Biomedical Engineering Handbook

For Laymen

With Latest News

Preface

Many a time have I found myself in this slightly awkward situation. People who know me will ask me, ”What is your major?” After they get the answer, they will say “Wow, it is really awesome! But what do you actually study?”, with an expression of both admiration and confusion on their faces. I realize that the public are basically not familiar with biomedical engineering (BME) , at least for people from mainland China.

 

As a matter of fact, this phenomenon is not strange. Despite the fact that BME has existed for centuries, it is not until recent fifty years that scholars place great importance on this inter-disciplinary subject and major universities worldwide start to have it as a program. The public tends to regard BME as something extremely far away from daily life and consider that there is no connection between them and BME.

 

During the process of collecting information, my impression about BME has been refreshed. Though BME is a very profound subject, its research is not confined to labs and its outcomes can be applied directly to everyday life. Being a very broad discipline, BME covers many aspects concerning human health. Prominent biomedical engineers aim high, make the impossible possible, and apply their professional knowledge to global health, which are the reasons why they are called “practical dreamers”.

 

Scientists and engineers in BME field have been making so many contributions to human beings, which triggered me to write this very thin handbook, allowing the public to take a sip of BME and appreciate how it improves our lives. What is special about this handbook is that it is for laymen written by a layman (hopefully this layman will become more professional in a couple of years). I learned how to write essays in an academic tone last semester, so I know perfectly well that academic essays are torturing for both writers and readers. Due to this, I am not going to use many intricate terms, so as to make the handbook more reader-accessible. There are many branches of BME, but of course, I am going to cover only a few of them.

 

Above are the background, motivation and initial idea of this handbook. Now let us begin the journey and enjoy the beauty of BME together!     

 

Part 1 Sensing

1 Wearable Fall Detection Device

Link of the piece of news (publication date: December, 28, 2016)

http://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/a-wearable-device-to-help-the-elderly-from-falls/56212311(Original article can be found in the appendix.)

 

My mother once told me this miserable story with regret. Her uncle went out home alone on a wintry day, with no relatives around. He fell near home, but could not get up. When his son found him, he has already been frozen to death.

 

Unfortunately, this case is not rare. According to Chaudhuri, Thompson and Demiris (2014), elderly adults, who are identified as 65 years of age or older, experience higher risks for falls. Falls and fall related injuries are two of the leading causes of death for the elderly. They also revealed the datum that 21,649 older adults died from fall related injuries in the United States in 2010. These frightening facts resulted in the invention of the fall detection device. Actually Dr. Sudarshan (the biomedical engineer reported in the news I collected) is not the one who invented the device, but the one who modified it, which I will talk about later. But first let’s talk about this kind of device in general.

 

Why fall detection devices?

They can be applied to not only elderly adults, but also people with chronic diseases, like epilepsia, dementia and diabetes, who are prone to falls and have difficulty recovering from them. The devices detect falls and send for help in less a minute. If people get injured in a fall, the sooner they are assisted, the sooner they can expect a full recovery, with a lower medical cost, because they receive treatments before conditions deteriorate. Fall detection devices not only sense falls, but also prevent further injuries, or even death, just like in my mom’s uncle’s case. Even if one does not get hurt right away, fear can be rooted in one’s heart in the presence of a long lie following the fall, indicated by Chaudhuri, Thompson and Demiris (2014). Considering the two conditions, Zhang, Wang, Liu and Hou (2006) conclude that falls can do damage to both physiology and psychology.

Elderly people may waddle, but they also enjoy independence. The fear of fall and no promise of help could result in decreasing participation in activities. Fall detection devices can give the needed a sense of being taken care of, allowing them to live actively and boosting their morale. This invention also reassures users’ families.

 

How do they work?

Accelerometers and gyroscopes are the core parts. They are responsible for measuring accelerations and positions in height. They are constantly on and register data from daily routine as normal activities. When they detect a sudden change in acceleration and height, it means a fall is happening. The acceleration and height signals are converted into digital signals, analyzed by a microcontroller unit (Zhang et al ., 2006). If we compare accelerometers and gyroscopes to our eyes, then the microcontroller units (MCU) are like our brains. MCU is the smart part of the device and it can tell the difference between daily activities and falls. If one does not get up after a short period of time (30 seconds for example), the device will not detect movement, and it will send for help. This buffering time can notably reduce false alerts. Once the fall is confirmed, a call will be made automatically to the user’s relative or the emergency center.

