[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":2445,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"A new wearable sensor designed to be worn on the throat is seen as a major advancement in rehabilitating stroke patients.

The bandage-like sensor measures patients\u2019 swallowing ability and patterns of speech, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of aphasia, a communication disorder that results in the loss of ability to understand or express speech, which is most often caused by stroke.

Traditionally, speech-language pathologists monitor patients\u2019 speech function with microphones. However, these instruments cannot distinguish between patients\u2019 voices and ambient noise, according to John Rogers, an engineering professor at Northwestern University who developed the throat sensor.

\u201cOur sensors solve that problem by measuring vibrations of the vocal cords,\u201d says Rogers, who gave a technology presentation on Saturday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting. \u201cBut they only work when worn directly on the throat, which is a very sensitive area of the skin. We developed novel materials for this sensor that bend and stretch with the body, minimizing discomfort to patients.\u201d

Rogers developed the throat sensor in partnership with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, a research hospital in Chicago that uses it in tandem with wireless biosensors on the arms, chest and legs\u2014also developed by Rogers\u2014to monitor stroke patients\u2019 rehabilitation progress.

\u201cWe mount several of those devices strategically on different places on the patient\u2019s body, and the folks at AbilityLab have developed algorithms to allow them\u2014from those measurements\u2014to determine early stages of spasticity,\u201d adds Rogers. \u201cThey can also track a patient\u2019s condition and monitor them in a home setting to determine their compliance with rehabilitation exercises.\u201d

Also See<\/b>: Low-cost technology may improve rehab for stroke victims<\/a>

In addition, he contends that by using the biosensors that adhere directly to the skin, rehab regiments can be tailored to individual patients through the leveraging of data streams that are transmitted wirelessly in real time to clinicians\u2019 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, providing a dashboard of physical and physiological responses that sends alerts when patients are underperforming on certain metrics.

\u201cOne of the biggest problems we face with stroke patients is that their gains tend to drop off when they leave the hospital,\u201d said Arun Jayaraman, research scientist at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and a wearable technology expert. \u201cWith the home monitoring enabled by these sensors, we can intervene at the right time, which could lead to better, faster recoveries for patients.\u201d

From a technology standpoint, the novelty is being able to build these types of devices in \u201cskin-compatible, soft elastic form\u201d that is \u201cmechanically imperceptible\u201d to patients, according to Rogers. \u201cPeople won\u2019t wear them if they are uncomfortable,\u201d he adds.

Rogers has also developed a separate device for stroke patients that sticks to the skin and collects minute amounts of sweat, tracking the rate of sweating and certain biomarkers.

\u201cThat provides another very novel indicator of a patient\u2019s status and their progression as a result of the rehabilitation,\u201d he concludes. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit exploratory, but it appears to be yielding data that\u2019s very valuable.\u201d","saveContent":"A new wearable sensor designed to be worn on the throat is seen as a major advancement in rehabilitating stroke patients.

The bandage-like sensor measures patients\u2019 swallowing ability and patterns of speech, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of aphasia, a communication disorder that results in the loss of ability to understand or express speech, which is most often caused by stroke.

Traditionally, speech-language pathologists monitor patients\u2019 speech function with microphones. However, these instruments cannot distinguish between patients\u2019 voices and ambient noise, according to John Rogers, an engineering professor at Northwestern University who developed the throat sensor.

\u201cOur sensors solve that problem by measuring vibrations of the vocal cords,\u201d says Rogers, who gave a technology presentation on Saturday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting. \u201cBut they only work when worn directly on the throat, which is a very sensitive area of the skin. We developed novel materials for this sensor that bend and stretch with the body, minimizing discomfort to patients.\u201d

Rogers developed the throat sensor in partnership with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, a research hospital in Chicago that uses it in tandem with wireless biosensors on the arms, chest and legs\u2014also developed by Rogers\u2014to monitor stroke patients\u2019 rehabilitation progress.

\u201cWe mount several of those devices strategically on different places on the patient\u2019s body, and the folks at AbilityLab have developed algorithms to allow them\u2014from those measurements\u2014to determine early stages of spasticity,\u201d adds Rogers. \u201cThey can also track a patient\u2019s condition and monitor them in a home setting to determine their compliance with rehabilitation exercises.\u201d

Also See<\/b>: Low-cost technology may improve rehab for stroke victims<\/a>

In addition, he contends that by using the biosensors that adhere directly to the skin, rehab regiments can be tailored to individual patients through the leveraging of data streams that are transmitted wirelessly in real time to clinicians\u2019 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, providing a dashboard of physical and physiological responses that sends alerts when patients are underperforming on certain metrics.

\u201cOne of the biggest problems we face with stroke patients is that their gains tend to drop off when they leave the hospital,\u201d said Arun Jayaraman, research scientist at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and a wearable technology expert. \u201cWith the home monitoring enabled by these sensors, we can intervene at the right time, which could lead to better, faster recoveries for patients.\u201d

From a technology standpoint, the novelty is being able to build these types of devices in \u201cskin-compatible, soft elastic form\u201d that is \u201cmechanically imperceptible\u201d to patients, according to Rogers. \u201cPeople won\u2019t wear them if they are uncomfortable,\u201d he adds.

Rogers has also developed a separate device for stroke patients that sticks to the skin and collects minute amounts of sweat, tracking the rate of sweating and certain biomarkers.

\u201cThat provides another very novel indicator of a patient\u2019s status and their progression as a result of the rehabilitation,\u201d he concludes. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit exploratory, but it appears to be yielding data that\u2019s very valuable.\u201d","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Sensor measures speech patterns in stroke patients

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