5 innovations tackling Motor Neurone Disease
Last year the ‘ice bucket challenge’ was sweeping through the Internet and raising awareness for Motor Neuron Disease, (aka ALS).
This week, in honour of MND awareness month 2015, we've been looking into different technologies that could help people with MND live easier lives. The technology in this list ranges from a device that helps breathing, to a robotic glove that helps people with MND grasp objects.
1. Head-up
Patients with motor neurone disease commonly experience a progressive deterioration in neck muscle strength and mobility, giving rise to difficulties with correct positioning for speaking, breathing and eating. Head-up offers support, comfort and no pain. This collar sits low on the patient’s neck and offers support along the contours of the neck muscle, making it a lot easier for patients to carry out everyday tasks.
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience
2. The NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS)
The NeuRx helps to keep muscle alive and makes it easier for people with MND to breathe and speak. It also extends the amount of time people with MND can breathe without invasive ventilation. This system has a stimulator box that sends electrical signals to the diaphragm, replacing signals normally sent by the brain along nerves. The signals cause the diaphragm to contract, which conditions and exercises the muscle.
3. Allora 2
This is an AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) device designed to be used in face-to-face communication. The display and speaker can be detached from the main keyboard and placed wherever is convenient for conversation to take place. The Allora 2 provides a selection of voices allowing the device user to find the best fitting voice for them. The in-built 3G module provides SMS messaging, transference of data to computer and permits document formatting or printing.
4. Tobii PCEye Go
The Tobii PCEye Go is a peripheral eye tracker that enhances computer accessibility with the speed, power and accuracy of gaze interaction. The device replaces the standard mouse, allowing the user to navigate and control a desktop or laptop computer using only their eyes. Fully portable for easy transportation, the PCEye Go can be, powered directly from PC via a single USB cable and, attached to a monitor or laptop by a non-intrusive magnetic strip.
5. Soft robotic glove
A soft, wearable, robotics glove is being developed that could help people suffering from loss of hand motor control to regain some of their independence. Soft, multi-segment actuators, which are composite tubular constructions of Kevlar fibres and silicone elastomer, support the range of motions performed by biological fingers. The glove's control system is portable and lightweight and can be worn using a waist belt or can be attached to a wheelchair.