 

Some improvements

Former fall detection devices are pendants worn on a chain around the neck, which are portable. But Dr. Sudarshan makes them wearable——they are wrapped in silicone and can be worn around the waist. While people may think they look silly with a pendent on their neck, the wearable device can be more fashionable and convenient.

 

There is a range for traditional detection sensors, which means the users have to control the distance between the pendants and the base units, otherwise the signals will not be reliable. But with the help of GPS, there is no distance restriction, because the users’ location will be reported to the emergency center whenever there is a call.

 

In addition, Dr. Sudarshan’s invention has a smartphone interface.

 

I would like to finish this part with SC Sharma’s comment, who is a former vice chancellor of Chhattisgarh's Swami Vivekanand Technical University, that this invention is “a rare marriage of medicine and engineering".

 

Part 2 Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation aims for a full recovery, but it does not guarantee one. For many impaired people, rehabilitation has a span of a lifetime. Rehabilitation engineering minimizes the inconvenience in the lives of the disabled and helps them strive to enjoy life as much as normal people do.

 

I remember Dr. Tam told us a story of a woman who had come to him for help. She could not open doors anymore because she lost the ability to hold a tiny piece of key due to an accident. Opening doors seems no big deal, but once you lose the ability, you will find your life is greatly affected by the loss. Dr. Tam just did one simple thing——he made a handle to let the keys become longer and thicker so that the woman could hold it——then the problem settled. Extremely simple but extremely effective. This story leaves me a deep impression because I learn that rehabilitation engineering can improve people’s overall life quality from every single aspect, no matter in a simple or complicated way.

 

I admire rehabilitation engineers’ work, because it is a life-long professional commitment while life-long professional help is needed by the disabled.

 

2 Foot-operated Game Controller

Link of the piece of news (publication date: December, 9, 2016)

http://www.bme.jhu.edu/news-events/news-highlights.php?id=579(Original article can be found in the appendix.)

 

When talking about rehabilitation, we generally translate it into the process of physical recovery. But something is missing. I select this piece of information because it reminds me that psychological aspect is something should be treated as equally as physical aspect.

 

Gyorgy Levay, who is a student in Johns Hopkins, and his team invented a foot-operated game controller, which allows people, especially upper-limb amputees, to play computer games with their feet. Levay lost both hands due to a meningitis infection five years ago, which is a catastrophe for a game-loving guy like him. But this unfortunate incident in turn inspired him to retrieve the fun of computer games for people like him.

 

How to use the controllers?

They are just like sandals, wearable and adjustable, but with sensors and complicated circuits inside. When playing intuitive games, players can step on them as if they were really walking (putting pressure on the forward part of feet to move forward and putting pressure on heels to go back). There are three buttons on each controller, allowing the characters in games to do various movements, like jump and crouch.

 

Significance

(1) It is summarized that “amputees have a large number of psychological concerns” (Bhutani, Chhabra, & Uppal, 2016), such as anxiety and depression. Having difficulties mingling with others and not being able to have fun as they used to do are two contributing factors. This game controller obviously can not fix everything but it does “allow people to socialize in a way in which their disability is not a factor” (said by Levay) and let them feel less “different”.

(2) This invention can be significant in physical aspect, too. Trigger finger, vibratory syndrome of the hand and arm and pain or discomfort in the upper limbs are believed to be associated with playing computer games (Zapata, Moraes, Leone, Doria-Filho, & Silva, 2006). Foot-operated game controller has the potential to free the hands and relieve the pain.

 

3 Barefoot Shoes

Link of the piece of news (publication date: September, 28, 2016)

http://topick.hket.com/article/1511771/5趾仿赤足鞋　增強跑手足肌減受傷(Original article can be found in the appendix.)

 

Last semester I went running regularly, four kilometers each time. One Friday I set out to go running along Victoria Harbor as usual, but I had only finished one quarter before I felt pain in my feet and fatigue in my shins. I had to terminate my exercise because of this abnormal situation. Then it suddenly came to my mind that I was indeed wearing a pair of sports shoes, but with relatively higher heels. It has been verified that general cushioned, high-heeled running shoes make runners have a tendency to land on heels during running, which are high-impact collisions making runners prone to repetitive press injuries (Lieberman et al ., 2010). I guess this is the reason for my condition that day.

