Quell Device to Treat Chronic Pain Wins SXSW “Best Wearable Technology” Award

NeuroMetrix’s Quell Wearable Pain Relief device was recently named the winner of the Wearable Tech category at the 19th Annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Innovation Awards. Quell is an over-the-counter (no prescription needed) upper calf-worn chronic pain device; it uses electrical nerve stimulation to treat multiple types of chronic pain, including diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia (see our test drive here for more info). The SXSW competition honors devices that enhance the convenience, functionality, and fashion of wearing an on-body device. Based on what we’ve heard from people using the device, Quell – designed in collaboration with the renowned design firm IDEO – certainly deserved the award!

We also learned at SXSW that the new, second-generation Quell device began shipping at the beginning of March and is available for purchase online here. An upgrade program for first-gen users will also be launching this month. The updated Quell does not have any changes in effectiveness or physical design (i.e., same thickness, same strap, etc.). It will be priced the same as the previous Quell system: $249 for the device “starter kit,” followed by $30 for each month’s worth of supplies.

As we described in our test drive, the upgraded Quell comes with several updates geared at user convenience and data analysis. These include:

• Extended battery life of up to 25%
• Controlling the device straight from the Quell smartphone app (rather than from buttons on the device itself), allowing users to turn the device on/off and to change the intensity of treatments from their smartphones.
• Advanced sleep tracking technology that monitors length and quality of sleep (including how the user moves and sleeps, such as body position, repetitive leg movements, and major body shifts).
• A second treatment mode with a unique physical sensation – NeuroMetrix describes the standard stimulation as a “comfortable constant vibration,” whereas the new stimulation feels like a “gentle pulse”
• Enhanced data tracking, providing trend reports of all therapy and sleep data at time scales ranging from one day to three months

To hear what five people with diabetic neuropathy and chronic pain had to say about their experience using the Quell device, as well as more details of Quell’s design and mobile app, see our test drive here.

-AJW