Browse Topic: Rehabilitation and physical therapy

Items (117)
Find
Powering Up Medtech’s Modalities: Top Trends and Design ConsiderationsTBMG-373508/1/2020
We are living in a digitally integrated and connected world. Evidenced by the use of smartphones, smartwatches, and other smart devices, there is no ending this trend. This holds true across many industries and applications, but is especially prevalent within medtech devices — a market that’s predicted to reach $432.6 billion by 2025.1
The Future of Connected HealthTBMG-357781/1/2020
The three main global goals of healthcare continue to be: improving the quality of care, universal access to care, and keeping costs under control. Technologies and remote connected healthcare are touted as the means to achieve the above goals, but the road may be long and winding. The encouraging news is that many innovators and start-ups are determined to make that happen.
Active Implants Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for NUsurface Meniscus ImplantTBMG-357671/1/2020
FDA has granted a Breakthrough Device Designation to Active Implants’ NUsurface® Meniscus Implant. Active Implants, LLC develops orthopedic implant solutions for joint preservation. The NUsurface Meniscus Implant is the first “artificial meniscus” to be marketed in Europe and, if cleared by the FDA, would be the first artificial meniscus in the United States.
Artificial Skin Provides Haptic FeedbackTBMG-3561612/1/2019
Technology capable of replicating the sense of touch — also known as haptic feedback — can greatly enhance human-computer and human-robot interfaces for applications such as medical rehabilitation and virtual reality. A soft artificial skin was developed that provides haptic feedback and, using a self-sensing mechanism, has the potential to instantaneously adapt to a wearer's movements.
Artificial Skin Could Help Rehab, Enhance VRTBMG-3550811/1/2019
Researchers have developed a soft, flexible artificial skin made of silicone and electrodes. The skin’s system of soft sensors and actuators enable the artificial skin to conform to the exact shape of a wearer’s wrist, for example, and provide haptic feedback in the form of pressure and vibration. Strain sensors continuously measure the skin’s deformation so that the haptic feedback can be adjusted in real time to produce a sense of touch that’s as realistic as possible.
Digitalizing Rehabilitation with Wearable SolutionsTBMG-349778/1/2019
ExoRehab is an IoT rehabilitation solution that combines robotics, gaming, and data analysis. Digitalizing physical therapy for muscle rehabilitation enables patients to acquire therapeutic training at home via wearable technology solutions with effective training. This smart device's wireless sensors provide personalized rehabilitation guidance using motion-recognition technology and automatically adjusts the therapy for effective support and training. Remote access gives physicians access to patient data, enabling them to implement efficient patient management and provide accurate medical decisions based on their progress. Combining neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with gamified rehab programs enhances motivation for rehab exercises with cutting-edge bio-signal sensing technology.
Headset Controls: Empowering Disabled People with a Software Tool SuiteTBMG-348147/1/2019
NOW Technologies is a close-knit, dedicated team of professionals working to help people with disabilities to live an independent life. Based in Budapest, Hungary, and founded in 2014, NOW Technologies works closely with injured and disabled users and with medical and rehabilitation professionals. Their requirements and feedback are pivotal to ensure that their products are not only safe but are also sufficiently intuitive to require the least amount of training possible.
Synthetic Speech Generated from Brain RecordingsTBMG-345676/1/2019
A state-of-the-art brain-machine interface created by UC San Francisco neuroscientists can generate natural-sounding synthetic speech by using brain activity to control a virtual vocal tract — an anatomically detailed computer simulation including the lips, jaw, tongue and larynx.
Force-Sensitive Innovations: Addressing Cerebral Palsy Challenges with Electronic Medical Training DevicesTBMG-345596/1/2019
Nine years ago, Julian Gunderson was born three months prematurely and weighed just 1 kg (2.2 lb). After a year's worth of injections, medications, transfusions, and other treatments, doctors diagnosed Julian with cerebral palsy.
