Our target customers primarily consist of baby boomers, a generation born between 1946 and 1964 (Clarke, 2024). This group typically resides in suburban areas, where traditional family values are deeply ingrained in their mindset. Baby boomers are not only economically and politically influential but also represent the longest-living generation in history. However, their advanced age makes them susceptible to a significant number of health issues.
(Edward, 2018)
Health care providers and administrators must closely examine how expenses are managed within the healthcare system to discover innovative ways to keep health care accessible and affordable for baby boomers and the generations that follow. This includes taking essential actions such as expanding preventive care, improving chronic disease management, and optimizing resource allocation (ntinow, 2023). By 2020, the wave of retiring baby boomers began to increasingly strain Medicare and Medicaid costs. Although this generation is living longer, they are experiencing higher rates of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension.
In addition to baby boomers, individuals aged 65 and older, particularly women, are at a heightened risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Reaching age 65 is significant for society, marking the threshold of a hyper-aged society. According to the Taiwanese government, in 2018, over 14% of Taiwan's population was classified as hyper-aged, and by 2025, this figure is projected to rise to a startling 18% (NDC, 2020). Among the aging population, women are disproportionately affected by CVDs, with higher mortality rates and poorer prognosis compared to men. This discrepancy is closely linked to factors such as pregnancy and sex hormones. However, it is important to note that men are not immune to CVDs; they too are impacted by elevated blood pressure, overweight and obesity, and high cholesterol, though the prevalence is relatively lower compared to women (Appelman 2015).
(American Heart Association, 2023）
Expanding on these points, it is crucial to consider the broader implications of an aging population on healthcare systems worldwide. The growing prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults demands a shift toward more sustainable and patient-centered healthcare models. Preventative measures, early detection, and personalized treatment plans will be key in addressing the unique health challenges faced by aging individuals. Furthermore, as the population continues to age, the burden on healthcare infrastructure, insurance systems, and caregivers will likely increase, necessitating a proactive approach to healthcare policy and planning.
In addition to the previously mentioned factors, obesity significantly elevates the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) due to the direct relationship between excessive body fat and fat accumulation in the bloodstream. Obesity contributes to a range of metabolic and structural changes in the cardiovascular system, exacerbating the likelihood of heart-related conditions.
As the American Heart Association notes, “Beyond an unfavorable risk factor profile, overweight and obesity also affect heart structure and function” (Poirier). This statement highlights the profound impact that obesity has not just on risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance, but also on the physical state of the heart itself. Obesity can lead to an increase in the size of the heart's chambers, thickening of the heart muscle, and overall cardiac dysfunction, which further predisposes individuals to CVDs.
Moreover, fat accumulation throughout the body, particularly visceral fat that surrounds internal organs, contributes to chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, both of which are closely linked to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and other cardiovascular issues. This chronic state of inflammation can damage the inner walls of arteries, making it easier for fatty deposits to build up and form plaques, which can ultimately lead to blockages, heart attacks, and strokes.
These mechanisms help explain why obese individuals are at a higher risk for CVDs compared to the elderly population, who may also be at risk due to age-related factors but do not typically experience the same level of fat-induced cardiovascular strain. The combination of obesity-related risk factors and their direct impact on heart structure and function underscores the critical need for managing obesity to prevent the onset of CVDs.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease has been a primary cause of death, about 17.9 million people are killed each year. That number is approximately 33% of the deaths globally, indicating the seriousness of cardiovascular disease all over the world. More than four out of five CVDs deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age. In The United States as an example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated that one person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease, which is equivalent to 1 out of every 5 deaths. The demographic allocation for the disease itself, Black (Non-Hispanic) people being at the top percent of death annually possibly because of the culure’s high salt and sugar diet. On the other hand, during 2023 in Taiwan, approximately 2.3 million people died from cardiovascular disease. Every 22 minutes on Earth, one person passes away in Taiwan, and that is the primary reason cardiovascular disease has always been at the top of Taiwan's deadliest disease ranking.
(NDC, 2020)
When considering the psychographics and behaviors of customers who are likely to purchase our product, several key factors come into play. These individuals often exhibit specific dietary habits, emotional tendencies, and lifestyle choices that contribute to their health concerns, particularly those related to cardiovascular disease.
Many potential customers for the cardiovascular health supplements tend to consume high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, often in the form of snacks. This pattern of eating is commonly linked to a lifestyle that prioritizes convenience and instant gratification over nutritional balance. Such individuals may struggle with emotional eating, turning to food as a way to cope with stress, sadness, or anxiety. This behavior can lead to overeating, particularly of unhealthy foods, which further exacerbates health issues such as obesity and cardiovascular disease.