 

After so many years of specially designed running shoes, researchers begin to realize that using minimalist shoes to imitate barefoot running like our ancestors did may be most advantageous. Scholars from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Harvard University have found new evidence to show why we should wear barefoot shoes while running.

 

Introduction to barefoot shoes

Traditional running shoes	Barefoot shoes
Soles are thick	Soles are as thin as 3-4mm
Have cushions and arch support	Have no cushions or arch support
Extra weight	Nearly as light as nothing
10-12mm drop from heel to toe	zero drop from heel to toe

 

Barefoot shoes allow us to walk or run as if we did not wear any shoes, and the minimally thin layer between skin and ground protects us from possible hazards on the roads. In addition, when wearing them, five toes have their separate space.

 

Benefits

(1) They are thin, soft, compressible and easy to carry around.

(2) It is very possible for runners wearing thick-heel shoes to grow calluses on their heels. But with barefoot shoes, the whole foot touches the ground evenly, so runners’ feet will be free of calluses.

(3) People can run with natural states, adjusting to the most comfortable postures.

(4) They allow runners to land safely and comfortably, avoiding high-impact collisions, reducing the pressure in joints.

(5) (This is the new finding reported in the news I collected) With barefoot shoes, conspicuously ameliorated muscles of feet and shins can be anticipated. It is because without cushions and arch support, muscles need to undertake more pressure. Consequently they grow much stronger, leading to less injuries. Thus barefoot shoes have the potential to aid rehabilitation process.

 

4 Noninvasive Mind-controlled Prosthetic Arm

Link of the piece of news (publication date: December, 14, 2016)

https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/umn-research-shows-people-can-control-robotic-arm-their-minds(Original article can be found in the appendix.)

We move our hands every minute, but have you ever thought about how we make it actually? If we have the intentions to use our hands, the neurons in our brain (to be precise, motor cortex, which is a part of our brain that governs movements) produce electric currents. Then these currents are transmitted all the way down to target muscles and make them contract or relax exactly as our brains intend to. But for people with dysfunctional motor systems, muscles are not well controlled while electric signals can still be produced by neurons. So this cool technology comes up that disabled people can control prosthetic arms noninvasively by only thinking about the movements to regain their independence to some extent. The most innovative part of this invention is that it can accomplish the mission in a noninvasive way which I am going to go down to details later, but first let’s talk about how it works.

 

Rationale (The theory is introduced in both the news and the original research paper, and what I am doing here is presenting it in a clear order and more understandable way)

(1) The user puts on an electroencephalography (EEG) cap with 64 electrodes in it, which can record electric currents mentioned above.

(2) Different assortments of neurons are activated when thinking about different movements. With advanced signal processing, electric currents are identified and converted into machine signals.

 

Merits

(1) This technology is like making new arms for paralyzed people, and the happiness brought to them by the regained independence is beyond imagination. Dr. Hu showed us a video of a woman with quadriplegia feeding herself chocolate utilizing mind-controlled robotic arm, and I will never forget the ecstatic expression on her face. I guess this is one of the greatest achievements biomedical engineers can make, fulfilling the public’s expectations of life with their professional knowledge.

(2) As I said before, this technology is totally noninvasive. Traditionally,  electrode arrays were implanted intra-cortically with users facing “the risk of post-surgery complications and infections, and the challenge of maintaining stable chronic recordings” (Meng, Zhang, Bekyo, Olsoe, Baxter, & He, 2016). But now, all these troublesome and risky stuff is replaced simply by a high-tech cap.

(3) Researchers had volunteers have a test on the invention. After a few training sessions, they could modulate the prosthetic arms with considerably high success rate. So it is safe to conclude this machine is easily operated.

 

Future(something I think neuroengineers can work on)

(1) The prosthetic arms that scientists use now are gigantic hand-like machines. It will be better if they are dainty and are able to move faster. Robotic arms just like real arms can be developed for the amputees.

(2) At current stage, prosthetic arms are just a make up for motor system. But someday them can feel things and give people feedback. For example, if you prick someone’s prosthetic arm, he will withdraw it immediately. Then there will be no difference between a prosthetic arm and a real arm.

