As everyone knows, scratching at chronically itchy skin only makes the problem worse. A new device is claimed to help stop dermatitis patients from doing so while they sleep, without waking them up in the process.
Manufactured by Chicago medical tech company Sibel Health, the ADAM (ADvanced Acoustic-Mechanic) sensor incorporates electronics such as a microprocessor, haptic feedback motor, Bluetooth module, IMU (inertial measurement unit) and a rechargeable battery.
All of these components are packed inside a watertight, medical-grade silicone shell, which is temporarily attached to the back of the patient's dominant hand via a hypoallergenic, waterproof adhesive.
Here's how the device works …
An AI-based algorithm running on ADAM's microprocessor analyzes readings detected by the IMU in real time, identifying the telltale hand movements associated with scratching. That data is transmitted to a nearby computer or smartphone, where it's recorded for subsequent perusal by a physician.
Additionally, when scratching is detected, the haptic feedback motor is activated.
This causes it to vibrate, apparently making the wearer aware of their problematic behavior without actually waking them. Sibel CEO Steve Xu tells us that the technology was inspired by the NightWare system, in which an Apple Watch vibrates to disrupt PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)-related nightmares without disrupting sleep.
In a small-scale test of ADAM, the sensor was used every night by a total of 10 adult sufferers of atopic dermatitis, over a 14-day period.
For the first seven nights, the motor was disabled, so the device was only being used to detect and record scratching activity. It reportedly did so with an accuracy of 99%, as compared to infrared video of the participants which was recorded at the same time.
For the second seven nights, the motor was switched on. As a result, scratching time and scratch events declined by an average of 28% and 40%, respectively. And importantly, the test subjects didn't report being woken up by the haptic feedback. In fact, their total sleep time increased by an average of 16% when it was activated.
More research still needs to be conducted, including larger-scale trials involving a wider demographic of test subjects. In the meantime, ADAM is now being commercially developed via a partnership between Sibel Health and Japanese dermatological tech company Maruho.
A paper on the Maruho-funded research was recently published in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
Source: Sibel Health