Imaging System Helps Surgeons Remove Tiny Ovarian TumorsTBMG-345696/1/2019
Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed only after it has reached an advanced stage, with many tumors spread throughout the abdomen. Most patients undergo surgery to remove as many of these tumors as possible, but because some are so small and widespread, it is difficult to eradicate all of them.
Products of Tomorrow: May 2019TBMG-344005/1/2019
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
Discrete-time Robust PD Controlled System with DOB/CDOB Compensation for High Speed Autonomous Vehicle Path Following2019-01-06744/2/2019
In recent years, there has been increasing research on automated driving technology. Autonomous vehicle path following performance is one of significant consideration. This paper presents discrete time design of robust PD controlled system with disturbance observer (DOB) and communication disturbance observer (CDOB) compensation to enhance autonomous vehicle path following performance. Although always implemented on digital devices, DOB and CDOB structure are usually designed in continuous time in the literature and also in our previous work. However, it requires high sampling rate for continuous-time design block diagram to automatically convert to corresponding discrete-time controller using rapid controller prototyping systems. In this paper, direct discrete time design is carried out. Digital PD feedback controller is designed based on the nominal plant using the proposed parameter space approach. Zero order hold method is applied to discretize the nominal plant, DOB and CDOB structure in continuous domain. Discrete time DOB is embedded into the steering to path following error loop for model regulation in the presence of uncertainty in vehicle parameters such as vehicle mass, vehicle speed and road-tire friction coefficient and rejecting external disturbance like crosswind force. On the other hand, time delay from CAN bus based sensor and actuator command interfaces results in degradation of system performance since large negative phase angles are added to the plant frequency response. Discrete time CDOB compensated control system can be used for time delay compensation where the accurate knowledge of delay time value is not necessary. A validated model of our lab’s Ford Fusion hybrid automated driving research vehicle is used for the simulation analysis while the vehicle is driving at high speed. Simulation results successfully demonstrate the improvement of autonomous vehicle path following performance with the proposed discrete time DOB and CDOB structure.
Wang, Haoan, Guvenc, Levent
Wearable Devices Allow Direct Communication by TouchTBMG-341554/1/2019
Emergency situations such as trying to escape heavy smoke from fire could leave the sense of touch as the only way to find an exit. Rather than trying to look at a smartphone screen, a smartwatch — alerted by the same alarms — begins “speaking” through the wearer’s skin, giving directions with coded vibrations, squeezes, and tugs with meanings as clear as spoken words. In other scenarios, a surgeon or a pilot might find it useful to have another channel of communication.
Computer-Controlled Exercise EquipmentTBMG-339433/1/2019
While a wide variety of computer-controlled exercise machines for training and rehabilitation exist — some of which can be automatically adjusted to vary resistance or incline — such systems provide for preprogrammed changes in load or resistance. What is needed is a system that overcomes the limitations of the existing robotic rehabilitation systems by providing a training and/or rehabilitation system that adapts a resistance or force applied to a user-interactive element in response to the user's interaction.
Rehab Device Works with All Joints of Lower LimbsTBMG-338542/1/2019
South Ural State University Chelyabinsk, Russia
Photonic Radiation Sensors Survive Huge Doses UndamagedTBMG-335581/1/2019
Landmark test results suggest a promising class of sensors can be used in high-radiation environments and to advance important medical, industrial, and research applications.
Brain-Computer Interface Enables People with Paralysis to Control Tablet DevicesTBMG-335661/1/2019
Tablets and other mobile computing devices are part of everyday life, but using them can be difficult for people with paralysis. New research from the BrainGate consortium shows that a brain-computer interface (BCI) can enable people with paralysis to directly operate an off-the-shelf tablet device just by thinking about making cursor movements and clicks.
Device Assesses and Monitors Lymphedema NoninvasivelyTBMG-3344912/1/2018
Lymphedema is the swelling that generally occurs in the arms or legs caused by the removal of or damage to lymph nodes as a part of cancer treatment. Treating it at the earliest possible stage is the best way to manage the condition and prevent it from leading to pain, recurrent infection, reduced mobility, and impaired function.
