Non-Contact Tremor Stabilization for Intentional Motion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional treatments for unintentional muscle movements, such as those experienced by individuals with Parkinson's Disease and Essential Tremor, are either invasive, expensive, or ineffective in distinguishing between intended and unintended movements, leading to limited adoption and significant social and health impacts.
Innovation Solution
A non-contact sensing system that uses inertial sensors and a motion-generating mechanism, including coreless micro-motors and miniature gear-reduction systems, to detect and cancel unintentional muscle movements without requiring pre-programming for object length and weight, providing a robust and cost-effective handheld solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pharmacological treatments are used, then tremor symptoms are managed, but severe side effects occur and disease progression cannot be stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pharmacological (chemical) treatment with a mechanical/physical system consisting of sensors, processors, and actuators that detect and counteract tremor movements through force generation, thereby avoiding chemical side effects while managing tremor symptoms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (tremor suppression system) between the tremor source and the user's interaction with objects, which detects tremor movements and generates counteracting forces to stabilize the implement, thereby managing tremors without direct pharmacological intervention
2Reliability
If surgical procedures such as Thalamotomy and thalamic DBS are performed, then tremor symptoms are reduced, but the procedures are expensive, dangerous, and limited in availability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive surgical procedures with a non-invasive mechanical system that uses sensors to detect tremor and actuators to generate counteracting forces, thereby achieving tremor reduction without surgical intervention and its associated risks and complexities
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors tremor movements through sensors and automatically generates compensating forces through actuators in real-time, providing self-regulating tremor suppression without requiring ongoing medical intervention or complex surgical procedures
3Reliability
If physically grounded tremor suppression devices are used, then tremor movements are forced to cease, but the devices require complex and costly structures and cause user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tremor suppression system into separate functional modules: sensors for detection, processors for signal analysis and control algorithm execution, and actuators for force generation, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effective tremor suppression
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary implement (such as a utensil or tool) as the interface between the user and the stabilization system, which houses the sensors and actuators and provides tremor compensation without requiring direct attachment to or contact with the user's body, thereby reducing user discomfort and system complexity
4Reliability
If physically grounded tremor suppression devices are used, then tremor movements are forced to cease, but the devices cannot differentiate between intended and unintended movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor implement movements, the processor analyzes these movements to distinguish between tremor (unintended) and voluntary movements (intended) based on characteristic patterns, and the control algorithm adjusts actuator output accordingly to suppress only tremor while preserving intentional movements
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its stabilization behavior based on real-time analysis of movement characteristics, adapting the level and type of compensation provided to differentiate between tremor and intended movements, thereby maintaining adaptability and versatility in various usage scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for stabilizing unintentional muscle movements are disclosed. In a first aspect, a non-contact sensing system comprises a stabilization unit, at least one non-contact position sensor coupled to the stabilization unit, and a processing unit coupled to the at least one non-contact position sensor, wherein the processing unit transmits motion commands to the stabilization unit to cancel unintentional muscle movements. In a second aspect, the method comprises a processing unit of a non-contact sensing system receiving position data of a stabilization unit that is detected by at least one non-contact position sensor and filtering the position data to identify the unintentional muscle movements. The method includes modeling the position data to create a system model and determining motor commands based upon the system model to cancel the unintentional muscle movements.