Fanshawe College has collaborated with researchers at Movement Disorder Diagnostic Technologies Inc. (MDDT), a locally-based medical device company to create a prototype of a motion capture suit and tremor arm sleeve to be used in the diagnosis and monitoring of Parkinson’s patients.
Using the suit, researchers will be able to more accurately report and assess tremors. Accurate assessment of tremors is vital when it comes to determining the correct dosage of Levodopa – an initial pharmacological therapy for patients with Parkinson’s.
MDDT collaborated with Fanshawe’s School of Design to create a prototype suit that can be adapted for home assessment and mass production for commercialization. The suit has incorporated the software MDDT uses to capture data from sensors placed at fixed points across the body. Data obtained from the suit will be used in the ongoing monitoring and assessment of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Additionally, the suit features design elements that would ensure ease of use for Parkinson’s patients with a wide variety of tremor activity and varying body types, while still being washable and durable over many uses.
Features of the suit includes:
• Large, easy to use zippers and belting features designed for hand tremor patients in mind
• Mesh underlay for breathability in long-use situations
• Anti-skid fabric features to tighten the sensor pockets against the body to more accurately read tremors
• Two-piece design (top and bottom) for ease of use for wearer
• Pockets for 51 sensors (as a part of a larger unit) located at key areas across the body
Fanshawe College’s School of Design has also designed a prototype TremorTek sleeve based on an earlier design by MDDT. The non-invasive experimental TremorTek sleeve is used in the treatment of tremor for patients with Parkinson’s disease and can be also used in other tremor disorders.
