IEEE Future Directions
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Following up on yesterday’s post on the quantified self, a news on application of smart sensors to fine tune the rehab process following a stroke.
At Northwestern University researchers have developed a stretchable sensor that can be used as a band-aid on the body of a patient to detect health parameters, depending on where it is placed. As an example two of them might be placed on the neck on both sides of the windpipe to detect vibration generated by the vocal chords. This is a much more precise way to detect sounds generated by the person, an important parameter used by doctor in rehabilitation of patients affected by aphasia, a common side effect of a stroke. At the same time they can measure the activity of muscles controlling swallowing, another function that might be impaired by stroke for which rehab is crucial.
These sensors can be placed on the skin covering a muscle in a limb to measure during rehabilitation exercises what is the response and thus tune the rehab process. The data captured by the sensors are used by applications that evaluate both the local and whole body response to the stimuli. Interestingly there are applications that provide an easy to understand feedback on the smartphone of the patient. This is very useful in two ways:
- it provides a visual feedback to the patient allowing her to try readjusting her “brain-to-limb” stimuli which may help in strengthening the nervous pathways, and
- it stimulates the patient to keep up in her rehab effort, also when she is no longer in an hospital environment. This is very important because it extends the rehab time and greatly increases its effectiveness.
The key advanced in these sensors is the application of flexible electronics, allowing the band-aid to stick on the skin and move in synch with it, stretching without creating discomfort to the patient and keep on working.
In a short while the patient no longer perceive the band aid, they become an integral part of her body.
