Overview

• The award includes £275,000 from Scottish Enterprise and just over £200,000 from the MRC Gap Fund to advance clinical testing and support a TissueMetrics spin-out.
• The handheld sensor applies tiny surface vibrations to capture layer-specific changes in skin stiffness and fluid, generating objective measurements.
• Clinical evaluation is beginning in patients with moderate eczema receiving third- or fourth-line treatments, with patient and clinician usability feedback being gathered.
• Researchers say the tool could reduce reliance on subjective visual inspection and perform consistently across all skin tones, claims now proceeding to clinical validation.
• The team targets a 2026 spin-out and envisions community use in pharmacies and clinics to help cut waits for care in a condition affecting up to 20% of children and 10% of adults in the UK.