Author: lisaweiner

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Brain mHealth Parkinson's Sensors

Phone based Parkinson’s research

mPower is a mobile Parkinson’s Disease study, powered by HealthKit.  It attempts to understand why people experience different symptoms, and why a person’s symptoms and side effects can vary over time.

The process includes surveys and tasks that activate phone sensors. Progression symptoms, including dexterity, balance and gait, are tracked. The goal is to understand variations, improve the way variations are described, and learn how mobile devices and sensors can help measure the disease and its progression.

This study is sponsored by Sage Bionetworks and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and builds on the work of Max Little.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER HERE.

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Diabetes Wounds

Electrical stimulation to accelerate wound healing

University of Manchester researchers are using electrical stimulation to accelerate wound healing.   This can be particularly useful for lower limb venous and diabetic ulcers, and for those with compromised immune systems.

In a recent study,  1/2 centimeter sized superficial wounds were created on the upper arm of 40 volunteers.  One wound was left to heal normally, while the other was treated with electrical pulses for two weeks.  These pulses stimulated the angiogenesis process, increasing the blood flow to the damaged area.  The result was significantly faster healing.

Ardeshir Bayat and Oxford BioElectronics are now developing devices and dressings based on this technology.   They will stimulate the nervous system to generate nerve impulses to the site of skin repair.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER HERE.

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BCI Brain Prosthetics

Implant to enable prosthetic sensations

Washington University‘s Daniel Moran has received a DARPA grant to test a device that would stimulate nerves in the upper arm and forearm of prosthetic users.  The goal is for the wearer to be able to feel hot, cold, and a sense of touch.  In a related development last year, MC10‘s Roozbeh Ghaffari developed artificial skin for prosthetics that mimics the sensitivity of real skin.  Its silicon and gold sensors detect pressure, moisture, heat and cold (see ApplySci, 12/30/14).

Moran’s electrode is designed to stimulate sensory nerve cells in the ulnar and median nerves in the arms. The ulnar nerve is the largest  in the body unprotected by muscle or bone and is connected to the ring finger and pinkie finger on the hand. The median nerve in the upper arm and shoulder is connected to the other fingers on the hand. Together, the two nerves control movement and sensations including touch, pressure, vibration, heat, cold and pain in all of the fingers.

This novel  macro-sieve peripheral nerve interface is designed to stimulate regeneration of the ulnar and median nerves to transmit information back into the central nervous system.

The device is in an early stage, and will only be implanted in non-human primates at this time.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  

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Pain Sensors Wearables

Pain relieving wearable, app

Cur is a wearable pain relief system, similar to Quell, (see ApplySci, 1/13/15) for people who respond to TENS.  It uses uses electrical stimulation to stop pain at its source.  The bandaid-like device sticks directly to skin, and all the modulation of electrical signals is automatically controlled by built in sensors.  Users can also adjust the amount of stimulation with a smartphone app.

The company claims that “within five seconds it measures muscle vibrations, and uses those vibrations to adjust the amplitude—the strength of the treatment.”

The wearable must  receive FDA approval for a low-risk wellness device.  If effective, non-drug pain relievers, like Pur and Quell, could help sufferers avoid the addiction and debilitating side effects associated with narcotic pain medicine.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER BEFORE FRIDAY,  MAY 15 TO RECEIVE THE PREFERRED RATE.

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IoT Seniors Sensors Wearables

Stamp sized wearable detects falls

As part of its IoT Ubiquitousware platform, Fujitsu has developed a stamp sized sensor tag that detects falls, position, posture, and temperature changes.

The tags contain accelerometers, barometers, gyroscopes and microphones. They can also include heart rate sensors and GPS modules. Data is transmitted via Bluetooth Low Energy. Algorithms analyze the data and automatically send alerts to caregivers.

The sensors can be worn as wristbands, on lapels or pockets, or be attached to shopping carts and walkers.  Obvious potential users include seniors and  hospital patients.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30  @ THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER BEFORE FRIDAY, MAY 15th TO RECEIVE THE PREFERRED RATE.

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Asthma Data Sensors

Inhaler sensors track asthma severity across cities

Propeller Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, through their Air Louisville program, are using sensors on asthma inhalers to track when, where and how often inhalers are used. This helps patients manage symptoms, and city officials warn of increased chances of asthma severity in certain areas.

Sensors attach to inhaled medication, and a smartphone app and physician-facing website analyze the data. Patients are given the inhalers for free.  The use of “rescue medication” (short-acting bronchodilators) and daily maintenance medication are monitored.

Air sampling monitors are overlayed onto the EPA monitor backbone to  determine connections between air quality, environmental factors, and asthma severity.

