New Wearable Device Monitors Sun Exposure

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It's like a Fitbit that tracks steps but this one monitors sun exposure and alerts you when you've had too much sun.

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"This is our current version and you can see the solar panel on the front," said Dr. Brian Matthys, a dermatologist and founder of Eclipse Rx.

With solar panels and infrared sensors, this device is supposed to measure the amount of sunlight you get throughout the day and it will alert you when you reach an unsafe level.

"Sunburn is one of the biggest triggers in skin cancer," Dr. Matthys said. "Skin cancer occurs in one of five people in this country, so it's so common."

Founder Dr. Matthys says he's been thinking about a device like this for five years. His goal is to help people enjoy life outside safely.

The device works like a Fitbit and syncs up to an app on your smartphone.

"You would tap this to begin," Dr. Matthys said.

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The app walks you through the setup and based on your skin type, the device will vibrate and you will get a push notification to your phone when you've been in the sun for too long.

Dr. Matthy's says using it is simple.

"All you have to do is routinely decide whether or not you want to wear sun protection, and then we decide what SPF we're using based on a slider so we can go 5, 85 and 90 SPF we use.

Right now the device costs $159 is on pre-order. And while it was developed by a dermatologist, there's no information on proof of accuracy or outside independent reviews.

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Doctors say safest practice is to apply sunscreen every couple of hours or stay out of the sun.