A new wave of wearable medical devices is targeting addictions.
Chrono Therapeutics, which has developed a wearable patch that distributes nicotine and is synced via Bluetooth to a mobile app, received approximately $32 million in venture funding from organizations such as Rock Health, Mayo Clinic and GE Ventures.
The patch is a type of nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine replacement therapy, usually conducted through a stick-on patch, gum or electronic cigarettes, don not typically work for long, but Chrono Therapeutics' app allegedly does, according to mHealthNews.
Chrono Therapeutics is not the only wearable technology for smoking cessation. An app called "Stop Smoking! For Wear" displays on an Android Wear smartwatch the number of days since the user has had a cigarette, how many cigarettes he or she has avoided and the total cost of those cigarettes. Another device proposed by startup Kiwi Wearables contains a gyroscope that detects the action of lifting the wrist to smoke, making the user aware of how often he or she is making the motion, according to Wearable Technologies.
Some wearables show promise for curbing alcoholism and drug addiction as well with wearable sensors. However, these technologies are still in development, according to Wearable Technologies. The wearable tech market is projected to reach more than $70 billion worldwide by 2024, according to market research firm IDTechEx.