Smart Stick
A thermoregulation and pain-management concept for people living with Fabry disease.
- Design Research
- Product Design
- Concept Development
Smart Stick is a design-for-a-rare-disease project addressing thermoregulation dysfunction and pain in Fabry patients. It pairs tailored physical exercise with artificial thermoregulation to help restore thermal balance and ease extremity pain.
The Problem
Fabry disease damages the small nerve fibres responsible for temperature perception, pain sensation and sweat regulation. Patients struggle to adapt to temperature changes and experience intense burning pain — a questionnaire revealed 57% had given up sport due to pain and thermal discomfort.
My Approach
Starting from patient interviews and digital co-design sessions, I developed a handheld device with an ergonomic diamond-mesh grip and swappable thermal cartridges that deliver controlled heat or cold as a counter-stimulus to the nervous system. The concept was refined directly with patients through remote meetings.
The Outcome
A product-service system that supports safe physical activity and partially alleviates pathological pain, giving patients a tool to help restore thermal homeostasis and return to movement.
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