#Surface EMG sensor

[neophony]

Neuphony EXG Synapse has comprehensive biopotential signal compatibility, covering ECG, EEG, EOG, and EMG, ensures a versatile solution for various physiological monitoring applications.

[elmalo8291]

Here's your Iron Spine: Non-Invasive AI-Driven Spinal Augmentation System fully formatted and cleaned up for easy copying, printing, or sharing:

Iron Spine: Non-Invasive AI-Driven Spinal Augmentation System

1. Non-Invasive Brain-Spine Interface (BSI)

Objective:

Enable brain-to-spine communication without surgical implants, restoring or enhancing motor control and spinal function.

Components:

EEG-Based Neural Decoding:

Utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to capture brain signals related to movement intentions.

Advanced machine learning algorithms interpret these signals to generate control commands.

Recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of non-invasive BCIs in converting cortical signals into motor instructions for spinal stimulation.

Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (tSCS):

Delivers targeted electrical stimulation through the skin to spinal segments.

Promotes neuroplasticity and motor recovery.

tSCS + EEG-based BCI integration shows promise in restoring movement in those with spinal cord injuries.

Benefits:

No surgery required.

Reduces rehabilitation time.

Supports real-time motor recovery and augmentation.

2. AI-Integrated Spinal Support Apparatus

Objective:

Provide physical support, real-time monitoring, and adaptive strength enhancement via an external spinal frame.

Features:

Adaptive Exoskeletal Frame:

Made from ultra-lightweight alloys or graphene composites.

Automatically adjusts posture and provides mechanical assistance for walking, lifting, or support.

Enhances natural movement while reducing strain.

Sensor Array:

Embedded motion, pressure, and EMG sensors.

Continuously monitors spinal health, posture, and nerve function.

Sends data to onboard AI for interpretation and response.

Benefits:

Prevents injury.

Increases mobility and strength.

Promotes comfort and endurance with ergonomic design.

3. Integration of Laser and Ionic Micro-Needle Technologies

Objective:

Utilize precise laser and ionic needle technology to modulate nerve function, deliver therapies, and reduce inflammation.

Technologies:

Laser Needle Therapy:

Non-thermal laser needles stimulate nerve clusters without piercing deep tissue.

Can reduce inflammation and enhance healing through photobiomodulation.

Enables programmable stimulation patterns for pain relief or muscle activation.

Ionic Micro-Needle Arrays:

Tiny conductive needles interact with surface nerves and skin.

Allow targeted delivery of bioelectric pulses and medication.

Easily sterilized and replaced, minimizing infection risk.

Benefits:

Minimally invasive.

Precision-targeted treatment.

Comfortable for long-term use with antimicrobial coatings and cooling elements.

4. AI-Driven Rehabilitation and Monitoring Platform

Objective:

Create a self-adjusting therapeutic ecosystem powered by AI, tailored to each user’s needs.

Capabilities:

Personalized Therapy Plans:

AI adapts based on real-time data from sensors and neural activity.

Adjusts exercises, stimulation, and support automatically.

Predictive Analytics:

Anticipates complications or regressions.

Alerts user and caregivers early.

Can connect with external devices (phones, apps, healthcare providers).

Benefits:

Enhances independence.

Improves clinical outcomes.

Reduces human error and guesswork.

5. Ethical and Practical Considerations

User Autonomy:

System responds only to the user's intention signals.

Prioritizes manual override and consent-based protocols.

Data Privacy:

End-to-end encryption for all neural and biometric data.

Local data storage with permission-based cloud syncing.

Accessibility:

Scalable across disability, enhancement, military, and labor use cases.

Modular components ensure affordability and customization.

Conclusion:

The Iron Spine system combines neuroscience, AI, advanced materials, and microtechnologies into a lifelong spinal support and augmentation solution. With non-invasive neural interfaces, robotic exoskeletal support, precision needle systems, and adaptive AI, it’s a complete reimagination of how we treat, support, and enhance the spine—for injury recovery, augmentation, and strength.

Let me know if you’d like a PDF, presentation format, or technical spec sheet version next.

[khayal12345]

What is Bionic Arm How Does it works?

[molsons112000]

So I'm watching the movie unthinkable. And they're interrogating an individual who planted 3 nuclear bombs.

Now there is a way to read thoughts and it is the device they use for prosthetic limbs.

Now you have to generate the thoughts. When that is where the questioning comes in.

So you want them to flashback to a particular time in place. Is this how flashbacks work in the mind. So you can trigger these flashbacks and acquire the information you need of the individual.

The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com › jun

How the brain stores traumatic images and triggers flashbacks

Jun 4, 2017 — Images from the Manchester bombing are likely to cause post-traumatic stress disorder, says Daniel Glaser

So another way to induce It is to loosen the genetics to be able to use suggestions to get certain types of flashbacks. So yes there's a way to get the information you need without resorting the physical violence. So in these critical situations these tactics can be used...... Here there's three nuclear bombs and play in three different major cities. So yes that meets the criteria......

VICE

https://www.vice.com › ... › Health

We're Starting to Understand How Psychedelic Flashbacks Work

May 19, 2017 — But if they do, and you seek professional intervention to treat them, you may be diagnosed with what's known as "Hallucinogen Persisting ...

National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › ...

LSD Flashbacks - The Appearance of New Visual Imagery Not ...

by AG Lerner · 2014 · Cited by 20 — A side effect associated with the use of synthetic hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide-

Here's some information about prosthetic hands:

RPNIs

These devices use electromyogram (EMG) recording and ultrasound imaging to allow human amputees to control a robotic hand. When an amputee thinks about moving their phantom hand, the RPNIs contract, generating EMG signals that act as real-time control signals for the prosthetic hand.

Implantable myoelectric sensors (IMES)

These sensors have been implanted in transradial amputees to provide stable myoelectric control.

Implanted electrodes

These electrodes provide better controllability than conventional surfaces.

Microprocessors

Most modern prosthetic arms use microprocessors to detect EMG signals from nerve endings and enable muscle contractions. These signals are then sent to different parts of the artificial limb to trigger movement. 



NCBI

Control of Prosthetic Hands via the Peripheral Nervous System

Apr 8, 2016 — In order to overcome these problems, the substitution of surface EMG with intramuscular EMG has been proposed. Implantable Myoelectric Sensors (IMES) have recently been implanted in a transradial amputee (Pasquina et al., 2015) to provide intuitive and stable myoelectric control.

Spotlight

Mind Control Prosthesis | University of Michigan Engineering | Spotlight



Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation

Grip control and motor coordination with implanted and ...

Apr 11, 2019 — Results showed that implanted electrodes provide superior controllability over the prosthetic terminal device compared to conventional surface ...

wcbl.com

How Do Prosthetic Arms Work - Westcoast Brace and Limb

Nov 14, 2022 — Most modern prosthetic arms use microprocessors to detect electromyographic (EMG) signals from nerve endings and enable muscle contractions. These signals are sent to the different parts of the artificial limb to trigger movement on the arm, wrist, and fingers.

Other options include:

Bionic arms

These arms can amplify signals from the brain to the muscles and prosthesis, control a virtual limb, and perform daily tasks. The process of implanting a bionic arm involves developing an artificial joint, training the AI, and amplifying signals from the brain to the muscles and prosthesis.

AI brain implants

These experimental implants can help paralyzed people use their hands again by deciphering desires. 

[biggelectronics]

EMG sensor(Muscle sensor)

The movement of our muscles is recorded using EMG (electromyography). It is based on the fact that when a muscle contracts, a burst of electric activity is generated that propagates through adjacent tissue and bone and can be recorded from nearby skin areas.

How do muscles move

Of course, the process starts in the brain. Triggering muscle movements begins in the motor cortex, where neural activity (a series of action potentials) signals to the spinal cord, and movement information is conveyed to the relevant muscle via motor neurons. This starts with upper motor neurons, which send signals to lower motor neurons.