Summary

As I mentioned in the preface, I only talked about four examples and covered two categories, which are merely a small part of BME. I do not intend to leave you the impression that these are all BME about or BME is limited to them. There are many other categories, such as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, just to name a few. Out of all these categories, my favorite one is prevention, even though I have not talked about it. Allow me to provide my reasons.

 

Traditional medical field emphasizes diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, but in my opinion, the most charming part about BME is prevention of diseases, injuries and accidents. Because with appropriate prevention measures, a person even does not have to experience the three painful steps mentioned above in some cases. So prevention can literally save people money, guarantee their health and elevate life quality. One example I can give you about prevention is vaccine, and its significance is self-explanatory.

 

Dr. Wen once told me that he used to be a biologist, but he found there were many difficulties in experiments that he could not overcome with biological approaches. However, engineering can bridge the gap. BME is defined as using engineering methods to solve health-related problems, especially the ones that make biologists frown. If you want to judge whether a breakthrough belongs to BME or not, you just need to check two points:1、whether it is related to human health; 2、whether engineering is utilized. If you pay attention, you will find that BME is all around us.

 

If you know anyone who majors in BME or works in this field, please be nice to him or her, because he or she must work really hard to shoulder the responsibility!

References

 

Bhutani, S., Bhutani, J., Chhabra, A., & Uppal, R. (2016). Living with

     Amputation: Anxiety and Depression Correlates. Journal of Clinical and 

     Diagnostic Research: JCDR, 10(9), RC09.

Chaudhuri, S., Thompson, H., & Demiris, G. (2014). Fall detection devices and                            

     their use with older adults: a systematic review. Journal of geriatric

     physical therapy (2001), 37(4), 178.

Lieberman, D. E., Venkadesan, M., Werbel, W. A., Daoud, A. I., D’Andrea, S.,

     Davis, I. S., ... & Pitsiladis, Y. (2010). Foot strike patterns and collision

     forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners. Nature, 463(7280),

     531-535.

Meng, J., Zhang, S., Bekyo, A., Olsoe, J., Baxter, B., & He, B. (2016).

     Noninvasive Electroencephalogram Based Control of a Robotic Arm for

     Reach and Grasp Tasks. Scientific Reports, 6.

Zapata, A. L., Moraes, A. J. P., Leone, C., Doria-Filho, U., & Silva, C. A. A.

     (2006). Pain and musculoskeletal pain syndromes related to computer

     and video game use in adolescents. European journal of pediatrics,

     165(6), 408-414.

Zhang, T., Wang, J., Liu, P., & Hou, J. (2006). Fall detection by embedding an   

     accelerometer in cellphone and using KFD algorithm. International

     Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, 6(10), 277-284.

 

Appendix

Original articles

1. Wearable fall detection device

This wearable device could play saviour for the elderly during falls

A biomedical engineering device invented by Bengaluru-based doctor-engineer BG Sudarshan could play saviour.

 

A fall can lead to serious consequences if help is not on hand, especially for the elderly and the epileptic. A biomedical engineering device invented by Bengaluru-based doctor-engineer BG Sudarshan could play saviour.

 

Simply put, the wearable device detects a fall and calls out for help.

 

“As a doctor, I've seen many epileptic patients die not due to epilepsy but because of the fall. My device identifies a critical tilt angle and once this angle is breached, an alarm goes off to a relative or a doctor for help," says Dr Sudarshan, a faculty at the department of electronics and instrumentation engineering at RV College of Engineering (RVCE). He is also the medical officer at the college's hospital.

 

His fall detection device -for which he has filed for a patent -comes wrapped in silicone and can be worn around the waist. The prototypes of the device, which came after five years of research, is a product of Sudarshan's medical training and his doctoral degree in biomedical engineering.

 

Sudarshan has filed for a patent for another of his inventions: another wearable device that monitors vital signs. While there are many wearable health-monitoring devices in the market, Sudarshan's is based on algorithms that he wrote and on circuitry and sensors developed indigenously . Both devices have a smartphone interface.

 

The vital signs monitoring device is clipped onto the fingertip. “The patient-to-doctor ratio in India is 1:1100. With this, patients need not visit a doctor to get vitals checked.The algorithm detects abnormalities in the vitals and the readings are sent to a doctor."

