The itch either pruritus It is an irritating sensation that awakens the need to scratch the skin. Sometimes it can feel like something like pain, but it is different. You often feel like one part of your body itches, but sometimes you may feel itchy all over your body. Along with itching, you may also get a rash or hives.
It's a difficult symptom to measure, especially for the millions of children with atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema. Children can only verbalize or quantify their suffering through a survey or scale.. It may also be difficult to objectively measure itch in adults with liver disease, kidney disease, and certain cancers who experience its symptoms.
Therefore, it is difficult to keep track of how well treatments and medications are working.
Soft electronics + AI
But now there is a wearable sensor that actually quantifies itch by measuring scratching when placed on the hand. Developed by scientists at Northwestern University, while tested in patients with atopic dermatitis, can be used in any condition that causes itching.
The sensor can also support clinical trials for new treatments, track treatment response, and monitor disease worsening, all without leaving home.
This is the first sensor capable of capturing all forms of scratching, related to the movement of the fingers, wrist and elbow. It is also the first validated in a pediatric population where conditions such as atopic dermatitis are the most common..
This sensor combines advances in soft electronics that wrap seamlessly around your hand with machine learning algorithms that specifically identify scratching without being fooled by similar movement-related movements (e.g., hand waving). The sensor measures both low-frequency movement and high-frequency vibrations of the hand to significantly improve accuracy compared to wristwatch tools.
The sensor has been in the Food and Drug Administration's Drug Discovery Tool program. This program allows novel devices like this sensor to be qualified to help in the approval of new medications.
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The news
This portable artificial intelligence device reports the discomfort felt by children with atopic dermatitis
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.