According to a press release from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), biomechanist Bettina Müller has developed a device that can measure the skin’s elasticity using a vacuum. A PhD student in the research group led by Edoardo Mazza, Professor of the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at the ETH, she plans to bring Nimble to market maturity in the next two years. The ETH is supporting Müller with an ETH Pioneer Fellowship.
The device developed by Müller makes it possible for the very first time to accurately measure changes such as scar tissue, the press release further explains. To date, palpation is the only procedure used for this, where a medical specialist will grasp a skin fold and assess how much give there is when it is pulled. In contrast, Nimble uses a round measuring head to measure the precise negative pressure required under a vacuum to lift the skin up by a few millimeters.
In a clinical study involving children with burn injuries, Nimble reliably differentiated between scarred skin and healthy skin according to the ETH. Müller is quoted in the press release, saying: “From a medical perspective, the device’s added value is undisputed.” Besides scar tissue examinations, Nimble could also be used to diagnose the rare autoimmune disease scleroderma.
Life sciences
Life sciences
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