 

A Bengaluru-based company has come forward to commercialize Sudarshan's vital signs monitoring device. The college has signed a non-disclosure agreement that stops him from naming the company or elaborating more on the functionality .“All I can say is that it will be a low-cost device.“

 

Of the 23 patents filed by RVCE since 2013, this is the only one that has reached the commercialisation stage.“We have a Centre for Excellence in the area of flexible electronics because wearable technology is the in-thing today ," said KN Raja Rao, an advisor with RVCE.

 

Former Vice Chancellor of Chhattisgarh's Swami Vivekanand Technical University, SC Sharma, who pushed Sudarshan into biomedical engineering, said his work is “a rare marriage of medicine and engineering."

 

1. Foot-operated game controller

Students develop foot-operated game controller

 

Gyorgy Levay ordinarily doesn't have time to play video games. The Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering master's candidate is too busy working on controls for upper-limb prostheses to find time for running and jumping around the tops of buildings in the parkour game Mirror's Edge. Even if he did, Levay lost both hands to a meningitis infection five years ago, and operating the keyboard for a first-person shooter game is difficult. Over the 2015-16 school year, however, Levay spent considerable time running around a video game's virtual world.

 

He was product testing a foot-operated controller that he and two classmates invented. "When I was testing it, or at least I could call it testing, I actually played a lot," Levay says. "Now that I don't have a good excuse, I don't have the time."

 

The native of Budapest, Hungary, teamed up with classmates Adam Li and Nhat Tran in a biomedical instrumentation course, where a semesterlong assignment was to design an alternative-control device. Levay told them he has trouble controlling computers, specifically games, with his arms but knew he could use his feet, and suggested tailoring an idea around him as a case study. Their GEAR controller, short for Game Enhancing Augmented Reality, won a $7,500 grand prize in the 2016 Intel-Cornell Cup, a competition among student inventors, and was named a finalist in the inaugural Student Healthcare Design Competition, which invited participation from undergraduate and graduate students across Johns Hopkins.

 

While the finished product isn't retail-ready, the GEAR controller looks a bit like a pair of orthopedic sandals with thick plastic soles ("We're not exactly designers," Levay admits)—its functionality is impressive. Each foot controller has three buttons: one at the heel and two on each side of the ball of the foot. The two buttons at the ball can be pressed at the same time, giving each foot a total of four actions that can be programmed into any combination.

 

The team designed the controller with the natural motion of feet in mind. "If you want to start a step, you're going to put pressure on the forward part of your feet," Levay says. "If you go back, you're going to put more pressure on your heels. In that sense, [the controller] is very intuitive. It tries to simulate how you would move on your own." The students tested and demonstrated the controller with a variety of games, including Mirror's Edge, and they programmed different button combinations for the game's motions such as jump and crouch. Those movements are less intuitive but no more complicated than using the space bar to jump and the shift key to crouch. "The learning curve was pretty fast," Levay says of gamers testing the controller, adding that many took only about half an hour to grow accustomed to using it. "We were actually surprised at how effective it was. When we built the second prototype and started using it, it was just so incredibly easy to use, and it did exactly what we wanted it to do. It didn't take a long time to figure out how it worked."

 

Levay knows a market exists for this product, and not simply for amputees who want to play games. Keyboard, joystick, trackball, mouse—perhaps thinking only in terms of two-hand computer controls is a limitation. Why not add feet to the design process? "We've been using hands to control computers for forever," Levay says, and brings up virtual reality. Currently, a standard VR setup includes a headset and a hand controller for movement. "When you're immersed in a virtual reality, you might as well control your movement with your feet, as you do in real life. One way or another, something like this is going to come out, whether this design or someone comes up with something even more effective."

 

GEAR may end up a mere footnote in a future innovative product's development story. Levay says he, Li, and Tran aren't in a position to create a startup around it, and his academic research has prevented him from pitching the idea to potential investors. At least they created a controller that allows Levay to play games again, should he ever find the time. "I played a lot before I lost my hands, and I can play most games now that don't involve a lot of movement," he says. "But this kind of forward, backward type of movement, I can't play those games at all without a device like this."