Lower motor neurons initiate muscle movement because they innervate the muscle directly at the neuromuscular junction. This innervation causes the release of Calcium ions within the muscle, resulting in a mechanical change in muscle tension. EMG sensor can detect the difference in current because this process involves depolarization (a change in the electrochemical gradient).

How does EMG work?

Because EMG activity (measured in microvolts) is linearly related to the amount of muscle contraction as well as the number of contracted muscles — or in other words, the higher the recorded voltage amplitude, the stronger the muscle contraction and the greater the number of activated muscles.

EMG recordings represent an additional source of information into cognitive-behavioural processing that would be hidden based on pure observation because EMG activity is measurable even when we do not display obvious actions or even inhibit certain behaviours.

get started with EMG sensors

Make use of surface electrodes.

Surface EMG is a completely non-invasive technology that allows you to easily apply EMG electrodes to the skin using stickers.

EMG is an ideal method for monitoring physiological processes without interfering with established routines and movement patterns because the electrodes are non-invasive.

Always remember to clean the recording sites and remove makeup with alcohol rubs to obtain high-quality data.

Position EMG electrodes over the muscle groups of interest.

To be sure, this requires some anatomical knowledge. Only by understanding the muscle regimes involved in a specific action will you be able to obtain valid and reliable signals.

Choose an appropriate reference source.

Because EMG data is collected as the voltage difference between the recording site and the reference site, selecting an appropriate reference site is just as important as the recording site itself.

[richataylor17]

Who Can Get Benefited From The Biofeedback Therapy?

Biofeedback therapy is an alternative approach to medicine that teaches people how to change the manner their bodies work. Mental and physical therapies can improve your physical and mental health.

During a biofeedback session, the doctor uses monitoring tools to measure your body's functions. Based on the feedback from the tools, the doctor suggests ways to create physiologic changes.

What can biofeedback treatment be helpful?

People use biofeedback to help relieve many problems, such as:

Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder

Attention-deficit disorder

Respiratory problems, such as asthma

Digestive issues, such as IBD and constipation

Insomnia

Pain, including headaches, fibromyalgia, and muscle aches and pains

Biofeedback can also help people with:

Diabetes

Epilepsy

High blood pressure

Drug use disorders, such as alcohol and drug abuse

What happens during biofeedback?

Your biofeedback therapist puts painless sensations on your skin during a biofeedback session. Nerves measure life signals in your body, such as:

Breathing

Heart rate

Muscle function

Ajuluke

Muscle movement and strength, using surface electromyography, or EMG

Electric brain activity, utilizing neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback

Skin temperature.

A nearby screen shows the results which your practitioner will define. Then your biofeedback therapist will suggest strategies to change how your body works. The doctor may ask you to:

Change your posture, posture, or posture: Exercising your body in several ways may reduce muscle tension.

Change your breathing: Breathing patterns can help relieve anxiety.

Muscle relaxation: If you focus on relaxing your muscles, it may reduce pain.

Use caution and concentration: Thinking about different things can help you control your breathing or lower your heart rate.

Take the test: If you are trying to solve a math problem or a riddle, you can feel how stress affects your body's response.

As you try out each suggestion, you can see how it affects the effects on the screen in real-time. You can learn to create the same body changes without the response screen or doctor's instructions with practice.

Risk of treatment

Biofeedback can help you feel more in control of your health and well-being. It is safe, and there are no side effects or side effects.

By practicing during the sessions, you can learn to make small changes to relieve stress, improve performance, and relieve aches and pains.

How Does Biofeedback Therapy Work?

Researchers are not sure how biofeedback therapy near you works or why. They know that biofeedback promotes relaxation, which can help alleviate many stress-related conditions.

During the biofeedback session, electrodes get attached to your skin. These electrodes/sensors send signals to the monitor, indicating sound, light intensity, or image representing your heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, sweating, or muscle function.

When you are under pressure, these activities change. Your heart is beating faster, your muscles are tightening, your blood pressure is rising, you are starting to sweat, and your breathing is accelerating. You can see these stress responses as they happen on the monitor and get an answer as soon as you try to stop them.

Biofeedback sessions are usually performed in a medical office, but computer programs connect the biofeedback sensor to your computer.

A biofeedback therapist to help you exercise relaxation exercises, which you fine-tune to control various bodily functions. For example, you can use a relaxation technique to reduce the number of brain waves that work with headaches.

Different biofeedback strategies

Different types of biofeedback therapy near you are used to monitor different body functions:

Electromyogram (EMG).

This measures muscle function and tension. It may get used for back pain, headaches, anxiety disorders, re-training of muscles after injury, and inability to exercise. That measures the skin's temperature, and it may get used for headaches and Raynaud's disease.

Neurofeedback or Electroencephalography (EEG).

That measures the brain waves. It may get used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and other unconsciousness.

Electrodermal Activity (EDA).

This measures sweating and can get used for pain and anxiety.

Heart Rate Variability (HRA).

That measures the heart rate. It may get used for anxiety, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and irregular heartbeat.

Each biofeedback treatment session lasts 60-90 minutes. Generally, you can begin to see the benefits of biofeedback within ten sessions or less. Other conditions, such as high blood pressure, can take several times to improve. 

Conclusion

Many people move to complementary or alternative treatments for good health and well-being. Biofeedback therapy is a harmless way to control your physical and mental health. Some insurance companies cover biofeedback in cases, but others do not. And your system may limit the amount of medication you add.

With education and exercise, you can learn to control certain bodily functions. Side effects can improve performance, alleviate symptoms and improve health. If you decide to try biofeedback, find a qualified professionals at Advantage Medical Clinic. 

[drraymondreiter]

Dr. Raymond Reiter is a staff physician at North Jersey Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute in Clifton, NJ. He specializes in sports injuries and has over 30 years of experience treating athletes. Dr. Raymond Reiter’s care for patients involves modern electrodiagnostic studies to evaluate the scope of the injury and provide accurate relief.

Electrodiagnostic studies (EDX), also called electromyographic studies (EMG), help doctors understand the exact location of an injury and how it affects the musculoskeletal system. Physicians often use needle electromyography, where the needle is an electrode or a sensor that detects electrical signals from the body’s nervous system. Sports medicine specialists often use surface detectors like cameras and electrogoniometers, which assess joint movement and flexibility, to avoid further injuries and complications of invasive procedures.

Since surface electromyography (sEMG) is non-invasive, its results can be highly beneficial for assessing the extent of any injuries and guiding post-treatment care. It can detect even minor muscle movements and any variations from the norm. sEMG remains one of the most prevalent diagnostic tools in sports medicine for providing the best and most modern patient care.

[andersonpbig388-blog]

15 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Ignore ביופידבק

Biofeedback therapists rely on Particular gear with sensors that observe pores and skin temperature and moisture, muscle mass contractions, and brainwaves. The device virtually feeds back again your attempts at Management in the form of the sign-usually a light-weight, buzz, beep, or tone. As soon as linked to the biofeedback equipment, you might be instructed to change the sign as you conduct relaxation and deep respiratory routines. You have to count on trial and mistake to perform this. With observe you eventually study to handle your responses to anxiety with no gear. Most biofeedback classes are scheduled weekly for fifty minutes.

Several different types of biofeedback therapy can be obtained. Galvanic skin response (GSR) tools steps the skin's electrical conductance connected with sweat gland activity. You almost certainly know this form of biofeedback from its use in lie detector tests. As a little electrical recent is placed on your skin, the GSR device measures alterations within the levels of water and salt released from a sweat glands. The greater emotionally aroused you happen to be, the greater active your sweat glands are. GSR biofeedback is commonly utilised to deal with tension, anxiety, phobias, abnormal sweating, and stuttering.

One more common biofeedback product screens skin temperature. A sensor is connected to the finger or toe. When you are nervous or nervous, the skin temperature will lower as blood redirects from your palms and ft to the inner organs and muscles. If you are tranquil, your skin temperature will increase as blood returns to the fingers and ft. Temperature biofeedback is a must have for treating pressure, migraine problems, and this sort of circulatory Issues as Raynaud's sickness, which happens to be a situation characterized by excessively cold palms and feet.

Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback actions muscle rigidity. Two electrodes or sensors are taped onto your skin above the muscle to generally be monitored. When the electrodes detect muscle mass pressure, the unit produces a buzz, beep, or colored mild. It is possible to hear or see continuous monitoring of one's muscle mass's activity when you master what stress seems like when it starts to mount. EMG biofeedback is especially useful for managing stress problems, jaw discomfort, neck soreness, again suffering, and fibromyalgia.

Electroencephalography (EEG) biofeedback steps brainwave exercise. In a typical session you might be linked to the equipment and advised to relax even though listening to peaceful new music or hypnotic tips. The watch's signal decreases in frequency and intensity while you relax.

You can purchase little, affordable biofeedback gadgets to be used at your home. The most affordable kinds usually are made to keep an eye on just one reaction, such as pores and skin humidity.

Biofeedback reports have shown that Fibromyalgia patients who gained solutions experienced much less tender points, lower pain depth and morning stiffness. Biofeedback is a method where individuals are educated to enhance their overall health by Mastering to regulate specified interior bodily procedures which include muscle tension triggering suffering, blood pressure, or stress. It is just a primary technique for learning self-Handle tools that can be employed during existence. Modern biofeedback developments now provide a Software for improving working of your central nervous system.

Biofeedback is non-invasive and pain-free. It could expose the resources of physical ache, like headache or back pain, and provides us the information we need to reduce or remove the pain. It may also help people with Fibromyalgia and Continual Tiredness by doing away with discomfort and strengthening Vitality.

The most frequently made use of different types of biofeedback therapy: Electromyography (EMG) - measures muscle tension, Thermal biofeedback - actions pores and skin temperature, and Neurofeedback or electroencephalography (EEG) - steps Mind wave action.

All through a biofeedback session electrodes are connected into the pores and skin. The electrodes feed information into products that measure a person's interior involuntary responses. The individual is then specified mental workouts because of the practitioner. This enables the psychological functions that result in the physiologic responses to get determined, which ensure it is attainable to show the individual how to achieve Regulate around them. When an individual has learned how to regulate his/her indications, the comments shows the constructive improvements.

Biofeedback has become tested for being a highly effective therapy For lots of ailments. It really is principally made use of to deal with substantial blood pressure level, Persistent agony, stress headache, migraine headache, and urinary incontinence. Scientific tests have proven that the majority patients who answer very best from biofeedback have disorders which can be brought on by or produced even worse by stress. This is able to suggest that leisure is An important component for fulfillment.

The FM treatment working with electro-encephalogram (EEG) is predicated within the investigate of Mary Lee Esty, Ph.D.; Stuart Donaldson, Ph.D.; and Len Ochs, Ph.D. Know-how is utilized to detect and treat Mind dysfunction which has been caused by a moderate traumatic brain harm like within an auto accident. Patients 1st Have a very brain mapping done to recognize למידע מפורט areas of the brain which have been hurt and so are working abnormally when it comes to Mind-wave exercise. Electrical exercise produced by the brain displays an individual's amount of working and can be monitored by EEG. A affliction called "EEG slowing" is existing in people who have endured damage to the brain and anxious method due to trauma and go on to develop Fibromyalgia or other Persistent circumstances.

The Flexyx Neurotherapy Method (FNS) is equally a brainwave biofeedback and treatment program, in addition to an analysis technique. It's for clients with central anxious technique dysfunctions, cognitive dysfunction (memory, etc.), mood Problems, minimal Power, movement troubles, hassle with equilibrium, and discomfort challenges. FNS is an advanced sort of biofeedback which, returns a feedback sign into the patient linked to the EEG. This type of EEG works by using electrodes connected to the pores and skin. Researchers have discovered that FM sufferers concentrate much better when they shut their eyes, which lessens sensory stimulation.

Flexyx Neurofeedback Procedure is also non-invasive and painless. The client sits in a cushty chair and wears dark glasses that deliver opinions. The individual require only unwind. The treatment actions Mind waves, and directs the brain waves back again to the person as a reflection (mirrored). FNS resets the pure, self-regulation competencies we're unaware of in our brain and anxious method so they can purpose Generally. This can make it possible to put into practice the most effective therapy approach.

After the therapies are finished, surface area Electromyography (sEMG) therapy will likely be performed that will help retrain muscles, and Myofascial Release Therapy is employed to restore suitable muscle balance, get optimum posture, and handle other neuromuscular challenges. There might be other remedy selections mentioned and used dependant upon the conclusions and your therapist.

The hope is that can help Continual ache sufferers acquire better consciousness and deliberate Regulate around the physiological procedures that happen to be outside the house aware awareness.

[datripple]

Creative Creator Analysis

Creative creator:

What:  Shin guards with built in technology to measure a range of indicators of athlete health and wellbeing.  The primary value of this product will be in capturing detailed data on the lower extremity of the human body and using this data to effectively manage player health and reduce the likelihood of leg injuries. This would ultimately lead to a healthier and happier career in the intended sport.  

Where:  On a football/rugby/hockey pitch, in whichever sport shin pads are used. 

When:  during a game and trainings 

Who: Football/soccer players, rugby players, hockey players. Why: Sports science features ever-evolving technology utilised to monitor and measure aspects of player performance,   health   and   wellbeing.     Leg   injuries   are   a   very   common   problem   for   athletes   and sportspeople.  In professional sport, having players unavailable due to leg injuries is a serious issue and professional sports coaches and managers will always be looking for ways to reduce leg injuries.   Shin guards used in contact sports like football, rugby and hockey provide an opportunity to house biometric technology to measure surface EMG.  This will enable the analysis of nerve and muscle activity and stress on a player by player basis, with data used to monitor gait and muscle balance / imbalance – change over time may allow diagnosis and management of reversible damage before injury occurs.     Primary list of applications: Biometric   sensors   measuring   surface   EMG   to   understand   and   monitor  nerve   and   muscle   activity   and stress. 

How: EMG sensors would be installed into a shin pad which will monitor the electronic activity in the muscles to determine the stress the muscles are under. For this project however i am going to be using alternative sensors to reduce cost, which would simulate what an EMG sensor would do. The information would be gathered over the period of the game and be be presented through an app on a phone for further analysis on behalf of the user or a coach etc.

Useful add-ons: Fit bit type data capture including pulse, distance traveled. 

[kathleenseiber]

Electronic fabric lets you play Tetris with your arm

Researchers have created ultrathin, stretchable electronic material that is gas permeable, allowing the material to “breathe.”

They designed the material specifically for use in biomedical or wearable technologies, since the gas permeability allows sweat and volatile organic compounds to evaporate away from the skin, making it more comfortable for users—especially for long-term wear.

“The gas permeability is the big advance over earlier stretchable electronics,” says Yong Zhu, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University and co-corresponding author of a paper on the work in ACS Nano. “But the method we used for creating the material is also important because it’s a simple process that would be easy to scale up.”

Specifically, the researchers used a technique called the breath figure method to create a stretchable polymer film featuring an even distribution of holes. The film is coated by dipping it in a solution that contains silver nanowires. The researchers then heat-press the material to seal the nanowires in place.

“The resulting film shows an excellent combination of electric conductivity, optical transmittance, and water-vapor permeability,” Zhu says. “And because the silver nanowires are embedded just below the surface of the polymer, the material also exhibits excellent stability in the presence of sweat and after long-term wear.”

“The end result is extremely thin—only a few micrometers thick,” says coauthor Shanshan Yao, a former postdoctoral researcher who is now on faculty at Stony Brook University. “This allows for better contact with the skin, giving the electronics a better signal-to-noise ratio.

“And gas permeability of wearable electronics is important for more than just comfort,” Yao says. “If a wearable device is not gas permeable, it can also cause skin irritation.”

