What it does
Immunotherapy works by gradually introducing allergens to help the body build tolerance over time. Our device is an allergen-delivery wearable that eliminates the need for hundreds of painful injections and frequent doctor visits.
Your inspiration
Growing up with allergic rhinitis, I was frustrated by frequent doctor visits, painful shots, and unclear progress. Twice a week, my parents had to leave work early just to take me to the clinic. Allergies don’t just affect the child, they disrupt the whole family. Some families we spoke to even moved to less polluted areas to ease their child’s symptoms. Current treatments follow rigid protocols, yet every body reacts differently, requiring close medical supervision. Inspired by the precision of insulin pumps, we designed a smart patch that monitors skin response and delivers a truly personalized treatment.
How it works
Designed specifically for children, AllyCloud prioritizes painlessness, compactness, and safety. Our innovative approach uses microneedles to inject liquid allergens without causing discomfort. We've integrated an electrolysis-based pump with a sophisticated microfluidic system that precisely controls allergen flow using minimal energy. Manufactured via soft lithography and metal deposition on polyimide sheets, the result is a miniaturized (3x3x1 cm), easily manufacturable, and highly flexible device that children can wear comfortably throughout the day. The device continuously monitors skin pH to detect inflammation and uses a machine learning model to adjust dosage in real time, ensuring safety and personalized treatment throughout the day.
Design process
We conducted extensive interviews with parents and allergists to thoroughly understand their concerns around safety, treatment retention, comfort, and effectiveness. We meticulously iterated on every aspect of the design - from mechanisms and size to shape, color, texture, and placement - testing prototypes directly with children. This rigorous, multi-stage iteration process, driven by direct user feedback, ensures AllyCloud is not only effective but also designed for its young users. A key goal was to shift kids' perception of treatment: instead of seeing it as a painful burden, we framed AllyCloud as a device that empowers them. This human-centered design ensures the device is not only functional but also engaging and non-intrusive for its young users. Our commitment to sustainability guides our design. Aiming for minimal environmental impact throughout the device's lifecycle, the core parts of our smart patch are reusable and refillable, and the materials used are inert in the environment, reducing waste and long-term ecological burden.
How it is different
Traditional treatments like Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) require biweekly doctor visits over up to five years, involving over 100 painful injections, a significant barrier to consistent treatment, particularly for children. While at-home options like Viaskin are in research stages, they currently lack efficacy, especially for severe respiratory allergy cases, due to the limited allergen quantities they can deliver. AllyCloud overcomes these limitations by safely and painlessly injecting up to 5 ml of concentrated allergen solution at home, offering unparalleled convenience and effectiveness. The device also continuously tracks treatment progress, simplifying home care management while keeping healthcare providers fully informed.
Future plans
We are participating in the I-Corps Program and have secured a small grant from the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS) to accelerate our development. Our immediate next steps involve partnering with leading allergists for rigorous clinical trials. Concurrently, we are applying for additional grants and competitions, and are in the process of preparing a provisional patent to protect our innovative technology.
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