Smart Wearable Harnesses the Power of Neurostimulation and AI to Attack the Chronic Pain Crisis

Smart Therapeutic Wearable Harnesses the Power of Neurostimulation and AI to Attack the Chronic Pain Crisis

NeuroMetrix has unveiled its smartest, smallest and most powerful wearable therapeutic to date. With new features seen for the first time at CES, the recently launched Quell® 2.0 is 50% smaller, yet 20% more powerful than its predecessor. The Company will introduce new functions at CES that include updates to the Quell app like coaching that helps users achieve the best possible outcomes. It also takes Pain Tech to a new level with an “Intensive Therapy” option and is the first wearable technology to utilise machine learning to deliver unprecedented personalization for the treatment of chronic pain.

Named a CES® 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree, in the Fitness, Sports and Biotech product category, Quell is a 100% drug-free system that uses prescription strength nerve-stimulation technology to block chronic pain. Aspiring to be part of the solution to the chronic pain crisis, Quell is designed for multiple types and sources of pain and has been shown in clinical studies to relieve chronic pain.

How It Works

A Class II medical device, Quell® 2.0 is an advanced form of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The device is worn on the leg, regardless of the site of pain, and sends neural pulses to the brain that trigger a natural pain relief response in the central nervous system.

Worn in a breathable soft, flexible band, the Quell device has a credit card sized footprint so that it is discreet and comfortable under clothing. Quell 2.0 is powered by a proprietary neurostimulation microchip. It is 50% smaller than the original Quell device, yet it outputs up to 20% more electrical power. Quell technology is up to 10x more powerful than typical OTC TENS devices. [1]

A new “Intensive Therapy” option will be added to Quell 2.0 that delivers intensive nerve stimulation concentrated into a 15-minute session. This therapy option will give Quell users another choice for obtaining pain relief, one that may act faster than standard Quell therapy. No other wearable TENS device has the electrical power to consistently provide Intensive Therapy. The Quell Relief app makes using both Intensive Therapy and Standard Therapy seamless, to achieve the best possible pain relief for each individual.

With a typical battery life of up 25 hours, Quell 2.0 is the only wearable pain device FDA cleared for day and night time use and has been designed for multiple types and sources of chronic pain. After a simple set up, Quell will automatically deliver therapy, and is so smart that it will adapt therapy throughout the day. In a published study, 4 out of 5 users reported improvements in their pain. [2]

Pain Relief Under Control

The Quell Relief App has also received a significant upgrade. The newly added Therapy Coach combines goal setting, real-time feedback, educational content, and motivational messages to encourage daily use of Quell to help new users maximise results.

Additionally, its intuitive design allows users to personalise therapy to their individual needs and track progress, including measurable outcomes of success such as reported pain levels and changes in sleep and gait, using the accelerometer in the device.

Unprecedented Personalisation through AI

Quell 2.0 is packed with sophisticated therapeutic intelligence, delivering on the promise of AI. These algorithms are derived from the application of machine learning to millions of data points from over 70,000 chronic pain suffers in the Quell Healthcloud. The process evaluates demographics, health conditions, pain levels and characteristics, device utilisation and objective measures of sleep, activity and gait from Quell users to power truly personalised treatment.

Quell is smart enough to adjust a user’s therapy based on manual intensity changes, body position, and sleep movements. Quell can even adapt to changes in the local weather, providing the user alerts and the option to increase dosage if the weather is predicted to change in a way that affects their pain!

Making a Dent in the Opioid Crisis

An estimated 100 million Americans are living with some form of chronic pain, costing an estimated $635 billion per year for treatments and lost economic output. Recent research shows that people living with chronic pain feel stigmatized by the opioid crisis and are looking for alternative treatments. Pain Tech such as Quell has an important role to play in helping people reclaim their life from chronic pain.

“Since first launching Quell in 2015, over 100,000 individuals living with chronic pain have experienced its patented neurotechnology.” said Shai N. Gozani, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of NeuroMetrix. “The Quell 2.0 device and the new features and technology we are unveiling at CES are a direct result of customer feedback and our latest research. Quell has been designed to offer a long-term solution for chronic pain suffers seeking non-pharmacological pain relief options.

References

  1. Comparison to leading OTC TENS devices, based on retail sales data. Maximum sustained energy when used as directed.
  2. Journal of Pain Research 2016;(9):469-479. Based on 60 days of product use. Results may vary.
  3. NeuroMetrix. (2018). Flipping the Script: Living with Chronic Pain amid the Opioid Epidemic.