Wearable Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Glasses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Approximately 30-35% of older adults suffer from vestibular dysfunction due to hair cell loss, leading to increased perception of disequilibrium and injurious falls, with fall-related costs projected to double due to the aging baby boomer population, highlighting a need for a device to monitor and improve vestibular function.
Innovation Solution
A galvanic vestibular stimulation device comprising a glasses frame with electrodes, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and processors that deliver stochastic electrical stimulation to enhance postural responses by adjusting stimulation based on user data, including speed, acceleration, orientation, and direction, using wireless transceivers and rechargeable batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If galvanic vestibular stimulation is delivered to enhance postural response, then balance control is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple sensors and processing components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components (electrodes for galvanic stimulation, accelerometers for motion detection, gyroscopes for orientation sensing, magnetometers for directional reference, and processors for data integration) into a single integrated wearable device that delivers coordinated vestibular stimulation while monitoring postural parameters, thereby improving balance control through synergistic integration of these subsystems
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it delivers galvanic vestibular stimulation to enhance postural response, monitors acceleration and orientation through inertial sensors, tracks directional information via magnetometer, processes integrated sensory data, and provides adaptive feedback stimulation - making it a multi-functional system that addresses various aspects of balance control in one device
2Reliability
If stochastic electrical stimulation is delivered to enhance postural response, then vestibular function is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device delivers stochastic galvanic vestibular stimulation in periodic bursts rather than continuous delivery, with the processor controlling electrode activation during specific time intervals based on integrated sensor data, thereby providing effective vestibular stimulation while allowing energy conservation during non-stimulation periods
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates rechargeable batteries that can be recharged inductively through wireless charging coils, enabling the device to recharge itself when placed on a charging surface, thereby reducing the need for manual battery replacement and ensuring continuous operation without frequent external intervention
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and processing components are integrated, then monitoring precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers into a single coordinated sensor system within the wearable device, with a processor that fuses data from all three sensor types to achieve high-precision monitoring of postural parameters, spatial orientation, and directional information while maintaining a unified device architecture
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides in part wearable devices for balance control. The wearable devices are capable of non-invasively monitoring and stimulating the wearer's vestibular system such that it produces postural responses. The wearable devices deliver low levels of electrical current to the vestibular system of a user to maintain balance. In one example, the wearable device is in the form of a pair of glasses.