Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

Tremor, one of the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), significantly affects*the lives of patients. Traditional medicines are often ineffective and surgery is highly invasive*and risky. A new approach to managing tremor includes using devices that involve either*mechanical suppression via actuators (e.g., motors that apply forces), or electrical*suppression (using a modulated electrical signal to stimulate the muscles involved in*generating tremor). Unfortunately, the devices that have been presented in the literature are*too heavy and cumbersome for daily use by patients and none are currently commercially*available.*Building on our previous work, the objective of this project is to develop a device that can*suppress tremor motion by combining both mechanical suppression and electrical stimulation.*Compared to other devices that use mechanical suppression alone, this device is expected to*be more compact in size, lower in weight, and offer an extended battery life. Compared to*devices that use electrical stimulation alone, this device is expected to be able to suppress*motion better and to decrease pain and discomfort.*To conduct this work, we will design smart control systems that adapt to the patients ability to*tolerate electrical stimulation. We will design new actuators using smart materials. We will*investigate how to electrically stimulate muscle when combined with mechanical suppression.*Finally, a validation experiment will be performed on individuals with PD to determine the*feasibility of the device for clinical use.*The expected outcome of this project will be a first prototype of a tremor suppression device*that effectively incorporates both mechanical suppression and electrical stimulation. This new*technology will be greatly beneficial to patients who are disabled by tremor of the wrist and*fingers and is expected to significantly improve their ability to perform activities of daily living.