Dual Therapy Improves Stroke RecoveryTBMG-324538/1/2018
Paralysis of an arm and/or leg is one of the most common effects of a stroke. But thanks to new research, stroke victims may soon be able to recover greater use of their paralyzed limbs. The scientists’ pioneering approach brings together two known types of therapies — a brain-computer interface (BCI) and functional electrical stimulation (FES).
Force Sensing — An Addition to the Physical Therapy ToolboxTBMG-290086/1/2018
Undergoing treatment for a physical injury or condition can be a long and frustrating experience. Broken bones, sprains, torn muscles or ligaments, as well as painful conditions that have developed over time, like carpal tunnel syndrome, need customized treatments. Physical therapists could benefit from a measurement-based approach to retraining patients for proper movement and mechanics.
Products of Tomorrow: June 2018TBMG-290436/1/2018
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
2021-12-29.TEST Development of a Real-Time Stroke Detection System for Elderly Drivers Using Quad-Chamber Air Cushion and IoT Devices2018-01-00464/3/2018
IoT (Internet of things) is considered most innovative technology in smart healthcare monitoring system which is able to show real-time physiological parameters feed data to web cloud, analysis using machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data. Stroke is most deadly diseases and real-time monitoring is desired to detect stroke onset during regular activities. The aim of our study is to develop a Real-time health monitoring system for elderly drivers using air cushion seat and IoT devices in order to detect stroke onset during driving. We have also made a prototype of brain stroke detection system using Quad-chamber air cushion system and IoT devices. This system can measure ECG, EEG, heart rate, seat pressure balance data, face/eye tracking etc. using IoT sensors, compare real-time data with reference data, predict abnormality, generate alarm and send message to relatives and emergency services if any stroke onset happens in order to provide emergency assistance to driver.
Park, Se Jin, Hong, Seunghee, Kim, Damee, Seo, Young, Hussain, Iqram, Hur, Jae Hun, Jin, Woojae
Lighting the Way for Cancer TreatmentTBMG-289564/1/2018
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has largely been limited to surface cancers due to its inability to penetrate deeper than a centimeter of tissue. A new approach wirelessly delivers doses of light into deeper regions of the body to activate light-sensitive drugs, potentially enabling the use of PDT in treating a wider range of cancers such as those of the brain and liver.
Brainwave-Controlled Exoskeleton Restores Functional GraspTBMG-285243/1/2018
École Polytechnique Fédéral de LausanneLausanne, Switzerland
Rehabilitation Robotics and Prosthetics: Trends and Intellectual Property ConsiderationsTBMG-285153/1/2018
Beyond an ability to merely act, today's medical robotics are increasingly able to sense and “think,” providing for an ever-growing list of applications to which they are applied. While surgical robotics continues to dominate the medical robotics market in terms of revenue, a recent research report has identified rehabilitation robotics as a major component of the market.1
Force-Sensitive Resistors: Making Medical Devices Easier to UseTBMG-283502/1/2018
For many of us, life is complicated enough without having to be constantly reminded about our medical situations. Living with a disease that requires frequent doctor visits and rigorous treatment processes does not just take a physical toll on the patient — making significant lifestyle changes can be a mental battle itself. This is why medical device design engineers are all faced with a challenging but noble task: to develop effective, minimally invasive treatment technologies that allow patients to live a normal life.
Every Drop Counts: Designing Motors to Optimize Home and Ambulatory Infusion PumpsTBMG-281281/1/2018
To reduce total cost of care, healthcare providers are increasingly turning toward home and ambulatory infusion pumps to free the patient from the hospital setting. These small, battery powered pumps save thousands of dollars in hospital room and nursing care costs. They also allow the patient to continue therapy while leading a more normal life in the comfort of the home or even on the go. Even within the hospital setting, patients and nurses benefit from the mobility that these smaller pumps provide.
