Neurometrix and Ideo have collaborated to create Quell, a wearable device with connected app that helps to alleviate chronic pain
Neutometrix and Ideo's Quell
Quell is designed for people with painful diabetic neuropathy, fibromyalgia, sciatica, osteoarthritis and other limiting conditions and is an over-the-counter electrical nerve stimulation device.
Shai Gozani, Neurometrix's CEO, said to Fast Company: “Wearables and more broadly, the digital health umbrella needs to attack chronic disease and not just focus on the healthiest segment of the population.
"You have a lot of technologies and they are, to put it bluntly, 'afraid' of the FDA implications of getting into disease.
“Until the tech companies become consumer medical technology companies, I think it's going to limit what wearables and digital health can do."
The Quell device stimulates the nerves in the wearer’s upper calf through painless electronic shocks.
These shocks then carry neural pulses to the brain and stimulate the body’s natural pain relief response.
Endogenous opioids are then released within the spinal cord where pain signals are blocked in the wearer’s body.
Gozani said: "In the prescription market, you meet the requirements of the insurers—they look at cost and replacement time.
"Consumers want products that they’re comfortable wearing, that they would be proud of. They both want relief for chronic pain, but there are different requirements—consumers are willing to pay for innovation, like tying it to a smartphone."
Quell is drug free, automatically adjusts to deliver stimulation and relief and has bluetooth connection for easy tracking and control via iOS App according to Neurometrix.
This wearable device is also FDA approved and according to Fast Company Neurometrix doesn't make any claims that Quell will reduce the use of medication, though it says that two-thirds of its users—including patients dealing with neuropathy, sciatica, arthritis, and fibromyalgia—report taking fewer pain killers after using the product.