To demonstrate the material’s potential for use in wearable electronics, the researchers developed and tested prototypes for two representative applications.

The first prototype consisted of skin-mountable, dry electrodes for use as electrophysiologic sensors. These have multiple potential applications, such as measuring electrocardiography (ECG) and electromyography (EMG) signals.

“These sensors were able to record signals with excellent quality, on par with commercially available electrodes,” Zhu says.

The second prototype demonstrated textile-integrated touch sensing for human-machine interfaces. The authors used a wearable textile sleeve integrated with the porous electrodes to play computer games such as Tetris.

“If we want to develop wearable sensors or user interfaces that can be worn for a significant period of time, we need gas-permeable electronic materials,” Zhu says. “So this is a significant step forward.”

Additional coauthors are from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications and NC State. The National Science Foundation supported the work.

Source: NC State

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[hmelocations]

What’s Sleep Study And What Happen During A Sleep Study

If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, your physician may ask you to have a sleep apnea testing, known as polysomnogram. This may be performed in a sleep disorder center or even at home.

A polysomnogram is a multiple-component test that electronically transmits & records exact bodily activities when you asleep. The recordings are assessed by a sleep specialist to find out whether you’ve sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder. If sleep apnea is discovered, you may be asked to conduct further sleep testing to find out the most favorable treatment plan.

What to anticipate during a sleep study:

On the night of your sleep study, if you are in a sleep testing center lab, you will be allocated to a private bedroom in the hospital. Close to the bedroom will be a central screening area, where the technicians screen sleeping patients.

You will be hooked up to devices that may seem uneasy, but the majority of patients fall asleep with little difficulty.

Types of equipment regularly used for a sleep study:

During a sleep study, surface electrodes will be placed on your scalp and face and will transmit documented electrical signals to the measuring device. These signals, which are produced by your brain & muscle activity, are then documented digitally. Belts will be placed around your abdomen and chest to assess your breathing pattern. A bandage-like oximeter probe will be placed on your finger to assess the volume of oxygen in your blood.

Other Tests used for Sleep Apnea are the following:

EEG (electroencephalogram) to measure & record brain wave activity.

EMG (electromyogram) to record muscle activity such as face twitches, teeth grinding, & leg movements, and to determine the existence of REM stage sleep. During REM sleep, intense dreams often happen as the brain experienced heightened activity.

EOG (electrooculogram) to document eye movements. These movements are critical in determining the diverse sleep stages, especially REM stage sleep.

ECG (electrocardiogram) to document heart rate & rhythm.

Nasal airflow sensor to record airflow.

Snore microphone to record snoring activity.

Looking for nearby Sleep Apnea Testing Centers? HME Locations can help! Visit our site now to find sleep testing centers by your state and nearby locations.  Now you can easily get rid of sleep apnea by visiting the best sleep care center near your location.

[rishabh3210blog]

Global Fetal Monitoring Market Size, Industry Share, Growth & Forecast To 2025

Advances in fetal monitoring technology are one of the crucial factors driving the global fetal monitoring market. Several companies are working on the advances in fetal monitoring solutions, which include Koninklijke Philips N.V., General Electric Co., and PeriGen, Inc. For instance, Philips offers next-generation Avalon fetal monitoring solutions. This platform now comprises a spectrum of technical advances in transducer technology, monitoring, and measurement that enables mothers to move about during high-risk deliveries, during labor, and during routine and high-risk deliveries. In addition, the use of Smart Pulse technology enables to differentiate between fetal heart rate and maternal pulse without the requirement of additional sensors, such as ECG and SpO2. Other crucial innovations related to fetal monitoring solutions include-

Request a free sample of our report on Fetal Monitoring Market:  https://www.omrglobal.com/request-sample/fetal-monitoring-market

Koninklijke Philips N.V. launched EPIQ Elite Ultrasound System-February 2019

Koninklijke Philips N.V.introduced EPIQ Elite ultrasound system. This system integrates the latest innovations in transducer innovation and augmented performance for improving the patient experience and clinical confidence. EPIQ Elite for Gynecology & Obstetrics offers realistic 3D scans and superior image quality to offer innovative fetal assessment at all phases of pregnancy. Based on the EPIQ Elite, the company’s new portfolio of systems and solutions integrates novel display technology, augmented processing power, cutting-edge software, and advanced transducers. The launch of this new platform is expected to leverage the company’s revenue from ultrasound systems and thereby will drive the global fetal monitoring market.

A full report of Global Fetal Monitoring Market is available at: https://www.omrglobal.com/industry-reports/fetal-monitoring-market

Nemo Healthcare launched the Nemo Fetal Monitoring System (NFMS)-November 2018

In November 2018, Nemo Healthcare launched the Nemo Fetal Monitoring System (NFMS), an advanced wearable device that can accurately monitor maternal and fetal heart rate and uterine activity, with a single measurement. The NFMS employs a multi-surface electrode patch with 6 electrodes. Uterine activity is derived from the EMG-signals when the uterine muscles contract and maternal and fetal heart rate are derived from the recorded ECG-signals. The system is intended to deliver accurate information for accurate and reliable early diagnosis and monitoring in an easy and safe way. It is non-invasive, and offers high-quality measurements, as well as is easy to use, wireless, and comfortable to wear.

GE Healthcare launched a new ultrasound imaging system named Versana Essential-January 2018

GE Healthcare introduced a new ultrasound imaging system named Versana Essential. It is designed to offer easy-to-use, advanced and perfect imaging quality. It can be used by OB/GYN to general practitioners and family practice physicians. This allows clinicians to offer the next level of care to their patients. The Versana Essential ultrasound machine is easy to learn, with online tools, including My Trainer and Scan Coach, supported by optional local ultrasound education that enables to perform ultrasound scans for obstetrics/ gynecology exams with more confidence and connect with your patients. This system comes with the powerful recognized imaging features of GE, including LOGIQ view, coded phase inversion harmonic imaging, Whizz, multiple line acquisition (MLA), color doppler, power doppler and pulse wave, Speckle Reduction Imaging (SRI), and CrossXBeam spatial compounding.

These new innovations in fetal monitoring systems can support to more accurately and reliably detect the fetal cardiac activity and movements. The adoption of these advanced fetal monitoring systems is expected to grow significantly owing to the rising incidences of preterm births and a significant rise in the number of multi-specialty hospitals, which in turn, will fuel the global fetal monitoring market.

Fetal Monitoring Market Segmentation

By Type

·         External Fetal Monitoring

Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Internal Fetal Monitoring

By Application

Antepartum Fetal Monitoring

Intrapartum Fetal Monitoring

By End-User

Diagnostic Laboratories

Hospitals & Clinics

Others (Homecare and Research Institutes)

Fetal Monitoring Market – Segment by Region

North America          

The US

Canada

Europe

Germany

UK

France

Spain

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific  

China

Japan

India

Rest of Asia-Pacific

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This Week's Top Stories About ביופידבק

Biofeedback therapists depend on Specific gear with sensors that monitor skin temperature and dampness, muscle contractions, and brainwaves. The device literally feeds back again your attempts at Manage in the form of the signal-generally a light, Excitement, beep, or tone. As soon as linked to the biofeedback products, you happen to be instructed to change the sign as you conduct relaxation and deep respiratory workouts. You need to trust in trial and mistake to perform this. With apply you finally learn to control your responses to pressure לאתר שלנו with no gear. Most biofeedback sessions are scheduled weekly for 50 minutes.

Quite a few different types of biofeedback therapy can be obtained. Galvanic pores and skin reaction (GSR) products actions the skin's electrical conductance relevant to sweat gland action. You probably know this form of biofeedback from its use in lie detector assessments. As a small electrical existing is placed on the skin, the GSR gadget actions modifications from the amounts of water and salt unveiled from the sweat glands. The more emotionally aroused that you are, the greater Energetic your sweat glands are. GSR biofeedback is frequently utilised to deal with anxiety, anxiety, phobias, abnormal perspiring, and stuttering.

