Acousto-mechanic sensors and applications of same

An acousto-mechanic sensor, comprising:

• at least one inertial measurement unit (IMU) for operably detecting vibratory and motion signatures of physiological processes comprising scratching or rubbing activities;
• and
• a plurality of electronic components comprising a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the at least one IMU for receiving data from the at least one IMU and processing the received data, and a wireless communication system for wireless data transmission,
• wherein the acousto-mechanic sensor is configured to measure signals of both low frequency less than about 100 Hz and high frequency greater than about 100 Hz derived from the at least one IMU;
• wherein the acousto-mechanic sensor is skin mounted to allow for coupling of the at least one IMU to the skin for capture of both the high frequency and low frequency signals;
• and
• wherein the high frequency and low frequency signals are representative of a physiological response to itch as a scratching or rubbing activity;
• and
• wherein the acousto-mechanic sensor is capable of capturing both motion and bone-conducted high frequency vibrations that are specific for scratching, so as to differentiate the motion of scratching from true scratching on the skin.