Chicago-based medtech company Sibel Health developed a wearable device that helps stop dermatitis patients from scratching while they sleep, without waking them up in the process. Dubbed ADAM (Advanced Acoustic-Mechanic), the device is made up of a microprocessor, haptic feedback motor, Bluetooth module, IMU (inertial measurement unit) and a rechargeable battery.
Itch, also called pruritus, affects 15% of the global population, disrupts sleep, and impacts quality of life. Traditional methods of measuring itch rely on subjective surveys, which can be inaccurate and are prone to bias. Alternatively, wearable devices offer a continuous, objective data-driven approach to quantifying itch by measuring scratch, but thus far, their performance has been mixed. Worn on the back of the hand, Sibel's ADAM sensor stands out by using AI to detect scratching with 99% accuracy, the company said in a press release.
"Digital endpoints enabled by wearable devices like the ADAM sensor represent a paradigm shift in the way a drug's therapeutic effect is measured," says Evan Lund, Sibel's Head of Business Development for clinical trials. "We believe that the ADAM sensor is the best validated digital endpoint for scratch monitoring in clinical trials, and we're proud that it's one of only a handful of digital health technologies accepted into the FDA's Drug Development Tools program."
For a study, Sibel Health embedded a haptic motor within the ADAM sensor. With advanced edge computing, an AI-enabled algorithm programmed into the sensor itself enables closed-loop haptic feedback whenever a scratch is detected. During the first week, the device only measured scratching in atopic dermatitis patients. In the second week, the haptic feedback was turned on to assess the sensor's ability to reduce scratching activity at night. Results showed that on average total scratch events and scratch duration per night dropped by 28% and 40%, respectively. These improvements suggest the closed-loop system is an effective, drug-free way to reduce nighttime scratching.
"At Sibel Health, we believe we have the most accurate and best validated sensor for scratching motions in children and adults. We're even more excited to be offering a new therapeutic function. Reducing scratching breaks the itch-scratch cycle. As a board-certified dermatologist, I am always looking for new ways to help my patients manage itch—this would be one of the few non-pharmacological ways to do so and can also be paired with a traditional therapeutic," says Steve Xu MD, CEO and co-founder of Sibel Health.
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Sibel Health has partnered with Maruho, a prominent pharmaceutical company specializing in dermatology, to further develop and distribute this technology. Together, they aim to deploy this first of its kind wearable device that reduces scratching behavior for people suffering from itch.
About Sibel Health
Based in Chicago with an international office in Seoul, Sibel Health is a leading provider of advanced healthcare technology, with FDA clearance for vital signs monitoring capabilities, sleep analysis, and novel digital endpoints such as scratch, swallow, and cough detection. Sibel Health is committed to improving patient outcomes through innovative digital health solutions.
