University of Minnesota Twin Cities' engineering and medical teams have created a 3D-printed medical device that can provide real-time feedback to link light exposure to disease flare-ups when placed directly on the skin, according to Interesting Engineering.
The device could help patients with lupus and other light-sensitive disorders by providing them access to more individualized treatments and knowledge of what causes their symptoms.
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, about 1.5 million Americans, and at least five million people worldwide, have a form of lupus. Most patients have light-sensitive, with 40 to 70 percent of them reporting that exposure to natural or artificial light indoors worsens their condition.
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The 3D-Printing
3D-printing of wearable devices developed by the University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor Michael McAlpine and his team. They created a 3D-printed device with a flexible UV-visible light detector that may be placed on the skin. It is then connected with a specially designed portable console to track and link symptoms to light exposure continually.
The research team has gotten the go-signal to start using humans as test subjects for the device. Therefore, they will start enrolling individuals for the study soon.
In certain medical conditions, the human body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, leading to inflammation and pain. Lupus, which causes the immune system to attack the joints, skin, and other organs, is one of these conditions. As a result, patients with lupus can experience spinal inflammation, skin rashes, and severe joint pain.
Medical devices like the 3D-printed device developed at the University of Minnesota can help lupus patients track their disease flare-ups and control the disease. The new medical device has a thin band, much like a wristwatch, with a skin patch that measures light exposure to the patient's skin. It then processes the light information and sends it to the portable console for real-time assessment.
By connecting the device to the console, patients will be able to understand how different activities and environments affect their condition.
The device is designed with a UV-visible light detector that measures light exposure to the patient's skin. This detector is placed on the skin, directly above the joint or area where the patient feels pain.
The light detector relays this information to a portable console, which the patient can carry wherever they go. The console has a simple interface that reports the total hours of light exposure and the intensity of light to the patient in the form of a graph. This enables patients to monitor their condition and get a better indication of when they should stay in the shade, seek shelter, or avoid bright light. This goes a long way towards improving the quality of life of a patient.
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Written by April Fowell