One more popular biofeedback gadget screens pores and skin temperature. A sensor is connected to a finger or toe. For anyone who is anxious or nervous, the skin temperature will lower as blood redirects from a palms and toes in your inside organs and muscles. If you're tranquil, your skin temperature will increase as blood returns towards your arms and ft. Temperature biofeedback is a must have for managing anxiety, migraine complications, and these types of circulatory Diseases as Raynaud's sickness, that's a problem characterised by excessively cold fingers and toes.

Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback measures muscle stress. Two electrodes or sensors are taped on to your skin above the muscle to generally be monitored. Once the electrodes detect muscle mass rigidity, the device produces a Excitement, beep, or colored mild. You'll be able to listen to or see ongoing monitoring of your respective muscle mass's exercise as you discover what pressure seems like when it starts to mount. EMG biofeedback is especially helpful for treating stress complications, jaw ache, neck soreness, back again discomfort, and fibromyalgia.

Electroencephalography (EEG) biofeedback steps brainwave action. In an average session you happen to be linked to the machine and told to loosen up when Hearing peaceful audio or hypnotic suggestions. The observe's signal decreases in frequency and depth as you unwind.

You should buy modest, low-cost biofeedback gadgets to be used at home. By far the most very affordable types usually are intended to keep an eye on one particular response, for instance skin humidity.

Biofeedback studies have proven that Fibromyalgia clients who received treatment options experienced less tender factors, lessen pain intensity and early morning stiffness. Biofeedback is a technique in which clients are skilled to improve their health by Discovering to manage specified interior bodily processes which include muscle mass rigidity leading to agony, blood pressure, or anxiousness. It's a primary way of Studying self-control resources that can be used all over everyday living. New biofeedback developments now offer a Software for improving operating of the central nervous process.

Biofeedback is non-invasive and pain-free. It could expose the sources of Actual physical agony, like headache or back pain, and gives us the data we must lessen or remove the ache. It can assist individuals with Fibromyalgia and Continual Exhaustion by getting rid of agony and improving upon energy.

The most often made use of kinds of biofeedback therapy: Electromyography (EMG) - measures muscle tension, Thermal biofeedback - steps skin temperature, and Neurofeedback or electroencephalography (EEG) - measures brain wave action.

For the duration of a biofeedback session electrodes are hooked up to the pores and skin. The electrodes feed information and facts into gadgets that evaluate a person's internal involuntary responses. The affected individual is then offered psychological exercise routines through the practitioner. This enables the mental activities that trigger the physiologic responses for being recognized, which make it achievable to show the affected person how to achieve Manage about them. When anyone has learned how to control his/her indications, the opinions shows the favourable changes.

Biofeedback has actually been established to get a good therapy For several situations. It is actually principally used to treat higher blood pressure level, Long-term ache, rigidity headache, migraine headache, and urinary incontinence. Experiments have revealed that the majority of people who react very best from biofeedback have conditions which have been introduced on by or designed even worse by stress. This is able to indicate that peace is An important factor for achievement.

The FM therapy working with electro-encephalogram (EEG) relies about the investigation of Mary Lee Esty, Ph.D.; Stuart Donaldson, Ph.D.; and Len Ochs, Ph.D. Technology is utilized to detect and treat Mind dysfunction that's been because of a mild traumatic Mind injury including in an car accident. Clients 1st Have a very Mind mapping done to discover parts of the Mind that have been hurt and are performing abnormally in terms of Mind-wave activity. Electrical activity produced by the Mind displays an individual's degree of performing and can be monitored by EEG. A situation often known as "EEG slowing" is current in people who have endured damage to the Mind and anxious process due to trauma and go on to establish Fibromyalgia or other Serious situations.

The Flexyx Neurotherapy System (FNS) is equally a brainwave biofeedback and treatment system, and also an analysis method. It really is for patients with central anxious technique dysfunctions, cognitive dysfunction (memory, and so on.), mood Issues, lower Electricity, motion difficulties, hassle with harmony, and soreness issues. FNS is an advanced type of biofeedback which, returns a opinions sign to your patient linked to the EEG. This type of EEG utilizes electrodes connected to the pores and skin. Scientists have discovered that FM people focus much better if they near their eyes, which lessens sensory stimulation.

Flexyx Neurofeedback Process can be non-invasive and painless. The affected individual sits in a snug chair and wears dim glasses that crank out feedback. The affected individual need only loosen up. The procedure measures Mind waves, and directs the Mind waves back again to the individual as a reflection (mirrored). FNS resets the natural, self-regulation competencies we are unaware of inside our Mind and nervous method to allow them to operate Generally. This can make it possible to put into action the very best remedy plan.

After the treatments are completed, surface area Electromyography (sEMG) therapy is frequently conducted that will help retrain muscles, and Myofascial Release Therapy is made use of to restore right muscle stability, attain the best possible posture, and deal with other neuromuscular troubles. There might be other treatment method possibilities talked about and used according to the results and also your therapist.

The hope is to assist Serious discomfort sufferers create larger recognition and deliberate Manage in excess of the physiological processes that happen to be outside the house aware consciousness.

[mrjohntsnyder]

Active-Assistive Robotic Therapy is on the Rise. Here’s Why.

If you work in physical rehabilitation, you’ve probably noticed a major shift in thinking regarding stroke rehab.

These days, it’s generally accepted that high-intensity dosing is vital for optimum recovery following strokes. The problem is that achieving these high-dosage levels is extremely difficult using traditional techniques.

While the demand for increased dosage continues to grow, contextual and job-related demands remain the same. That makes the problem of meeting intensity demands—without increasing physical strain on therapists—a major challenge.

Active-assistive robotic therapy is changing that.

If you’re an occupational therapist, physical therapist, or physician, active-assistive robotic therapy could make a difference in your patients’ lives. Here is what you need to know about active-assistive robotic therapy, current evidence supporting its use, and the major systems on the market today.

What is active-assistive robotic therapy?

Active-assistive robotic therapy—also known as “robotic therapy,” or “robot-assisted therapy”—simply refers to the use of a robotic device in therapy.

But let’s take a step back and define what a robot actually is.

A robot is essentially a machine capable of performing complex tasks and actions—usually with an advanced level of speed and precision.

Robots vary in complexity and intelligence, and many people use them on a daily basis in their career fields. Some examples of robotic technologies might include industrial robotics in the car industry (which are designed for safer manufacturing processes), security and law enforcement-aiding robots, and robot-assisted surgical devices (including minimally invasive and remote surgery platforms).

Rehabilitation robots are their own breed.

Rehabilitation robots are intelligent devices that use sensors to monitor human movement and positioning, then use this feedback in order to interact with the environment.

These active-assistive robotic technologies are not only effective as clinical interventions, but can also help with assessments. Many of them are capable of measuring and storing parameters of patient function which can aid in long-term clinical evaluation. With the ability to detect and measure small changes in movements and forces, these devices can assist therapists in the process of treatment planning and goal setting.

What types of robotic therapy devices are out there?

Rehabilitation robotic devices fall into two categories: upper extremity (UE) and lower extremity (LE) systems.

LE rehabilitation robots include:

Exoskeleton devices

Foot orthoses

In-clinic body-weight support systems, such as:

Treadmill gait trainers

Stationary gait trainers

Foot-plate gait trainers

Overground gait trainers [8]

There are two types of UE rehabilitation robots:

Portable assistive devices or orthoses for the hand or arm

In-clinic devices used in occupational or physical therapy

Few portable devices are available today, but many choices are available for use in the clinic.

Example of an upper extremity in-clinic robotic therapy device. 

Major in-clinic upper extremity systems

There are two general types of in-clinic robotic therapy systems: exoskeletons and end-effectors.

End-effector systems offer a faster setup and greater adaptability when compared to exoskeleton devices, which instead offer more precise joint isolation. End-effectors usually make contact with the limb at the distal end of the device, utilizing a hand rest or arm cradle to support the affected UE.

