Head-worn Haptic Feedback for Parkinson's Speech Loudness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Parkinson's disease severely impacts communication by reducing vocal loudness and speech intelligibility, and existing speech therapy methods require intensive schedules with high relapse rates due to the difficulty in self-monitoring voice and speech, leading to social isolation and mental health issues.
Innovation Solution
A head-worn device providing haptic, vibratory, or audio feedback to users through multiple acoustic sensors that analyze vocal and speech output, offering real-time biofeedback when speech parameters such as loudness or speech rate thresholds are not met, aiding in speech therapy and monitoring for Parkinson's patients and other speech disorders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intensive speech therapy sessions are conducted four times weekly for four weeks, then vocal loudness and speech intelligibility improve, but treatment burden increases and relapse rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback systems using acoustic sensors and haptic actuators that continuously monitor speech parameters (loudness, pitch, articulation) and provide immediate haptic feedback to patients. This automated feedback loop replaces the need for intensive manual therapy sessions, allowing patients to self-correct speech patterns independently, thereby maintaining therapy effectiveness while reducing treatment burden and relapse rates
2Ease of operation
If patients self-monitor their voice and speech, then therapy independence increases, but monitoring accuracy decreases due to reduced self-monitoring ability in Parkinson's patients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary automated monitoring system comprising acoustic sensors, signal processing algorithms, and haptic feedback actuators. This intermediary device objectively measures speech parameters and provides feedback to patients, compensating for their impaired self-monitoring abilities while preserving therapy independence. The system acts as a bridge between the patient's speech output and their ability to perceive and correct speech deficits
3Measurement precision
If multiple acoustic sensors and beamforming operations are implemented, then speech signal isolation accuracy improves, but device complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the speech signal processing into distinct functional modules: acoustic signal acquisition from multiple sensors, beamforming operations for spatial filtering, feature extraction for speech parameter analysis, and feedback control. This modular segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, managing computational complexity while maintaining high speech signal isolation accuracy through specialized processing at each stage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively assists in improving vocal loudness and speech intelligibility by providing timely feedback, reducing the burden of therapy and potentially lowering relapse rates, as demonstrated in clinical trials with patients showing positive responses to the haptic feedback.
Implementation Method 1
The exemplary system includes multiple acoustic sensors located at two or more locations or in an acoustic array disposed on the head-worn device that can employ beamforming or comparative operations from two of the sensors to assess the acoustic power level in a direction toward the wearer's face
Implementation Method 2
The head-worn device for augmenting speech therapy or mitigating Parkinson's effect on speech and other speech-impairing conditions by providing haptic feedback, vibratory feedback, audio feedback, or other stimulations to a wearer
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary system and method for a head-worn device for augmenting speech therapy or mitigating Parkinson's effect or other speech-impairing conditions by providing haptic feedback, vibratory feedback, audio feedback, or other stimulations to a wearer by isolating and analyzing vocal/speech output of the user for signal-associated assessment, including, e.g., based on timing, direction, loudness, and/or speaking rate. The haptic biofeedback and/or acoustic/vibratory feedback are beneficially provided to the wearer when (i) certain minimum threshold targets, e.g., relating to the user's loudness or speech rate are not met or (ii) when certain thresholds are exceeded, e.g., for loudness, intensity, or speech rate. The system and method can additionally isolate a detected speech or sound and determine if it is from the user. As a signal-assessment analysis system and method, the implementation can be performed with minimal computation power or resources, e.g., as compared to speech or voice recognition technology.