2 UCLA students win for vaporizer to help overcome nicotine addiction
One size fits all is not proving a successful fit for smokers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 percent to 70 percent of global smokers and vapers want to quit, but there is a need for customized methods.
Enter UCLA bioengineering students Farid Manshaii and Michael Bogumil, inventors of Adaptive Modular Substance Treatment Analysis Device (AMSTAD) and 2024 U.S. winners of the James Dyson Award.
The U.S. National winners and runners-up from Canada and Mexico move to the next stage of the award. The international Top 20 shortlist will be announced October 16, selected by Dyson engineers, and the global winners on November 13th, chosen by James Dyson.
AMSTAD is an adaptive vaporizer to help people overcome nicotine addiction in a personalized way while tracking their progress. It targets tobacco use disorder, using machine learning and biometrics, featuring a multi-chamber system that controls nicotine dosages based on real-time user data. Integrated with IoT, it addresses both physical and behavioral aspects to reduce dependency.
AMSTAD connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth for initial setup. The app creates a personalized profile by collecting initial data, including the user’s e-cigarette flavor and nicotine concentration.
For the first two weeks, AMSTAD functions like a regular e-cigarette, allowing normal vaping behavior while gathering data on vital signs, inhalation rate, and nicotine consumption to establish a baseline. Once that baseline is set, AMSTAD gradually decreases nicotine concentration, adjusting dilutant levels to compensate for the change, while maintaining flavor concentration.
The device continuously monitors vital signs and breathing rates during each vaping session to determine whether dosage adjustments are necessary. Haptic feedback would be provided to guide user inhalation.
User feedback and medical expert input further tailor the nicotine reduction, improving cessation outcomes. Additionally, AMSTAD’s app allows users to visualize their data and gain insights.
Manshali said the team’s work is far from complete.
“Winning the Dyson Award is a significant milestone that validates our vision of developing an adaptive e-cigarette to transform tobacco use disorder. This recognition drives us to refine our technology further and strengthens our resolve as we move toward our seed round, pushing us to overcome challenges and innovate continuously.”