Dextra
Reducing needle-based pain by immediately and reversibly cognitively disconnecting the patient from their pain.
Dextra exploits the vision-touch integration network by utilizing automated, patterned tactile inputs to put the patient’s arm into a state of cognitive neglect.
This immediate and reversible state of cognitive neglect reduces the perceived pain experienced by the user.
Our brains use the combination of vision and touch to establish “body ownership”. Our device exploits this cognitive mechanism to cause the patient’s brain to take ownership of a proxy hand instead of their real hand which significantly reduces the pain felt during needle procedures.
Why it matters:
Needle stick fear leads to systemic barriers to healthcare:
Avoidance of care and diagnoses
Reduced clinical workflow efficiency
Reduced procedure success rates
Negative patient experience scores
25% of all adults fear needles
10% of the population exhibit needle phobia severe enough to avoid critical care events
IRB approved clinical study underway
Pilot cohort of trigger finger procedure recipients
~30 point reduction in reported pain
Exceeds clinically meaningful pain reduction thresholds
Outperforms standard of care, needle-free and distraction comparators on the market