Combining Machine and Nanoparticles for Better Transplant OutcomesTBMG-2820412/28/2017
A team of experts in rehabilitation robotics used a robotic system — the Tethered Pelvic Assist Device (TPAD) — to study whether or not Parkinson’s disease affects patients’ balance and diminishes their ability to react and adapt to walking with perturbations.
Vote for Medical Design Briefs Annual Readers' Choice AwardsTBMG-2807012/7/2017
Each month, the editors of Medical Design Briefs choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for MDB’s design engineering readers.
2017 Create the Future Design Contest Special Awards SectionTBMG-2780411/1/2017
The Create the Future Design Contest was launched 16 years ago by Tech Briefs Media Group (publishers of Tech Briefs magazine) to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. Since then, the annual contest has drawn more than 14,000 product design ideas from engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Sponsored by COMSOL, Mouser Electronics, and Tech Briefs Media Group, the 2017 contest rewarded innovation in seven categories: Aerospace & Defense, Automotive/Transportation, Consumer Products, Electronics/Sensors/IoT, Machinery/Automation/Robotics, Medical, and Sustainable Technologies.
Products of Tomorrow: November 2017TBMG-2779911/1/2017
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
2017 Winner Revolutionizes Arterial Suturing, Reducing Costs and Time in the ORTBMG-2785011/1/2017
The 15th annual “Create the Future” Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and Mouser Electronics, drew 1,150 innovative product ideas from engineers and students in 65 countries. The Medical category itself received 105 outstanding entries from 22 countries. Analog Devices and Intel were supporting sponsors, and Schneider Electric sponsored the Medical category. The contest, which was established in 2002, recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy.
Using Robots in Patient RehabilitationTBMG-2786310/31/2017
Researchers have begun to discover preferences in human-robot interactions and the need to personalize those encounters to fit both the human’s preferences and the designated task. The researchers tested user preferences when interacting with a robot on a joint movement task as a first step toward developing an interactive movement protocol to be used in rehabilitation.
Smart Garment Prevents Back StressTBMG-2743010/1/2017
A team of engineers has combined the science of biomechanics and advances in wearable tech to create a smart, mechanized undergarment. The team’s testing proves that the smart clothing offloads stress on the low back.
Asymmetric Dielectric Elastomer Composite MaterialTBMG-268415/1/2017
This electronic active material converts a voltage input to a mechanical force and mechanical displacement output. As compared to prior dielectric elastomer (DE) systems, the material has reduced electrode spacing, which lowers significantly the required operating voltage. In addition, the inclusion of a combination of conducting and/or non-conducting reinforcing fibers greatly enhances the strength of the material, without weight penalty.
Computer Models Could Help Design Physical Therapy RegimensTBMG-266714/1/2017
After a stroke, patients typically have trouble walking, and few are able to regain the gait they had before suffering a stroke. Researchers funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) in Bethesda, MD have developed a computational walking model that could help guide patients to their best possible recovery after a stroke.
BrainGate and Electrical Implant Stimulate Muscle MovementTBMG-266043/30/2017
New research from Brown University (Providence, RI) describes how the BrainGate brain-computer interface, combined with a functional electronic stimulation system implanted in the arm of a Cleveland man with quadriplegia, allowed him to move his arm and hand again to eat mashed potatoes, drink water from a mug, and scratch his nose.
Fixating on Innovation: A Revolution in Spinal Fusion SurgeryTBMG-264803/1/2017
When a person suffers from degenerative disc disease, spine trauma, or cancer of the spine, the result is decreased stability that can produce pain — often severe — during normal activities. Surgeons will first attempt conservative measures such as cortisone injections and physical therapy to strengthen the muscles of the lower back, but if these conservative treatments are unsuccessful, the only alternative is to address the pain through surgery. This procedure, known as a fusion and fixation, prevents movement in the unstable portion of the spine, thus reducing the pain.
New Sensors Detect Single Protein MoleculesTBMG-263001/30/2017
Chemical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) have developed arrays of carbon nanotube sensors that detect single protein molecules as they are secreted from cells, or even an individual cell.
