15-Year-Old Entrepreneur Creates Wearable Device for Raynaud's Disease

Anthony Wilds is a 15-year-old entrepreneur who was fed up with the near-constant symptoms of his rare condition. Raynaud's Disease is a circulatory system complication that affects 5-10% of Americans. It causes the small arteries in the extremities to narrow in low temperatures or in times of stress, limiting blood flow to the surface of the skin. This causes numbness and pain which becomes a hindrance when completing daily tasks, as it most commonly affects the hands. Fingers and toes often turn completely white. When blood flow returns, the area turns red, tingly, and painful. It can cause minor damage to the skin and in severe cases, Raynaud's can lead to sores or tissue damage. In cold climates, these symptoms are nearly constant and debilitating. 

Anthony is used to the current method of Raynaud’s symptom management, which is to submerge the hands or feet in hot water until blood circulation is restored. Of course, this causes the individual to lose the use of the body part, which is not always possible throughout the day. So, Anthony thought up a solution that would allow him and others with Raynaud’s to mitigate the symptoms while still having freedom of the extremities. Here enters HotBandz. 

HotBandz is a startup creating a wearable warming device that will combat the painful and disabling blood circulation problem that comes along with Raynaud's Disease. HotBandz’s heated band wraps around the forearm and raises the temperature of the small arteries in the inner forearm. This promotes free circulation to return, all while having full use of the hands and fingers. HotBandz will give those with Raynaud’s Disease a convenient and cost-effective method of symptom management. 

When accepted to the 2022 Business Accelerator Program, an individualized product development plan was built based on Anthony’s needs. Part of this plan involved the creation of the first HotBandz prototype. The team contracted a local agency to build the first wearable device prototype based on Anthony’s intellectual property. 

Loft LLC is an independently owned design firm in downtown Providence, specializing in Consumer, Med Tech, Internet of Things, and Mobility product development. They approach the entire user experience, iterate quickly, and work hard to achieve their client’s commercialization goals. 

Anthony and the NEMIC Foundation began the project by developing test requirements according to Loft's procedure. This included things like temperature goals and usability specifications. Loft then sourced different forms of heating pads, materials, and components that could fit Anthony's requirements for the first iteration of HotBandz.

Next, Loft built a fundamental version of a heating device that can wrap around the patient's forearm. When an episode of Raynaud's begins, the patient is able to easily turn on the attached battery pack causing the internal heat pad to warm, and blood circulation to return to normal. Anthony and the NEMIC team were excited to begin the initial testing process with the prototype and headed outside on a chilly December day.

During the prototype testing, Anthony was able to achieve his fastest recovery from a Raynaud's Disease episode. Based on what was learned during this successful testing session, Anthony began formulating a test plan. Once this test plan is complete, Anthony can send the prototype to others with Raynaud’s for them to trial the prototype as well. This testing process is crucial for improving and iterating for the next HotBandz prototype version. 

Soon, those with Raynaud’s Disease will have a more effective and convenient alternative for improving their blood flow, reducing pain and numbness, and regaining their freedom from their symptoms.

The NEMIC Foundation cannot wait to see what the future holds for this young entrepreneur!