 

1. Barefoot shoes

5趾仿赤足鞋　增強跑手足肌減受傷　

 

愛跑步的港人愈來愈多，但如何可「跑得健康」，令腳部的受傷機會減少？有研究發現，越多保護功能的跑鞋會「養懶」腳部肌肉，跑姿受影響下、或增加著地撞擊力，增加受傷的風險，不少跑手受「足底筋膜炎」影響，有明顯的足部肌肉萎縮，外國掀起熱潮的「仿赤足跑鞋」又或「白飯魚」等跑鞋，沒有任何承托，可令跑手增強足部肌肉，減少受傷率。

 

理工大學與哈佛醫學院於2013年開始進行聯合研究，發現穿着「仿赤足鞋」跑步，能增強小腿及足部的肌肉，改善跑姿、以及減少跑步受傷的機會。

 

理大康復治療科學系助理教授張子熙及其團隊，招募了38來自本地跑會的跑手，包括21男17女、平均年齡35歲、有6年以上跑步經驗，一直穿着傳統跑鞋跑步。

 

參加者中有20人被隨機派往「實驗組」，參加6個月的訓練計劃，他們獲提供一雙仿赤足跑鞋。

 

傳統跑鞋即跑鞋腳跟與前腳掌距離地面高度差距大於5毫米，另有額外的托墊及人造足弓承托；而「仿赤足跑鞋」的鞋面使用彈性布料製成，5隻腳趾有各自的空間，鞋跟與前腳掌距離地面的高度相同，腳底中間沒有托墊或足弓支撐，鞋底厚度劃一為3毫米。

 

另外18人則屬於「對照組」，他們參加與實驗組相同的訓練計劃，並穿着傳統跑鞋跑步。

 

所有參加者接受6個月訓練之前和之後，接受磁力共振成像掃描，以量度右小腿和足部的肌肉；結果顯示，「實驗組」的小腿肌肉和足部肌肉均顯著增加；相反，「對照組」的小腿和足部肌肉體積不變。

 

在小腿至足部的外在足部肌肉增加了7.05%，由每公斤平均約25,100立方毫米增至每公斤約27,000立方毫米；在腳跟至腳趾的內在足部肌肉也增加了8.8%，由每公斤平均約4,600立方毫米增至近5,000立方毫米。

 

張子熙解釋，仿赤足跑鞋提供最少托墊，令足弓沒有機械承托，對內在和外在足部肌肉的強度要求更高，而足部的外在和內在肌肉，對穩定足弓十分重要；外在足部肌肉增加也由於穿着仿赤足跑鞋時，小腿後側及內側肌肉承受更多壓力和力量。

 

此外，中或前足着地時，會為前足帶來更多刺激，尤其是蹠趾關節、即腳掌與腳趾的連接處，負責蹠趾關節運動的肌肉，亦會因這種着地方式而變得更強壯。

 

研究顯示逐，漸轉用仿赤足跑鞋強化了足部核心的肌肉部分，反映其應用於康復計劃的潛力。目前治療弱足部肌肉的臨床指引，除了依靠足部矯形器，還應將重點放在足部的核心訓練。

 

然而，張子熙建議，跑手要循序漸進地轉用仿赤足鞋，因為初時會出現肌肉酸痛，一旦負荷太大，會可能出現筋鍵炎，保守預計需要半年的適應期；又提醒患糖尿病的跑手，因仿赤足鞋的鞋底較薄，要留意穿鞋後腳掌是否會有磨損等情況，更不建議腳底敏感度低的糖尿病患者穿著，若感到不適，便應停止使用。

 

有份參加實驗的曾女士，有6年跑步經驗，每周跑步2至3次，參加實驗前曾參2度拉傷膝蓋及腳背，當改以彷赤足鞋跑步、以及改以腳掌落地初期，感到小腿酸軟，但經數個月的調整後，感受到小腿肌肉變大，小腿變粗，也沒有再因跑步而受傷。

 

4、Noninvasive mind-controlled prosthetic arm

UMN research shows people can control robotic arm with their minds

 

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have made a major breakthrough that allows people to control a robotic arm using only their minds. The research has the potential to help millions of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.

 

The study is published online today in Scientific Reports, a Nature research journal.

 

“This is the first time in the world that people can operate a robotic arm to reach and grasp objects in a complex 3D environment using only their thoughts without a brain implant,” said Bin He, a University of Minnesota biomedical engineering professor and lead researcher on the study. “Just by imagining moving their arms, they were able to move the robotic arm.”

 

The noninvasive technique, called electroencephalography (EEG) based brain-computer interface, records weak electrical activity of the subjects’ brain through a specialized, high-tech EEG cap fitted with 64 electrodes and converts the “thoughts” into action by advanced signal processing and machine learning.

