Project Description: 

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive nervous system disorder impacting brain activity and movement, and affects 10 million people worldwide. PD is characterized by 3 cardinal symptoms: tremors (tremulations of the extremities), rigidity (an increase in joint muscle stiffness), and bradykinesia (the slowness of joint movement). Patients only visit a neurologist every 4–6 months for clinical assessment but between visits, there is no way for them to know how their disease is actually progressing.

Current monitoring devices on the market are expensive, not user friendly and do not measure all cardinal symptoms. They have upwards of 10 sensors that output extensive convoluted data that the patient cannot interact with, causing a disconnect between the patient and their understanding of their disease.

Our solution, wRECkIt, consists of only 2 sensors embedded in a discrete wristband and index finger ring. Throughout the day, wRECkIt collects data on all 3 cardinal symptoms and transmits it to a mobile app, which will display a concise summary of the symptom progression as well as words of affirmation to encourage patients and promote compliance. wRECkIt would cost around $500, which is over 88% less than current marketed devices. This cheaper and easier-to-use solution can better inform both patients and clinicians about disease progression, allowing for more proactive symptom management and an increased quality of life.