A groundbreaking vibroacoustic sensor developed at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh has secured over £475,000 in funding for clinical research, with the potential to transform eczema diagnosis and treatment. The device emits small vibrations onto the skin to measure changes in tissue stiffness and fluid content, providing objective data on inflammation and disease progression.
The funding includes £275,000 from Scottish Enterprise and over £200,000 from the Medical Research Council’s Gap Fund, which will support clinical trials and the creation of a spin-out company based on the TissueMetrics project. Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, affects up to 20% of children and 10% of adults in the UK.
Professor Michael Crichton from Heriot-Watt’s school of engineering and physical sciences said the technology “represents a fundamental shift in how we approach eczema management.” He added that unlike visual assessments, which can be unreliable for patients with darker skin tones, the sensor provides objective measurements of what is happening beneath the skin’s surface.
Dr Connor Bain, involved in the sensor’s technical engineering, explained that by measuring elasticity and viscoelasticity of each skin layer, the device can detect changes indicating inflammation. “This allows healthcare professionals to make data-driven decisions about treatment effectiveness much earlier, potentially reducing the years of suffering many patients endure while trying to find the right treatment,” he said.
The research team will test the sensor on patients with moderate eczema undergoing third or fourth-line treatments, and gather feedback on usability. Professor Richard Weller, dermatology lead for NHS Research Scotland, noted that the current system is “outdated and inefficient,” and that this technology could enable high-quality dermatological care in community settings, reducing waiting times and improving outcomes.
Dr Sara Medina-Lombardero, leading the clinical development, said the planned evaluation will correlate sensor measurements with specialist assessments, potentially enabling diagnosis and treatment tracking in local pharmacies and community healthcare facilities.