(GVR, 2020)
Cultural norms, particularly in the United States, play a significant role in shaping these behaviors. There is often a lack of awareness about proper nutritional health, leading to poor dietary choices that prioritize taste and convenience over long-term health. This is compounded by the fast-paced lifestyle of many consumers, who are either too busy or lack the knowledge to cook healthy meals at home. As a result, frequent eating out becomes a norm, where the choices are often limited to high-calorie, nutrient-poor options.
In terms of values, this customer group may not prioritize nutritional health due to either a lack of knowledge or cultural norms that do not emphasize the importance of diet in maintaining cardiovascular health. They may value convenience and taste more than the long-term benefits of a healthy diet, which leads to sustained patterns of unhealthy eating.
Their lifestyle choices also reflect a predisposition to health issues that lumbrokinase is designed to address. Limited physical activity, coupled with extensive screen time and long hours of sitting, contributes to a sedentary lifestyle that further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This lifestyle is often driven by work or personal habits that require extended periods of inactivity, such as desk jobs or a preference for screen-based entertainment. Additionally, a limited budget may push these individuals toward fast food as a primary source of sustenance, further embedding unhealthy eating habits in their daily routine.
Overall, the psychographics and behaviors of lumbrokinase customers are characterized by a pattern of unhealthy eating, emotional responses to food, and a lifestyle that contributes to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. These factors create a target market that is likely to seek out products like lumbrokinase to mitigate the health risks associated with their dietary and lifestyle choices.
For customers who are considering purchasing cardiovascular health supplements such as lumbrokinase (LK), the decision is often driven by a range of significant pain points and needs, particularly those related to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). One of the most pressing challenges these individuals face is the increased risk of CVDs. Many potential LK users are grappling with conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which heighten their susceptibility to serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. This elevated risk is a source of constant worries, leading them to seek effective solutions that can help them manage their cardiovascular health proactively. LK is applicable peritoneal wound healing. Throughout the wound healing process, peritoneal thickness is reduced because of the early recovery of fibrinolytic activity by lumbrokinase.This finding demonstrated the beneficial effect of lumbrokinase on wound healing in the peritoneum, which is a form of cardiovascular disease (Kim, 2023).
Therefore, customers considering lumbrokinase (LK) supplements are often driven by the need to address cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risks. Many face health challenges such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, increasing their vulnerability to serious conditions like heart attacks and strokes. LK is attractive for its ability to improve blood circulation and reduce blood clot risks, offering a proactive solution for heart health. In addition to physical concerns, these individuals often experience stress and anxiety about CVDs, with LK providing peace of mind by lowering risks. Social discrimination, particularly towards the obese, further isolates those at risk of CVDs, making LK’s non-invasive, discreet nature appealing as it allows individuals to take control of their health without fear of judgment. Financial burdens related to managing CVDs are also significant, with LK potentially offering a cost-effective preventive measure that could reduce dependence on expensive treatments. Lastly, mobility issues, especially for obese individuals, can worsen health conditions, but LK may help by improving circulation, enabling more active and fulfilling lives. Overall, LK addresses key physical, emotional, social, and financial needs of its users.
(DHR, 2021)
Market these days focused on personalized and preventive healthcare and alternative healthcare solutions. As statistics have shown, there is approximately 8.5% of the increase in demand for natural and alternative healthcare solutions. The supplement itself has shown promising results of treating various cardiovascular and circulatory-related conditions, such as deep vein thrombosis, ischemic stroke, and peripheral artery disease. The global market of the Lumbrokinase Supplement is foreseen as a potential aspect of development of compound annual growth. As the market is characterized by different stakeholders including the Boluoke, Yunnan Baiyao Group, and NOW Foods. These modern lifestyles helped create an existing market gap, presenting to a competitive and dynamic market environment. Combining with the innovative breakthroughs of modern technology, advancements in extraction and purification techniques have helped to improve the overall quality and efficiency of the supplement, making more and more healthcare professions and consumers engaged in the market trend, North America and Europe being the most involved.
When segmenting the target audience for lumbrokinase (LK), several distinct groups or niches emerge, each with specific needs and characteristics that make them likely candidates for the product.The weight loss community consists of individuals who are actively engaged in losing weight, often due to obesity—a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Members of weight loss communities are health-conscious and continuously seek out products that can support their weight management goals and improve overall health. LK appeals to them by offering a solution that can potentially reduce the cardiovascular risks associated with obesity, making it a valuable addition to their health regimen.