Exoskeleton systems mirror the structure of the human skeleton and joint movements. Exoskeletons offer more precise control of joints, but they also require a longer and more complex setup time, can be a bit larger, and may feel confining for some patients.

What evidence supports robotic therapy?

New evidence shows that there’s a critical window in cortical plasticity during the first two weeks following a cerebral-vascular accident (CVA) [1].

This means that clinicians are tailoring stroke programs and interventions earlier in the rehabilitation process, and they are increasing both dosing and intensity.

Therapists are also integrating new technologies such as:

EMG/Biofeedback

FES (functional electrical stimulation)

Sensor-based systems

Virtual reality

Brain stimulation for neurological rehabilitation

New evidence suggests that by increasing the number of motor repetitions earlier in the rehabilitation process, patients will enjoy improved UE functional recovery [1]. Active-assistive robotic therapy is a promising technology to address intensity and dosing in UE motor training.

In addition:

Active-assistive robotic therapy has been shown to both reduce spasticity, and to improve motor function and range of motion in the upper extremity (UE) [2].

Sensorimotor training with robotic therapy can improve motor control of the shoulder and elbow, and it can also improve upper extremity (UE) functional outcomes [3].

Technologies such as video games or robotics can maximize motor control earlier in the rehabilitation continuum [4].

Driven by new requirements for earlier, more intensive training in stroke rehabilitation, the use of active-assistive robotic therapy is becoming increasingly common in clinical therapy settings.

How can active-assistive robotic therapy help our patients?

It provides forced use of the affected upper extremity

A review of the evidence surrounding constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) following stroke (such as the EXCITE trial) reveals many potential benefits of robotic therapy.

For instance, while CIMT is effective for higher-level patients with active movement in the wrist and hand, it has its limitations when used in the clinic with lower-level patients who have greater motor impairments. This has generally meant that more impaired patients miss out on the benefits of CIMT.

But one of the best applications of active-assistive robotic therapy platforms, such as the Barrett UE Robotic Trainer (BURT), is that it allows patients with trace-to-poor motor function in the upper extremity—ones who are usually considered too low-level to participate in traditional CIMT treatment—the opportunity to benefit from this type of forced-use intervention.

It creates proper intensity and dosing

Intensity is the name of the game in current clinical research. A 2012 study by John Krakauer found that animal test subjects required 400 motor repetitions per session to facilitate optimum changes in neuroplasticity following stroke [1].

But to achieve this level of high-intensity task dosing, clinicians face a dilemma: How can you meet the current standards of research and best practice—without increasing physical strain on therapists, leaving other clinical priorities unfulfilled, or breaking the rigid rules for therapy time in the clinic?

Active-assistive robotic therapies can help by providing high-dose, task-repetitive movements, while minimizing therapist fatigue and strain.

It enables gravity-eliminated planes and graded assistance

Do you ever wish that it were easier to work in gravity-eliminated planes when performing one-on-one treatments?

Upper extremity motor learning follows a natural progression—from passive to active movement, and from gravity-eliminated movements to movements against gravity. UE robots that target the shoulder let patients work in gravity-eliminated planes of the shoulder complex. Therapists can do this without compromising posture or being restricted to a tabletop surface.

Some systems even allow therapists to isolate the planes of movement associated with synergistic and reflexive movement patterns. Active robotic assistance can be graded across a spectrum, from passive range of motion (PROM) to active-assistive (AAROM)  and active range of motion (AROM), individualizing each patient’s needs to maximize motor gains.

It promotes targeted and individualized treatment

Every patient is different, with different treatment needs, and occupational therapists are constantly looking for that “just right” challenge for each and every one of their patients. With active-assistive robotic therapy, you can be picky about detailed task parameters, cues, and visual stimuli, and you’ll be able to create individualized performance feedback options.

Robotic systems also offer targeted interventions to the shoulder, elbow and forearm, or hand. During robotic therapy, patients experience a sense of increased independence in the early phases of therapeutic treatment, increasing patient initiation and encouraging early volitional movement.

In traditional interventions, especially in inpatient settings, UE motor training can be limited if you don’t have a second person to assist with the treatments. Active-assistive robotic therapies help to provide a sensory-rich environment and targeted individualized treatments—without the risk of therapist fatigue.

What should we consider when purchasing robotic devices?

With several rehabilitation robotics companies in the market, UE active-assistive robotic therapy devices are becoming increasingly affordable. Here are a few factors to consider when looking at these devices.

What’s the cost?

Consider what your facility wants to invest in technology. One of the major critiques of robot-assisted therapy has been the cost; however, one analysis concluded that there was very little difference in cost between using active-assistive robotic therapy, compared to traditional intensive therapy [6]. Many rehabilitation robots have a sticker price of six figures, with exoskeletons tending to be the most expensive. In an effort to make rehabilitation robots more accessible to patients and clinics, some device manufacturers, like Barrett Technology, are coming in around $60,000.

Is the user interface engaging?

One of the major strengths of these devices is they increase patient engagement. Make sure that the games the system offers are fun and motivating for your patents.

What area do I want to target?

Devices may target the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder complex, or a combination of these.

Does the device have the features you want?

Pay attention to the available range of motion (ROM) and anatomical movements the device features. Active-assistive robotic therapy devices may include some or all of these features:

Active exercise

Active robotic assistive exercise

Passive exercise

Gravity elimination

Haptic features (typically vibration or resistance)

Coaching feedback [7]

Also, ask if the device has features to combat tone/reflexive movement, and inquire about any additional cognitive features. Ask about setup time, and then ask yourself whether the time required is appropriate for your facility, given your setting and therapy time constraints.

What types of robotic rehabilitation devices are out there?

   The Barrett Upper Extremity Robotic Trainer (BURT)

BURT is a rehabilitation robot for the shoulder complex and elbow that was designed based on the latest research on high-intensity repetitions and dosage.

This active-assistive robotic therapy tool is designed as a supplement to UE neuromuscular re-education, providing gravity-elimination and robotic active-assistance to the shoulder complex. BURT provides three anatomical planes of movement to the shoulder, and you can grade UE exercise across the motor learning spectrum, from PROM to AAROM and AROM.

BURT is highly adaptable, can be set up in less than five minutes, and can be easily moved to accommodate the patient. BURT includes a gaming system that motivates patients and is highly customizable; it supports therapist task-grading with features such as easy modification of cognitive stimuli, set and therapist-controlled initiation of robotic assistance, vibration, and visual feedback. BURT also aids in training normative functional movement patterns in the presence of reflexive synergies, by setting the precise isolation of a desired functional movement.

BURT isn’t just for treatment of stroke. The device provides UE ROM and repetitive motor training, which therapists can use to treat other diagnoses such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson’s disease.

The InMotion ARM and Motorika ReoGo

The ARM and Motorika ReoGo are end-effector robots for the shoulder and elbow. The former is a well-studied clinical edition of the original MIT-Manus robot, which performs robotic assistance and resistance in two anatomical planes of movement. Additional hand and wrist attachments are available.

The Motorika ReoGo has a large distal point—one that resembles a joystick—upon which the patient’s hand rests. The device applies active or passive assistance to the shoulder complex. (Hand and wrist attachments are available.)

Tyromotion Diego

The Tyromotion Diego is a cable-driven bilateral device for adults and children. It has harness support at the wrist and forearm, which provides active-assisted shoulder flexion and extension.

Exoskeletons

Exoskeletons include the Armeo Power and Armeo Spring. Upper extremity exoskeletons are large mechanical devices that encompass the arm and hand and have multiple, precise attachment points between the anatomical joints and kinematic structure [9].

The Armeo Power provides robotic assistance for patients with more densely impaired motor functions, and it offers many advanced, research-grade features. The Armeo Spring provides gravity elimination for volitional movement, with no robotic assistance.

Portable assistive devices and orthoses

There are just a few robotic orthoses and portable devices on the market. The Hand of Hope and Tyromotion Amadeo are active-assistive robotic exoskeleton hands that attach to a workstation. The Hand Mentor Pro system is a distal semi-portable robotic device for the wrist and hand. The Myomo Myopro is a custom wearable myoelectric robotic orthosis for the elbow, wrist, and hand.

