Application of piezo film technology for the quantitative assessment of pruritus.
A method to quantitate scratching has been developed for assessing the efficacies of interventions purported to ameliorate pruritus. The technique employs a piezo film sensor attached to the finger and the supporting electronics to amplify, transmit, and process the signals generated by the piezo film. The piezo film is essentially a contact microphone on the fingernail of the scratching subject. The method is currently incorporated into clinical trials, and preliminary results are promising.
Talbot
T L
TL
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Schmitt
J M
JM
Bergasa
N V
NV
Jones
E A
EA
Walker
E C
EC
D000703:Analog-Digital Conversion; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications*; D008838:Microcomputers; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D011537:Pruritus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014159:Transducers; D016896:Treatment Outcome