- Individuals managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol are another critical segment. These customers are often burdened with managing multiple health issues simultaneously, which increases their risk of developing CVDs. They are likely to be interested in LK as part of a comprehensive approach to managing their health, as it offers the potential to improve blood flow and reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular complications, thereby helping them better control their chronic conditions.
- Active seniors, or elders who are invested in maintaining and boosting their health, represent a growing market. These individuals are proactive about their health and are often involved in regular physical activities, seeking out supplements that can enhance their well-being and longevity. LK fits well within this segment, offering them a way to support cardiovascular health as they age, which aligns with their goal of staying active and healthy.
- Senior social clubs consist of older adults who regularly engage in social activities and value maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This group often shares health tips and recommendations among peers, making them an influential niche within the elder community. LK can be an attractive option for this segment, as it offers a preventive measure against CVDs, a common concern among seniors, thereby supporting their collective interest in health and wellness.
- Individuals with a family history of heart disease form a niche that is particularly concerned with preventing cardiovascular issues. These customers are often vigilant about monitoring their heart health and are more likely to seek out supplements that can provide additional protection against the genetic predispositions they face. LK is particularly relevant for this group, as it offers a potential means of reducing their risk of developing heart disease, which is a priority given their hereditary risks.
Each of these segments represents a unique group within the broader market, with specific motivations and needs that lumbrokinase can address, making it an appealing choice for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.
Lumbrokinase (LK) offers several practical benefits for customers, particularly those at risk for or managing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). One of the primary advantages of LK is its ability to break down blood clots, which is crucial for individuals prone to conditions like deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. By targeting and dissolving these clots, LK helps prevent potentially life-threatening blockages in the blood vessels, reducing the risk of serious complications.
In addition to its clot-dissolving properties, LK plays a significant role in reducing the risk of thrombosis. Thrombosis, the formation of blood clots within blood vessels, can lead to heart attacks or strokes if left unchecked. LK’s enzymatic activity helps keep blood vessels clear by dissolving the fibrin, thereby minimizing the likelihood of clot formation and offering peace of mind to those concerned about cardiovascular events.
Improved blood flow is another key benefit of LK. By enhancing circulation, LK ensures that oxygen and nutrients are efficiently delivered to tissues throughout the body, promoting overall cardiovascular health. This improved blood flow can also alleviate symptoms like cold extremities or fatigue, which are common in individuals with poor circulation.
Moreover, LK contributes to the reduction of inflammation, a common underlying factor in many cardiovascular conditions. Chronic inflammation can damage blood vessels and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, where arteries become narrowed and hardened due to plaque buildup. By reducing inflammation, LK helps protect the integrity of blood vessels, supporting long-term heart health.
For those managing the aftermath of a stroke, LK can be particularly beneficial in stroke management. By preventing the formation of new clots and improving blood flow, LK aids in recovery and reduces the risk of subsequent strokes. This can be a critical factor in regaining and maintaining quality of life post-stroke, offering patients a valuable tool in their ongoing health management.
In summary, the practical effects of LK on customers are substantial, providing essential support in breaking down blood clots, reducing the risk of thrombosis, improving blood flow, reducing inflammation, and aiding in stroke management. These benefits make LK a powerful supplement for individuals looking to enhance their cardiovascular health and mitigate the risks associated with CVDs.
As far as we know about lumbrokinase (LK), it is an extraction from the earthworm that we are consuming to dissolve blood clots, but what exactly are we using within the worms? The answer for this origin from National Library of Medicine which states that LK are a group of enzymes that were isolated and purified from different species of earthworms, which in this case means we have a use a lot of live earthworms, purified and dry them to get the ideal substance that we want. To get into detail, the earthworms were ground up into powders in order to do its function.
E.coli can’t directly be consumed within our body. Conventional methods of LK extraction and purification from earthworm are complicated and time consuming. The process consists of multiple steps that include ammonium sulfate precipitation and filtration, ion exchange chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and affinity chromatography (Cooper et al.). Thus making the drug inhumane, inefficient, and ineffective. Inhumane because it requires a lot of worms to be able to make a small portion of drug, inefficient because the industrialization and purification process consumes too much time, and ineffective because only 10% of the drug was the extraction of lumbrokinase. Speaking of dealing with these issues, the version one of our team, which consists of multiple teachers and seniors came up with the idea of using E.coli to clone the part that we want and copy a lot of those, therefore making the industrialization process more humane, however the problem exist in front of us. E.coli is a gene modified organism (GMO) and when will the E.coli start making the lumbrokinase that we wanted within our body? The answer for both questions is that version two, Digiworm, created a smart brace to contain the E.coli. Our smart brace is able to contain the organisms and be activated when we want using a colorimetric sensor. By making these adjustments, we have created a whole new market for the consumers to think about buying, and ensure a more viable outcome throughout the process of making lumbrokinase as well as guaranteeing its maximized benefits for the patients.