Bone-Repair Technology Advances Toward Clinical TrialTBMG-263011/30/2017
Orthopedic device company OrthoMend Research Inc. (Philadelphia, PA) acquired the rights from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) to commercialize an innovative bone-repairing material. The nanodiamond technology, developed by Bioengineering Chair Peter Lelkes, creates novel orthopedic fixation screws that dissolve in bones over time and promote bone healing.
Motion Capture Technology Brings a New Age of Mobility to Veteran AmputeesTBMG-2607512/1/2016
For veterans who have lost a limb, a prosthesis is a lifeline. An artificial device not only provides mobility and enables routine activity, it can be life giving — emotionally as well as physically.
Yale Startup 'Advances' Guidewire PlacementTBMG-2596011/20/2016
A device from Yale University researchers aims to simplify the process of placing a central venous catheter, or central line, in patients. The Ballistra Guidewire Advancer allows the physician to insert a guidewire with one hand and continuously monitor the location of the needle tip via ultrasound. The procedure allows full visibility of the guidewire at all times, and simplifies the process to a few thumb movements.
How the IoT Is Enabling the Next Generation of Medical DevicesTBMG-2554510/1/2016
The Internet of Things (IoT) has penetrated all sectors of the technological sphere at an accelerating pace. According to Gartner, by the end of 2016, 6.4 billion IoT connected devices will be used worldwide, and by 2020, this number will soar to 20.8 billion. This predicted increase is indicative of the importance IoT will have on innovation within the healthcare industry; specifically, medical devices.
Ankle Exoskeleton Aids or Enhances MobilityTBMG-253949/1/2016
Clutches can be used to enhance the functionality of springs or actuators in robotic devices. A research team headed up by Steve Collins, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, created a lightweight, low-power clutch used to control spring engagement in an ankle exoskeleton.
Tension Distribution in Tendon-Driven FingersTBMG-253719/1/2016
Researchers at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), in collaboration with General Motors and Oceaneering, have designed a state-of-the-art, highly dexterous, humanoid robot called Robonaut 2 (R2). R2 is made up of multiple component technologies and systems encompassing nearly 50 patented and patent-pending technologies with the potential to be game-changers in multiple industries, including the medical industry. R2 technologies can aid in a variety of medical applications, ranging from telemedicine to handling the logistics of medical procedures. These activities can be done in autonomous mode or in teleoperation mode, where the robot is controlled by a technician or physician. This type of operation would be advantageous in situations where a biomedical hazard poses risks to humans, such as a contagious outbreak or a combat situation. For more routine daily use, R2 could function as an assistant to the hospital staff.
Active Response Gravity Offload and MethodTBMG-251808/1/2016
To train astronauts to live and work in the weightless environment on the International Space Station, NASA employs a number of techniques and facilities that simulate microgravity. Engineers at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) have developed a new system called the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) that provides a simulated reduced gravity environment within a confined interior volume for astronauts to move about and/or equipment to be moved about as if they were in a different gravity field. Each astronaut/item is connected to an overhead crane system that senses their actions (walking or jumping, for example) and then lifts, moves, and descends them as if they had performed the action in a specified reduced gravity.
Smartphones Help Improve Stroke RehabilitationTBMG-251477/28/2016
Stroke patients must typically undergo arduous and repetitive rehabilitation to relearn the basic skills they lose. A team of students from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, is using smartphones to improve the process.
Team Electronic Gameplay Combining Different Means of ControlTBMG-249807/1/2016
NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a technology at the forefront of a new generation of computer and video game environments that trains valuable mental skills, beyond eye-hand coordination, for the personal improvement, not just the diversion, of the user.
Knee Monitor 'Listens' for Cracks, PopsTBMG-248716/26/2016
A knee band from the Georgia Institute of Technology uses microphones and vibration sensors to listen to and measure the sounds inside the joint. The sounds will help doctors determine whether a convalescing joint is healthy or requires more therapy.
Robotic Glove Can Help Restore Hand MovementsTBMG-246815/1/2016
Items per page:
1 – 50 of 117