An AI-powered wearable sensor has been shown to reduce nighttime scratching in patients suffering from dermatitis conditions involving chronic itching.
As part of the peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Dermatology, atopic dermatitis patients experienced a 40% decrease in nighttime scratching duration due to the wearable’s haptic feedback.
The Sibel ADAM (standing for ADvanced Acousto-Mechanic) sensor is worn on the back of the hand and uses AI algorithms to detect scratching. It then intervenes in episodes by delivering closed-loop haptic feedback.
In previous validation, the wearable identified scratching with 99% accuracy in adults and children with dermatitis compared to infrared video recordings.
However, in the first week of the study, only scratching was detected in participants before the haptic motor was enabled for the second week. The results showed that total scratch events dropped by 28%, with scratch duration also reducing by 40%.
Patients also reported significant sleep quality improvements, suggesting Sibel’s sensor was extremely effective at managing chronic itching.
Is Sibel Health’s ADAM wearable available now?
Following the results of this latest study, Sibel Health also announced it will partner with Japanese pharmaceutical giant Maraho to bring the device to market. Initially, the ADAM sensor will be available through dermatology clinics and healthcare providers.
“The cutting-edge technology developed by Sibel Health has opened new doors for both assessment and treatment of patients suffering from chronic itch,” said Akihiko Ikoma MD, Senior Medical Director of Maruho.
“We are excited to add this device to our portfolio for itch and be helpful to those patients by completing development and launching the product as soon as possible in our partnership,”
Given it’s now backed by research and provides a drug-free, non-invasive method for patients to explore, we’d guess it will have plenty of legs.
The company has also announced an openness to more partnerships with research institutions to further study the sensor’s potential benefits in other dermatological areas.
We’ll keep our eye on this one in 2025, especially as efforts ramp up to bring it to market.
