Medical scalp cooling company Dignitana and Denver-based Boa Technology have launched the DigniTherm Click Cap. They describe it as the world’s first precision-fit scalp cooling cap. The news came from Lund, Sweden, on December 6, 2017. Dignitana makes the DigniCap Scalp Cooling System, the first such system in the US to get FDA clearance for reducing hair loss from chemotherapy.
The two companies teamed up in 2016. Since then they have worked on an add-on that improves how the DigniCap fits, so the cap makes closer and more precise contact with the head. The new cap is also easier for patients who put it on by themselves, because it uses a specially designed Boa System.
William Cronin, CEO of Dignitana, Inc., said working with innovators like Boa has been a priority. He called Boa the clear leader in precision-fit technology for wearable medical devices. In his words, the joint work should further improve quality of life for cancer patients who want to limit hair loss during chemotherapy. The cap will first roll out at medical centers that already offer DigniCap.
How the fit works
The patented Boa System sits in the outer neoprene cap. It allows tiny adjustments, so the fit can be tuned to each patient for comfort and function. Scalp cooling runs while patients receive chemotherapy infusions. During that time, the Click Cap keeps full coverage, which helps every area of the scalp stay evenly cooled. The fit can be adjusted with one hand at any point in the infusion.
Bret Bostock, global manager of Boa’s medical division, said precision fit and ease of use are key to the device’s success and also make treatment more comfortable. Boa started out in snowboard boots and is now common in many sports. Even so, he said, the company is pleased to see its medical division grow.
Elissa Banker, content manager at Boa Technology, is a breast cancer survivor who used cold cap therapy. She worked alongside the Boa development team to build a better product. According to her, the result is more effective and more comfortable, and it helps patients feel empowered. Taking hair loss out of the picture means one less worry during treatment, she said.
The DigniCap system uses a tight silicone cooling cap placed directly on the head, while an outer neoprene cap insulates it and holds it in place. Liquid coolant flows through the silicone cap and cools the scalp evenly. As the scalp gets colder, blood vessels narrow, so less chemotherapy reaches the scalp. Hair follicles also take up less of the drug, because their metabolic rate drops. Together, these effects lower the risk of hair loss.
DigniCap is offered at more than 100 cancer clinics in 22 states and helps thousands of US patients each year. The Click Cap will reach DigniCap sites across the country in early 2018.
Dignitana, Inc. is based in Dallas, Texas. It is the US subsidiary of Dignitana AB, a Swedish public company in Lund that is listed on Nasdaq First North Stockholm, with Erik Penser Bank as Certified Adviser. Boa Technology Inc. is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with offices in Austria, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan. Its system combines a micro-adjustable dial, strong lightweight laces and low-friction lace guides, and it appears in golf, athletic, outdoor, snow sports, cycling, utility and medical products.
