Wearable device promises chemical-free stress relief, set for phased market entry

Bengaluru: Two years since Sputnik Brain – a non-invasive wearable device designed to reduce stress – took off as a concept, the makers are fast-tracking its market validation.

Shankar Srinivasan, the 24-year-old entrepreneur from Bengaluru who developed the neural interface which stimulates the brain’s reward systems to alleviate stress, said SB was in a “refinement phase”. Over two years, the prototype has transformed – from a bulky assembly of generators, amplifiers, and emitters to a wearable headset.

Users can switch the device on by placing two fingers on their temples. Sensors send low-intensity waves to specific brain regions that are involved in producing feel-good neurotransmitters.

Stress hits a person with the stimulation of a physiological switch, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, while the brain’s reward systems – the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) – act as a switch for activating pleasure. SB is being developed as a non-invasive switch that can access these reward systems.

The reward systems comprise structures in the brain activated by experiences that are rewarding, or beneficial, for the individual. They tune the individual’s behaviour to seek these rewards that, in turn, shape habits.

The device, when tested on a pilot user group, has reported relief in eight to ten minutes, Shankar said.

SB will, initially, be tested for efficacy in clinics in metropolitan and tier-1 cities, on a revenue-sharing model; the idea is to engage with 20 patients per day in a clinic, every month. Shankar underlined a phased approach, with plans to cover 80 to 90 clinics during the first year and subsequently, to engage with corporate workplaces and tech parks.

"The technology needs a little more refinement before it can be made adaptable for the masses. This is going to be one of the challenges. We hope to pitch ourselves as a stress-reduction player in the wellness market by the second year and initiate mass production by the third year,” Shankar told DH. The approval of the relevant regulatory bodies is under process.

In 2022, SB was adjudged one of the three winners at the inaugural edition of Solve For Tomorrow (SFT), a CSR initiative by Samsung that encourages youngsters to innovate solutions for real-world problems.

Shankar, battling stress himself at the time, was looking for solutions without side effects. His SFT entry was aligned with the idea of using neuromodulation technologies that can stimulate the brain’s reward systems. He said the mentorship of neuroscientists and psychiatrists and technological guidance from the Samsung team helped him refine his approach.

SB is being designed to address what Shankar calls an unmet need for chemical-free, side effects-free stress reduction mechanisms. “Most of the available solutions use exogenous chemicals and can cause side effects, making them less sustainable. There is a massive market gap and an impact gap; mental health practitioners see immense potential in a renewable, scalable technology that can address these gaps,” Shankar said.

In July, Shankar represented India in a group of 10 SFT winners at an event held concurrently with the Paris Olympics and hosted by Samsung with the International Olympic Committee.

“In the context of technology adoption, we are poised for a significant market breakthrough because stress reduction, until now, has been happening in a toxic way. The possibility of disrupting that consumption pattern, to make it sustainably healthy, is exciting,” Shankar said.