.
OVERVIEW
Problem
Hypothyroidism patients experience delayed symptom recognition and infrequent testing, struggling to understand how daily choices impact their thyroid function—forcing them into reactive treatment cycles rather than proactive health management.
How Might We?
Help hypothyroidism patients gain continuous visibility into their thyroid health, enabling them to connect lifestyle choices with physiological changes and take control of their wellbeing between doctor visits?
Solution
Vitara is a product-system ecosystem that combines wearable technology and mobile app to provide continuous health insights and guidance for thyroid management.
BACKGROUND
Secondary Research
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland produces insufficient hormones—affecting metabolism and virtually every organ system. Globally, iodine deficiency is the most common cause, while in the US, autoimmune attack (Hashimoto’s) predominates.
Iodine deficiency means the thyroid can’t make enough hormones without sufficient iodine. Autoimmune attack (Hashimoto’s) occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid, damaging its ability to function.
Ultimately excess iodine can trigger or worsen autoimmune attacks by damaging thyroid cells. This makes iodine tracking critical–both too little and too much iodine can cause hypothyroidism.
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Primary Research
Hypothyroidism patients only see their doctors twice a year, yet the condition requires constant attention. In the six months between visits, they're left guessing—unable to track changes, identify triggers, or know if their efforts are working.
Patients with hypothyroidism experience a wide range of symptoms.
weight gain
depression & memory loss
slowed hear rate
fatigue weakness
cold sensitivity
enlarged thyroid gland
muscle weakness
dry skin
constipation
joint pain
elevated blood level
hoarseness
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SOLUTION
Iodine sweat patch
Tracks iodine levels to prevent triggers.
Introducing
Vitara stands for vitality restored—empowering hypothyroidism patients to reclaim their energy and well-being through continuous monitoring and personalized insights.
Smart ring
Monitors health to detect early signs.
Connects data to reveal patterns & predict flares.
Mobile app
EXPERIENCE
How iodine sweat patch works
Tracking iodine levels through sweat analysis
The iodine sweat patch provides weekly measurements of iodine levels, a key biomarker for hypothyroidism management. For Hashimoto's patients, maintaining balanced iodine is critical—too little causes hormone deficiency, while too much can trigger autoimmune flares. The patch detects concerning changes in iodine status weeks before symptoms appear, enabling users to adjust their diet and prevent thyroid dysfunction before the next blood test.
Potential Thyroid Issues
5m ago
Low iodine detected (85 μg/L), this is concerning. Tap for recommendations
Notification
Healthy range
100
165
200
5/18, ‘25
Iodine level
18
MAY
Weekly reminder
Iodine sweat test
Best time
Morning or post light activity
Start Today’s Session
Remind me later
How smart ring works
Tracking sleep quality, body temperature, and heart rate
The smart ring continuously monitors key physiological indicators that reveal thyroid function status: sleep quality, body temperature, and heart rate. In hypothyroidism, declining thyroid function often causes lower basal body temperature, slower heart rate, and poor sleep quality. These daily measurements act as an early warning system—alerting users when their condition may be worsening, weeks or months before the next blood test.
72%
Sleep quality
12:24am
Awake
12m
REM
1h 27m
Light
3h 28m
Deep
39m
6:10am
15%
than yesterday
72 bpm
Heart rate
40
12am
6am
12pm
6pm
100
12/11
12/12
12/13
12/14
12/15
+1.8°F
temperature shift
fever
12/12
(from baseline)
+3.6<
+1.8
+0.9
+0.0
-0.9
-1.8
97.1°F
Body temperature
How Vitara mobile app works
Creating a digital twin for personalized thyroid management
The Vitara app serves as the central hub, synthesizing data from the iodine patch and smart ring to build a digital twin of the user's thyroid function. Using AI-powered analysis, it detects patterns between iodine levels, physiological indicators, and symptom flares. The app provides personalized recommendations for diet, medication timing, and lifestyle adjustments—enabling users to manage their condition proactively between doctor visits and maintain optimal thyroid health.
See what matters most, explore details anytime
Guided testing you don’t have to think about
Get clarity and support when uncertainly arises
NEXT STEPS
Moving forward, Vitara requires clinical validation, regulatory approval, and strategic partnerships to bring this vision to life.
Technology development
Build the MVP and refine AI algorithms for accurate pattern detection and symptom prediction.
Pilot study
Conduct clinical study with Hypothyroidism patients to validate digital twin predictions and refine the user experience.
FDA clearance & healthcare partnerships
Pursue medical device approval to establish clinical credibility, and partner with clinics to integrate Vitara into care workflows.
Thank you
for exploring.
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know more?
Let’s
chat.
© 2025 Sayya Dushanbieva