Sensor-Filled Glove Could Help Doctors Take Guesswork Out of Physical Exams
From: Wireless Design & Development - 04/21/2017

Everyone experiences stiff muscles from time to time, whether after a
rigorous workout, in cold weather, or after falling asleep in an unusual
position. People with cerebral palsy, stroke and multiple sclerosis, however,
live with stiff muscles every single day, making everyday tasks such as
extending an arm extremely difficult and painful for them. And since there
isn't a foolproof way to objectively rate muscle stiffness, these patients
often receive doses of medication that are too low or too high.

Now, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California
San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital has developed new wearable sensors and
robotics technology that could be used to accurately measure muscle stiffness
during physical exams. "Our goal is to create a system that could augment
existing medical procedures by providing a consistent, objective rating,"
said Harinath Garudadri, a research scientist at the university's Qualcomm
Institute and the project's lead investigator.

Researchers teamed up with electrical engineers and neuroscientists at UC San
Diego to develop a glove equipped with sensors that is a more reliable tool
and will enable doctors to come up with objective, accurate and consistent
number ratings when evaluating spasticity in patients undergoing treatment.

The device is built on a regular sports glove that a doctor can wear while
holding and moving a patient's limb back and forth. Taped onto the palm are
more than 300 pressure sensors that measure the amount of force required to
move a patient's limb. A motion sensor taped on the back measures how fast
the limb is being moved. The glove is connected to a computer via USB.

Data from all the sensors are transmitted to the computer, where they are
integrated, processed and mapped in real time using advanced signal
processing algorithms developed by Garudadri's research group. The computer
provides a numerical reading that calculates the actual power required to
move a patient's limb—the more power needed, the more severe the patient's
spasticity.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2017/04/sensor-filled-glove-could-help-doctors-take-guesswork-out-physical-exams
https://www.mdtmag.com/news/2017/04/sensor-filled-glove-could-help-doctors-take-guesswork-out-physical-exams
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/673309 (with video 1:14)

Links:
Harinath Garudadri
http://profiles.ucsd.edu/harinath.garudadri

Andrew Skalsky
http://profiles.ucsd.edu/andrew.skalsky

Sensor-filled glove could help doctors take guesswork out of physical exams
http://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=2190