The device first starts with using the blood glucose meter, after the patient uses the meter to pierce through their finger, they are able to receive the value that they get for their glucose level. The level will be sent and recorded in the phone app of the patients’ phone. When the patient opens the app, they would be able to see the value that they get. If the value remains at a safe range, then the app would not request the patient to activate the e.coli to release lumbrokinase. However, if the value is in a dangerous realm, then the app would suggest the patient to activate the E.coli and put their brace within their mouth when they are sleeping. The lumbrokinase will be consumed when the patient is asleep and is able to properly dissolve blood clots by all of its means.
The brace itself is the biggest highlight of our product since it is a very convenient and user-friendly way for our target customer. For example, for the elders who often forget to consume their supplements or medicines on time this can help ensure the drug is delivered on time whenever the patient needs it. Moreover, it only needs a few simple moves to do its thing since they will just need to open the app, look at their values, and sometimes when the value is out of range, they would just need to press yes/no when the app pops out the selection button. On the other hand, it is a more accurate way to record our own health data. By just going through the app, you are able to see your past data to know whether the patients’ health has improved or not. The app functions as a long term database to secure patients’ health at the highest level. Those data can also be managed and best for the doctor or researchers to analyze them more. In comparison to other lumbrokinase manufacturers, they do not have an app to help the patients to eat lumbrokinase at the right and accurate time. Patients can only listen to the doctor’s suggestions and eat them regularly even if they do not need the supplement at all. Also, as we just mentioned above, the supplement itself can’t not be consumed on time if the patients forget to consume them. Leading to a potential side-effect or death that can happen overnight if the supplement itself isn’t consumed. These problems mentioned are just how our product stands out in the market.
Fig.7 Elementary student course
Our product is unique in three aspects, the smart brace, biosensor which includes an universal platform and hybridization chain reaction.
The smart brace is controlled by the colorimetric sensor that helps activate the E.coli within the brace. After the lumbrokinase is produced, it will diffuse through the brace using the mechanism of have different molecular mass to prevent E.coli to leak out (lumbrokinase is a product of E.coli so it is reason that lumbrokinase has smaller molecular mass in comparison to E.coli). In addition, the universal platform used in detecting whether the patient has the risk of cardiovascular disease or not was by facilitating different biomarkers.
However, if we would like to change another biomarker for further insurance, then our product offers a universal platform to do just that and this helps with enhancing the product’s accuracy over the long term by keeping it upgraded.
Alternatively, the hybridization chain reaction is another highlight of our project since when it is compared to the traditional polymerase chain reaction, it is an isothermal reaction, which means it does not require a lot of energy to facilitate its function. It helps being energy efficient at one end and reducing our cost on the other.
With the partnership that we have established along the way, we have collaborated with the Department of National Taiwan University Biochemical Science and Technology (NTU BST) and National Taiwan University Biotechnology Research Center.
Together, they have lended their labs to us and provided us with the opportunity to interview with the professors at NTU BST and they have provided us with the insights that helped with the enhancement of our product as a whole.
We have also interviewed with different experts such as Weng-Ping Deng professor at the Taipei Medical University and the experts at the 3D global biotechnology company. They have verified the possibility of the implementation of putting E.coli within the smart brace.
On the other hand, the weakness of our product is shown through the diffusion system within the brace. It is a highly complex thing to do especially by poking a hole within the brace and at the same time the brace needs to be individualized since every person has a different teeth alignment. Other than the upcoming challenge, we posed the opportunity to catch up with the upcoming trend with the super-aged society. With more and more people, especially the baby boomers, becoming a part of the age 65 group will encounter more risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease. Other than that, the food that our society provides has become more refined than ever, making the overall trend of obesity reaching a high point. In the future, if there were advancement in technology about braces then it could possibly help our product as a whole to upgrade and make it more popularize. Potential threats that our product could face originate from the genetically modified organism (GMO) issue and the possibility of really bringing the smart brace into a reality.
For the two events, iGEM and TGEM we have managed to design products such as T-shirts, umbrellas, water bottles, cap, canvas bag, and folder. Product Overview