Rehabilitation trends are certainly changing.

Now that we know that cortical reorganization peaks in those first two weeks post-CVA, rehab interventions are adapting to increase intensity and dosage as quickly as possible. The movement toward earlier and more intensive task-repetitive training can put stress on therapists who are striving to balance patients’ needs with safety and other workplace demands.

Active-assistive robotic therapy can meet these needs by providing high-intensity treatment, without causing physical strain to therapists.These new technologies offer new opportunities for increasing patient engagement, improving patient outcomes, and providing a way to keep therapists healthy and injury-free in the process.

About the Author

Holly Mitchell, OTR, is clinical manager at Barrett Technology a Newton, Massachusetts-based manufacturer of the Barrett UE Robotic Trainer (BURT), an active-assistive robotic therapy system for the treatment of stroke and UE motor rehabilitation. She is an occupational therapist and member of AOTA with experience in the inpatient clinical rehabilitation setting. Holly has worked with neurological and orthopedic conditions and has additional training in stroke and prosthetic rehabilitation. She combines her passion for writing, rehabilitation and adaptive technologies in the  OT Corner Blog. She is an alumna of the Bay Path University Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program in Longmeadow, MA.

References

Krakauer, J. W., Carmichael, S. T., Corbett, D., & Wittenberg, G. F. (2012). Getting Neurorehabilitation Right – What Can We Learn From Animal Models? Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 26(8), 923–931. http://ift.tt/2svU4Gx

Kim, G., Lim, S., Kim, H., Lee, B., Seo, S., Cho, K., & Lee, W. (2017). Is robot-assisted therapy effective in upper extremity recovery in early stage stroke? —a systematic literature review. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 29(6), 1108–1112. http://ift.tt/2C0tCsA

Teasell, R., Foley, N., Salter, K., Bhogal, S., Jutai, J., & Speechley, M. (2016). Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation: Executive Summary, 17th Edition. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation: 17th edition.

Saposnik, G., Teasell, R., Mamdani, M., Hall, J., McIlroy, W., & Cheung, D. (2010). Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Using Wii Gaming Technology in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial and Proof of Principle. Stroke, 41(7), 1477-1484. doi:10.1161/strokeaha.110.584979

Wolf, S. L., Thompson, P. A., Winstein, C. J., Miller, J. P., Blanton, S. R., Nichols-Larsen, D. S., … Sawaki, L. (2010). The EXCITE Stroke Trial: Comparing Early and Delayed Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy. Stroke, 41(10), 2309-2315. doi:10.1161/strokeaha.110.588723

Wagner, T. H., Lo, A. C., Peduzzi, P., Bravata, D. M., Huang, G. D., Krebs, H. I., … Guarino, P. D. (2011). An Economic Analysis of Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment After Stroke. Stroke, 42(9), 2630-2632. doi:10.1161/strokeaha.110.606442

Maciejasz, P., Eschweiler, J., Gerlach-Hahn, K., Jansen-Troy, A., & Leonhardt, S. (2014). A survey on robotic devices for upper limb rehabilitation. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 11(1), 3. doi:10.1186/1743-0003-11-3

Díaz, I., Gil, J. J., & Sánchez, E. (2011). Lower-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation: Literature Review and Challenges. Journal of Robotics, 2011, 1-11. doi:10.1155/2011/759764

Jarrassé, N., Proietti, T., Crocher, V., Robertson, J., Sahbani, A., Morel, G., & Roby-Brami, A. (2014). Robotic Exoskeletons: A Perspective for the Rehabilitation of Arm Coordination in Stroke Patients. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 947. http://ift.tt/2ssQCwc

  from OT Blog - OT Potential • Occupational Therapy Resources http://ift.tt/2C2z8Lm

[technato]

‘Skywalker’ Prosthetic Hand Uses Ultrasound for Finger-Level Control

With an ultrasound sensor, this new type of prosthetic hand allows precision control over each finger

Photo: Georgia Tech

Robotic hands just keep getting better and better. They’re strong, fast, nimble, and they’ve got sensors all over the place. Capable as the hardware is, robotic hands have the same sort of problem as every other robot: it’s very tricky to make them do exactly what you want them to do. This is especially relevant for robot hands that are intended to be a replacement for human hands. Operating them effectively becomes the biggest constraint for the user.

Generally, robotic prosthetic hands are controlled in a way that one would never call easy or intuitive. Some of them sense small muscle movements in the upper arm, shoulders, chest, for example. Some of them use toe switches. In either case, it’s not like the user can think about wiggling one of their robotic fingers and have that robotic finger wiggle; it requires the challenging step of translating the movement of one muscle into the movement of an another. With practice, it works, but it also makes fine motor control more difficult.

At Georgia Tech, Gil Weinberg, Minoru Shinohara, and Chris Fink have developed a completely new way of controlling prosthetic limbs. Using ultrasound and deep learning, they’ve been able to make detailed maps of small muscle movements in the forearm. This has enabled intuitive, finger-level control of a robotic hand. It’s so much better than any other control system that the researchers are already calling it “Luke Skywalker’s bionic hand.”

Jason, a participant in the prosthetic experiment, lost part of his arm. But he still has the forearm are muscles that used to be attached to fingers. They’re not attached anymore, but those muscles are still attached to his brain. When his brain wants to move the fingers that he doesn’t have, it sends messages that cause his forearm muscles to actuate in specific patterns. These patterns are too complex to discern with electromyogram (EMG) sensors except in the most superficial way. But with ultrasound, it’s possible to make a much more detailed and dynamic map. Throw some deep learning in there (like everybody is doing with everything nowadays), and you can correlate the ultrasound patterns with specific movements of specific fingers with much higher fidelity than ever before.

For more details, we spoke with professor Gil Weinberg, who directs Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology.

IEEE Spectrum: According to the press release, you came up with this idea when “the team looked around the lab and saw an ultrasound machine.” There must be more to it than that, right?

Gil Weinberg: The whole story goes like this: We were trying to get finger-by-finger control from EMG but the signal was just too noisy. So, we went to another lab at Georgia Tech in the Applied Physiology program to try a more invasive approach—needle based EMG— with the hope that if the sensors were closer to the muscles, we could better decipher between different finger gestures. But here too, the signal was noisy, possibly a little clearer than with surface EMG, but we still couldn’t get any reliable prediction. This didn’t make sense to us, because obviously if the body “knows” how to control finger-by-finger, why can’t we sense it? Our hypothesis was that the needles were not placed in the best spots next to the correct muscles for accurate sensing.  We realized that if we could just see the muscles, we would learn where it would be best to put the needles. Then, we looked around the lab and saw the ultrasound machine  

The “eureka” moment came when we saw the ultrasound image of the muscle movements for the first time. It was immediately clear that while the level of electric activity may be similar when different fingers were moving, the trajectory and speed of the muscle movements were visibly distinct and repeatable. The movements on the screen correlated quite well with the different finger gestures. So, instead of just using the ultrasound to determine where to put EMG needles, we decided to stick with ultrasound as a sensor.  And to replace our naked eye in determining between the muscle movements, we implemented deep neural network to model the movements and predict the gestures.

Why hasn’t this technique been used before?

We later learned that we were not the first ones to try to detect muscle patterns from ultrasound. However, we were the first to use deep learning.

My motto has always been that if our robots satisfy musical demands, they will satisfy demands in pretty much any other scenario.

This allowed us, for the first time, to predict continuous and simultaneous finger gestures, which makes the control for an amputee completely intuitive. The user doesn’t need to learn a particular set of gestures. They can  just move their muscles as they would regularly, and the prosthetic hand will move accordingly. I believe we were also the first ones to connect these deep learning models to an actual robotic hand. Also, not too many labs care about music the way we do :). And for music, you really need those continuous and simultaneous expressive gestures. And as you may remember, my motto has always been that if our robots satisfy musical demands (music being one of the most subtle and expressive human activities) they will satisfy demands in pretty much any other scenario.

