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Reader Submitted: This Smart Ring Aims to Provide Better Lives for People with Sickle Cell Disease 

Oxygem is a smart ring that aims to provide people with Sickle Cell Disease a better lifestyle and reduce the amount of deaths caused by this disease each year. On average, statistics show that in every 1,000,000 people, 1 in 6 people is a carrier of Sickle Cell Disease, and 1 in 25 is diseased, with a death rate of 1 per week.

Sickle Cell Disease is a condition in which red blood cells are not shaped as they should be. Red blood cells usually look like round discs. But in Sickle Cell Disease, they’re shaped like crescent moon. These sickle shaped cells get stuck together easily, and block off small blood vessels. When blood can’t get to where it should, oxygen levels drop, which leads to pain and organ damage.

Measurement of oxygen saturation (SpO2) can help detect sickle cell crises earlier and prevent their complications. The Oxygem ring aims to track the SpO2 in the blood at all times with its built in sensors, allowing the patient to get warnings and alerts on the ring, as well as notifications on the phone, while also notifying the doctor in case of emergency.

Project Video: https://vimeo.com/255200170