MIT Class Project Becomes FDA-Cleared Tremor Treatment

When Michael walked onto an MIT stage in 2017, his tremors from Parkinson's disease made it nearly impossible to draw a simple spiral. Then he pressed a button on a student-made wristband, and everything changed.

Within seconds, subtle vibrations from the device calmed his shaking hands enough to complete the drawing with precision. The packed auditorium erupted in applause as Michael shared how the prototype made him feel like his old self again.

That transformative moment was just the final presentation for 2.009, MIT's product design class. But it launched a nearly decade-long journey that culminated this February when the FDA cleared Encora Therapeutics' device for treating essential tremor in adults.

The idea almost didn't happen. Student Daniel Carballo pitched the vibrating wristband concept during initial brainstorming, calling it one of "hundreds of throwaway ideas." His team voted 16-1 to pursue it, with Carballo casting the only opposing vote because he thought the concept was too ambitious for one semester.

For most of the term, his doubts seemed justified. The team lagged behind their classmates at every milestone, struggling to build something that actually worked.

Then they met Michael, a home renovator whose tremors had progressed so severely he could barely turn a screwdriver or fill out paperwork. He'd become dependent on his wife and daughter to run his business and handle daily tasks.

When Michael tested their "foamcore box with a Raspberry Pi chip and some wires," the results stunned everyone. His tremors stopped almost like flipping a light switch. His wife and daughter cried watching the transformation.

After that presentation, classmates and audience members asked where they could buy the device for loved ones with tremors. The students had to explain only one prototype existed.

The Ripple Effect

That classroom moment sparked something bigger. Co-founders Carballo, Allison Davanzo, and Kyle Pina tapped MIT resources like the Sandbox innovation fund and Venture Mentoring Service. They officially launched Encora Therapeutics in 2020.

The path to FDA clearance required dozens of hardware redesigns and rigorous clinical trials. In one trial, 78 percent of patients reported benefits after 90 days of using the device at home.

Essential tremor affects millions of adults, causing involuntary shaking that makes everyday tasks frustrating or impossible. The condition is similar to Parkinson's but doesn't include other symptoms of that disease.

The wristband works by sending mechanical vibrations that create signals in the brain, disrupting the abnormal patterns causing tremors. Patients can activate it whenever they need steadier hands for activities like eating, writing, or working.

"We hear stories from patients about how they've struggled with their condition and how much they benefit from this," says Carballo, now Encora's vice president of strategy. "It reminds us why we keep going."

What started as the lone dissenting vote on a college project is now offering hope to people who thought they'd lost control of their hands forever.