 

Eight healthy human subjects completed the experimental sessions of the study wearing the EEG cap. Subjects gradually learned to imagine moving their own arms without actually moving them to control a robotic arm in 3D space. They started from learning to control a virtual cursor on computer screen and then learned to control a robotic arm to reach and grasp objects in fixed locations on a table. Eventually, they were able to move the robotic arm to reach and grasp objects in random locations on a table and move objects from the table to a three-layer shelf by only thinking about these movements.

 

All eight subjects could control a robotic arm to pick up objects in fixed locations with an average success rate above 80 percent and move objects from the table onto the shelf with an average success rate above 70 percent.

 

“This is exciting as all subjects accomplished the tasks using a completely noninvasive technique. We see a big potential for this research to help people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases to become more independent without a need for surgical implants,” He said.

 

The researchers said the brain-computer interface technology works due to the geography of the motor cortex—the area of the cerebrum that governs movement. When humans move, or think about a movement, neurons in the motor cortex produce tiny electric currents. Thinking about a different movement activates a new assortment of neurons, a phenomenon confirmed by cross-validation using functional MRI in He’s previous study. Sorting out these assortments using advanced signal processing laid the groundwork for the brain-computer interface used by the University of Minnesota researchers, He said.

 

The robotic arm research builds upon He’s research published three years ago in which subjects were able to fly a small quadcopter using the noninvasive EEG technology. The research gained international media attention.

 

“Three years ago, we weren’t sure moving a more complex robotic arm to grasp and move objects using this brain-computer interface technology could even be achieved,” He said. “We’re happily surprised that it worked with a high success rate and in a group of people.”

 

He anticipates the next step of his research will be to further develop this brain-computer interface technology realizing a brain-controlled robotic prosthetic limb attached to a person’s body or examine how this technology could work with someone who has had a 

stroke or is paralyzed.

 

In addition to Professor He, who also serves as director of the University of Minnesota Institute for Engineering in Medicine, the research team includes biomedical engineering postdoctoral researcher Jianjun Meng (first author); biomedical engineering graduate student Bryan Baxter; Institute for Engineering in Medicine staff member Angeliki Bekyo; and biomedical engineering undergraduate students Shuying Zhang and Jaron Olsoe. The researchers are affiliated with the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering and the Medical School.

 

The University of Minnesota study was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the University of Minnesota’s MnDRIVE (Minnesota’s Discovery, Research and InnoVation Economy) Initiative funded by the Minnesota Legislature.

 

To read the full research paper, entitled “Noninvasive Electroencephalogram Based Control of a Robotic Arm for Reach and Grasp Tasks,” visit the Nature Scientific Reports website.

 

Some information helps me have a better understanding

http://sports.163.com/11/1128/10/7JUL3VO500051CAQ.html

https://www.alert-1.com/content/fall-detection-technology/1390

http://www.merrell.com/US/en/barefoot/

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/basics-of-barefoot-minimalist-running.html

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-choose-barefoot-minimalist-running-shoes.html

http://www.toptenreviews.com/health/senior-care/best-fall-detection-sensors/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5yjQrzEYOc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrbJGFM9L-Y

 

Some information appears after 5 Sep 2016 but not included in the main body

http://hzdaily.hangzhou.com.cn/hzrb/html/2016-10/14/content_2379173.htm

http://mt.sohu.com/20161218/n476199010.shtml

 

http://news.163.com/16/1207/09/C7M26P14000187V5.html

http://tech.huanqiu.com/news/2016-09/9479216.html

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-09/uos-td-090716.php

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-09/uota-urp090616.php

http://www.instrument.com.cn/news/20161201/207710.shtml

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20160927/Biomedical-engineers-develop-artificial-blood-vessels-capable-of-growth-within-recipient.aspx

http://www.rdmag.com/article/2017/01/new-electric-shock-approach-could-help-parkinsons

http://www.sootoo.com/content/666470.shtml

Acknowledgements

Thanks my mom Mary for always by my side and her unconditional love. Throughout the two-week writing process, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by all the materials and information. It was my mom who brought hope and peace to me.

Also thanks Mabon for his thought-provoking words. We spent a lot of time exchanging ideas and information, and discussing how to finish this assignment excellently. We have learned so much from each other.