To what extent has this system been created specifically for Jason [the study participant in the video]? What would be involved in adapting it to be used by other amputees?

Human muscles work very similarity across different subjects, so the system can work for anyone. After 30-60 seconds of training for any particular user, the network can be fine-tuned for any minute individual idiosyncratic differences.  

Gif: Georgia Tech

What degree of control can the user have over the motion of the hand and fingers? Is a lightsaber duel possible?

With the deep learning architecture we use, we achieved fully continuous predictions, which can allow for highly dexterous activities. We hope amputees can use this technology for activities such as bathing, grooming and feeding. For lightsaber dueling, there is of course the issue of the prosthetic hardware itself. It will require some strong and flexible motors to continue to hold the saber after Darth Vader hits you hard. As you may have seen in my video, we are currently focusing on developing a hand that would play piano, which has quite a different set of requirements regarding motors and actuation. I believe it would take quite a while before we could make a general purpose human-like hand that could do both activities well. 

What improvements are you working on, and what’s the most challenging thing about this right now?

There are two main directions we are currently pursuing: developing a dexterous and expressive piano playing prosthetic hand, and miniaturizing and improving power consumption for the ultrasound sensor so that it could become easily wearable and possibly commercialized. These are both very challenging tasks. 

Challenging, yes, but the potential here is pretty incredible— maybe not lightsaber incredible, but by the time we re-invent that technology from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Jason will be ready to take advantage of it.

‘Skywalker’ Prosthetic Hand Uses Ultrasound for Finger-Level Control syndicated from http://ift.tt/2Bq2FuP

[ds4design]

Noraxon myoMETRICS Portable Lab: Interview with Brent Perkins, President and Coleman Bessert, Director of Biomechanics

Human biomechanics involves studying the reaction of the human body under various forces and stimuli. Biomechanics experts investigate how the musculoskeletal system works under different conditions and how it interacts with the environment. The resulting data are used to discover the biophysical capabilities and limits of the human body, and have a variety of applications in numerous fields, from sports science and ergonomics, to evaluation of gait, injury rehabilitation, and performing arts.

Technologies and equipment precise enough to deliver high-fidelity data that facilitate understanding of human movement have historically been tethered in high-performance laboratories, limiting the biomechanics expert’s data set. Measurements in the field, or in a subject’s most natural environment, deliver the highest data integrity, but can be difficult to achieve without portability. Noraxon has developed an integrated biomechanics research ecosystem, the myoMETRICS Portable Lab, which can be easily transported and deployed in nearly any natural environment. The product was recently announced at the Medica 2016 trade fair in Germany.

Medgadget had the opportunity to ask Brent Perkins (President) and Coleman Bessert (Director of Biomechanics) some questions about Noraxon’s newly released myoMETRICS Portable Lab.

Conn Hastings, Medgadget: How does the system differ from conventional equipment for recording and analyzing human movement?

Brent Perkins (left) and Coleman Bessert (right)

Brent Perkins, Noraxon: In reality, it doesn’t. Noraxon has a 25-year track record of developing high-fidelity devices used in biomechanics research. The Portable Lab operates on a highly efficient software platform, which integrates a series of assessment modules, automatically synchronizing all data recording and processing. This seamless integration of data can dramatically reduce the time it takes for researchers to obtain meaningful answers to critical biomechanics-related questions.

Coleman Bessert, Noraxon: The reason we think this is such an innovative solution is that our Portable Lab incorporates the same Noraxon myoMETRICS system and technology installed in our customers’ biomechanics labs all over the world. However, this system is wireless, offering researchers unrestricted portability, yet it still delivers the high-fidelity data realized by a traditional biomechanics lab.

  Medgadget: Can you give us a brief overview as to what is included in the box and how it works?

Brent Perkins: Our engineers combined all of our independent hardware systems into one solution, allowing researchers and sports scientists the ability to take their traditional lab anywhere and capture human movement, unrestricted, in its most natural environment. With the research community’s needs in mind, Noraxon designed the ecosystem to aid in the many situations and environments that exist, such as athlete assessments on the field, gait analysis in the physical therapy clinic, biofeedback for neuro-rehab patients or even objective concussion testing.

Coleman Bessert: The Portable Lab includes a number of innovative features, including a full suite of biomechanical 3D motion capture sensors that wirelessly transmit data in real time using our patented amplifier technology to guarantee the highest-fidelity signal. The sensors can also record all data to on-board memory, which guarantees zero loss of data.

The Portable Lab is also outfitted with our high-speed, high-definition NiNOX camera system, specifically designed for human movement analysis and motion tracking. The camera and LED light combo is USB-powered and operates at up to 250 frames per second.

Our mission is to provide researchers with access to high-quality data, anywhere, at any time. The Portable Lab fully achieves this goal for the first time in the history of biomechanics.

  Medgadget: What parameters can be measured by the system?

Coleman Bessert: Electromyography (EMG), 3D motion capture, force, pressure and other physiological processes (such as accelerometers and sensors to measure heart and breathing rate, heart rate variability, etc.), as well as video analysis. The modular nature of the system allows for researchers to start collecting data incrementally. As a researcher’s needs change, the modular architecture of the Portable Lab and integrated software platform means he or she can easily plug in additional biomechanics modules and sensors.

  Medgadget: Was the miniaturization process a challenge? How long has it taken to develop the system?

Brent Perkins: We leveraged existing technology to develop the Portable Lab, but making this type of system truly portable definitely faced some challenges. While the miniaturization process had been in R&D for more than five years, the real hurdle was integration and synchronization within a small portable form factor.

  Medgadget: Is it important that researchers collect data in the field, as opposed to inviting participants to a dedicated biomechanics laboratory?

Brent Perkins: Yes. Some things you just can’t measure in a dedicated laboratory—you need to go where the action is. Take the example of a concert violinist. If she were to come to a biomechanics lab and try to replicate her performance, many aspects would be different. First, she would be playing in a small lab, where the air smells different, the lighting is different and the chair is different from how they would be onstage in a concert auditorium. And because there is no audience, she receives no feedback that might influence her from a physiological standpoint. Bringing data collection to the violinist in her natural environment is important because it captures the essence of the real-life performance and increases the integrity and usability of the resulting data.

With the Portable Lab, researchers can now gain unprecedented insight into which specific environmental factors affect subjects physiologically, and how that translates into the way they move. It is our job, as a company, to enable biomechanics experts to quantify these performances so that practitioners can understand, analyze and improve their methods and help improve that performance, whatever it may be.

Coleman Bessert: This is a way to deliver the most natural movement patterns to the research community. Previously, when studies or data collection were performed in a lab setting, researchers would see “best behavior(s),” a subject’s natural reaction(s) to the data collection. However, it is that effort to obtain data of the highest integrity—and limit results that feature “best behavior”—for which the Portable Lab was developed.

In competition or performances, the subject’s only goal is to complete the task, whatever it may be (outmaneuvering the defender; keeping perfect pitch and tone; or, as a neurological rehab patient, walking over uneven surfaces). Noraxon believes each of these goals is the definition of “performance” for that individual, as each person is unique in that regard.

  Medgadget: Can the system be used outdoors in challenging terrains or adverse weather conditions?

Brent Perkins: Terrain is not an issue at all. In fact, the Portable Lab is already being used for extended intervals such as in marathons and cycling, as well as in arduous landscapes such as downhill skiing, trail running and rock climbing.

Coleman Bessert: With regard to moisture, heavy rain or snow, there are some operational challenges; however, we do not foresee this being a long-term constraint. Our engineers are working hard on all facets of water resistance and system ruggedization.

  Product page: myoMETRICS Portable Lab

This post Noraxon myoMETRICS Portable Lab: Interview with Brent Perkins, President and Coleman Bessert, Director of Biomechanics appeared first on Medgadget.