Propeller Health plans to expand its asthma monitoring program to five U.S. cities.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  EARLY REGISTRATION RATE ENDS FRIDAY, 5/15

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Brain Eyes

Wireless brain chip restores vision, bypasses eye

Monash University’s Bionic Eye will be trialed in humans next year. The study is being led by Professor Jeffrey V. Rosenfeld.

Patients who have lost their sight will have tiny “ceramic tiles” implanted into their brain’s visual cortex. The device bypasses the normal visual pathway, unlike the other bionic eyes in development, which rely on an implant in the retina.

A glasses mounted digital camera  captures images before transferring them to a small vision processing device. Once processed, the image is transferred to an antenna attached to the back of a glasses frame. It is then wirelessly transmitted to the brain, where it is received by the small ceramic tiles implanted during surgery. The tiny tiles, each containing 43 microelectrodes​, measure 9mm by 9mm.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  EARLY REGISTRATION RATE ENDS FRIDAY, 5/15.

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Diabetes

Heat sensitive sock detects diabetic circulation issues

Kent State University researchers have developed a fabric that can be turned into a sensor sock for diabetics.

The liquid crystal in the  prototype sock changes color depending on body temperature.  Inflammation, swelling and infection cause an increase in temperature, and poor circulation causes a decrease in temperature.  This is a simple way to detect changes early and avoid significant diabetic complications.

Patients put the socks on in the morning. If they notice a color change, they are prompted to call their doctor.  The most common change would be to blue or green, indicating heat.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER HERE.

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Seniors Sensors

Sensor technology helps seniors age in place

Evermind, Lively (see ApplySci April, 2013 and November, 2014), and BeClose are sensor systems allowing remote  caregiver monitoring — part of a growing genre of technologies helping seniors age in place.

Evermind detects when appliances are switched on and off, and sends messages to caregivers through the day.  It also sends alerts when changes in activity could be cause for concern. BeClose and Lively’s motion sensors also monitor daily activity, and can send alerts about falls, missed medication, and other custom parameters.  Lively can be integrated with an emergency response system.

As the population ages, and society recognizes the need for a dignified existence for the elderly, these technologies will continue to proliferate.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER HERE.

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Brain Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality in neurosurgery planning

UCLA Neurosurgery, led by Neil Martin,  is using VR in surgery planning, integrating the Oculus Rift with Surgical Theater’s 3D “SNAP” surgery navigation device.  (See ApplySci’s April, 2014 description of Surgical Theater’s technology.) The hope is to be able improve precision and outcomes, and decrease surgical time.

The VR scene is based on patient CT and MRI scans, allowing the surgeon to enter the virtual brain, examine the tumor or aneurysm, and plan surgical strategy and operative steps.  By preparing with this visual representation of the brain, surgeons might be better able to protect and preserve areas that control motor and language function during procedures.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER HERE.

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Conference MRI

Ultra-low-field, portable MRI

Los Alamos National Laboratory‘s Michelle Espy is developing an ultra-low-field, lightweight MRI system for use on the battlefield and in poor countries.  The device will be simple to transport, set up, and use in non-traditional settings.

Conventional MRI machines use large magnetic fields that align protons in water molecules. Magnetic resonance signals are detected and turned into images. Highly detailed images are created, but the process is complicated and expensive. Espy uses Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID) to create quality images with ultra-low-magnetic fields.

The  first generation (battlefield) “b”MRI was built in a large metal housing to shield it from interference.  The team is now surrounding the system with lightweight wire coils in the open environment to compensate the Earth’s magnetic field.  A field compensation system will soon eradicate invading magnetic field signals.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. REGISTER HERE.

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3-D Printing Respiratory

3D printed airway splints restore breathing

At the University of Michigan, three children under 2 with tracheobronchomalacia had 3D printed devices implanted to open their airways and restore their breathing.

Professors Glenn Green and Scott Hollister were able to create and implant customized tracheal splints for each patient. The device was created directly from CT scans of their tracheas, integrating an image-based computer model with laser-based 3D printing to produce the splint.

The splint was sewn around the patient’s airways to expand the trachea and bronchus and give it a skeleton to aid proper growth. It is designed to be reabsorbed by the body over time. The growth of the airways were followed with CT and MRI scans, and it was shown to allow airway growth for all three patients.

The findings suggest that early treatment of tracheobronchomalacia may prevent complications of conventional treatment such as a tracheostomy, prolonged hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, cardiac and respiratory arrest, food malabsorption and discomfort. None of the devices implanted in this study have caused complications.

The bioresorable splints enabled the patients to come off of ventilators and ended their need for paralytics, narcotics and sedation.  Researchers noted improvements in multiple organ systems.  The patients were also relieved of immunodeficiency-causing proteins that prevented them from absorbing food so that they no longer needed intravenous therapy.

WEARABLE TECH + DIGITAL HEALTH NYC 2015 – JUNE 30 @ NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.  REGISTER HERE.