Wearable Inertial Counterforce for Hand Tremor Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for tremors, such as medication and surgical interventions, often come with side effects, high risks, or short-term effectiveness, and there is a need for a device that can intermittently reduce tremor symptoms without curing the underlying disease, particularly for the hands and arms, especially during activities requiring a steady hand.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device equipped with sensors, a controller, and a mass displacement system that recognizes tremor movements and generates a counter-movement to actively compensate for the tremor, using rotatable mass elements and fluid cushions to provide a counterforce, allowing for temporary use during specific activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medication is used to treat tremor, then tremor symptoms are reduced, but side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pharmacological treatment with a mechanical vibration-based system. A vibration element generates mechanical vibrations that are transmitted through a transmission element to the body part, creating a counter-movement that mechanically counteracts the tremor without involving chemical substances, thereby eliminating medication side effects while maintaining tremor reduction effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vibration element and transmission element as intermediaries between the control unit and the body part. These intermediaries transmit controlled vibrations that counteract tremor movements, providing a non-pharmacological pathway to reduce tremor symptoms without exposing the patient to drug-related harmful effects
2Reliability
If surgical intervention is performed to treat tremor, then tremor symptoms are reduced, but health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive surgical procedures with a non-invasive mechanical vibration system. The wearable device with vibration elements provides tremor reduction through external mechanical stimulation without requiring brain surgery or destruction of neural tissue, thereby eliminating surgical risks while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a wearable, potentially disposable or replaceable vibration device that provides temporary tremor relief without permanent implantation. This approach avoids the high risks and costs of permanent surgical interventions while offering effective short-term tremor management for daily activities
3Reliability
If weighted cuffs are used to reduce tremor, then some tremor reduction is achieved, but tolerance develops quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic vibrations instead of static weight addition. The vibration element generates oscillating movements that actively counteract tremor frequency, and the control unit can adjust vibration parameters in real-time based on detected tremor characteristics, preventing the tolerance development that occurs with static weighted cuffs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic vibrations at frequencies matched to the tremor frequency to create counter-movements. This periodic action continuously disrupts the tremor rhythm without requiring increasing weights, thereby maintaining long-term effectiveness without tolerance development unlike static weighting approaches
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 reduces tremor symptoms in the hands and arms, potentially reducing medication reliance, avoiding surgical risks, and offering a side-effect-free alternative for tremor management, improving quality of life and reducing healthcare costs.
Implementation Method 1
sensor means for generating a signal that correlates with a tremor of the body part
Implementation Method 2
the movement of the at least one mass element exerts a counterforce on the body part that counteracts a movement of the body part caused by tremor
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method, and to a device wearable on the body, for reducing tremor in a body part. The device (30) comprises a sensor for generating a signal that correlates with a tremor in the body part; a regulator designed to determine a manipulated variable as a function of the signal from the sensor; and a mass displacement device comprising at least one mass element, which mass displacement device is designed to move the at least one mass element relative to the body part as a function of the manipulated variable, in such a way that the movement of the at least one mass element exerts a counterforce on the body part, which counteracts a movement of the body part induced by tremor.