Non Invasive Medical Device for Parkinson\'s patients with Episodes of Freezing Gait

Project Title

Non Invasive Medical Device for Parkinson\'s patients with Episodes of Freezing Gait

Project Area of Specialization Wearables and ImplantableProject Summary

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder, in which the neuro pathway between your brain and foot muscles are no longer communicating effectively causing problems like tremor, slowness of movement, stiff muscles, and Freezing of gait. Parkinson disease (PD) is caused when the nerve cells die in substantia nigra (control the body movement) and chemical named dopamine is less produced in the brain which results in causing the movement problem and freezing of gait.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is an abnormal gait pattern in which person is not able to walk properly.  FOG is a highly disabling symptom occurs in Parkinson’s disease. FOG occurs during walking when person try to walk and not able to move the feet forward, try to lift the stairs up, while turning, multi-tasking and emotional states. About 50% of people are diagnosed by the Parkinson disease after the age of 60 and they are mostly men and only 10% got this disease before the age of 50.

So, we will make a device (wearable belt) to aid the PD patients suffering with episode of freezing of gait. Our system will automatically detect the FOG frequency range and trigger all the three systems namely,

1. Visual cueing system
2. Auditory cueing system
3. Vibratory cueing system

Patient can use any one of three systems and continues their motion.

Visual Cueing System:

In visual cueing system we are using a laser light which helps the Parkinson’s patient to move forward. If the FOG occurs, they needs to turn on the laser light and try to step on the laser light instead of random walking pattern. By doing so the brain will get the new neurological path and person will able to walk without the risk of falling.

Auditory Cueing system:

In Auditory cueing system the persons are able to walk by listening to the rhythmic metronome sound and try to stay in rhythm with the sound, which helps the patient to walk and make balance during FOG.

Vibratory cueing system:

In vibratory cueing system the person will feels the vibration sets at the constant interval of time and continue his motion. These vibrations are given by the help of the motor.

In short the main function of our device is to detect the Freezing of gait episode and after detecting our device will automatically turn on and trigger all the cueing systems. Later it will depend on the patients which cueing system they want to use. Freezing of gait is detected by the change in frequency like normal person walks in range of frequency 1-4Hz and when episodes occurs their frequency increases and lies in a range of 5-8Hz. For this we will use method "Frequency analysis using Fourier Transform" (FFT). By using this technique, we find the value of frequency. Also we set the threshold frequencies. when patient frequency lies between the threshold frequency it means episodes occur and device will automatically turn on and trigger all the systems. Then the patient will use any system according to its need and continues walking.

  

Project Objectives

Our goal is to help Parkinson’s disease patients, as our device is used by them to overcome the episodes of freezing of gait. The reason behind this is that there is no proper medication to cure Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gait whereas their symptoms can be decreased with the medication and physical therapies when diagnosed at early stage. But in early stages this disease is difficult to diagnose and the patient may remain unaware of this disease due to this the patient is unable to start medication and physical therapy which results in worsening the symptoms and leads to affect the movement that they start getting stuck with no time where our device can help patients to move whenever they become unable to move.

Our device can help the Parkinson’s disease patients to walk approximately like a normal people walk. As due to the freezing of gait the patient is unable to move forward because of this the patients’ needs to remain inside the house. This may risk the patient’s life. This can be explained much by this that when the patient who are suffering from freezing of gait will go out and get to cross the road but due to the sudden freezing the patient may freeze in front of the fast moving vehicle then the patient can suffer the severe accident. That is why the patients need to remain in their houses. But our device may help the patient to go out or continue to walk outdoor. As when the disease attack on the patient and patient get stuck while walking out, this situation can trigger our device and the patient can start walking slowly.

Our device can also help the Parkinson’s disease patient to use the device while with laser, sound or with vibration. As sometimes the patient is comfortable with laser or in some areas laser light can help the patient to move a step forward while in a stuck position. Our objective is also concern with the aid of patients that have weak hearing capacity so they have a choice to use our device through laser light and vibration. But if the patient does not want to use the vibration so he may switch the device to laser light where the light may help him to move a step forward.

The Parkinson’s disease patients also include the patients with weak eyesight in this case the device can be switched to the auditory mode or vibratory mode. So that if the patient is unable to see the laser light then the device can help him with sound or vibration. It all depends on the patients that which option is more suitable for them. So that they may not risk their life while going out.

The vibratory motor is placed in our device that can be used by the patients according to their convenience as this is also one of our objective to make our device comfortable as much as possible. So if the patient wants to use all the three options at a time it can also be available in our device. Our other objective is to make our device a light weighted device so that it can be used by the patients of any age. As mentioned above that this disease is more likely to affect people above age 60.

Project Implementation Method

The device we will made is named as "Non-invasive medical device for Parkinson’s patients with episode of freezing gait". This device is used to aid the Parkinson’s patient suffering with freezing of gait. Freezing of gait is an abnormal gait pattern in which the patient foot is glued to the ground and they will unable to move the step forward. To overcome this disease, we will make a belt consist of three different functions namely Visual, Auditory and vibratory cueing system. 

So. the main function of our device is to detect the Freezing of gait episode and or device will automatically turn on and trigger all the cueing systems. Later it will depend on the patients which cueing system they want to use. Freezing of gait is detected by the change in frequency Like normal person walks in range of frequency 1-4Hz and when episodes occurs their frequency increases and lies in a range of 5-8Hz. For this we will use method "Frequency analysis using Fourier Transform" (FFT). By using this technique, we find the value of frequency. Also we set the threshold frequencies. when patient frequency lies between the threshold frequency it means episodes occur and device will automatically turn on and trigger all the systems.

The Fourier transform of a function of time is a complex-valued function of frequency, whose magnitude (absolute value) represents the amount of that frequency present in the original function, and whose argument is the phase offset of the basic sinusoid in that frequency.

Benefits of the Project

Our device consists of three systems which will have huge benefits while using by Parkinson patients.

Benefits of having three systems in a single device (Belt):

1. If the person is stuck in the place where laser light is unable to seem or seem blur and at that time FOG episodes occur the he is unable to see the laser light on the floor properly then he will have an option to turn on the auditory cueing system or vibratory cueing system to be on the safest side.
2. If the person stuck in the crowdy places here there is and not able to hear the voice, then he will have an option to turn on the auditory cueing system or vibratory cueing system.
3. Vibratory cueing system holds the benefits of both auditory cueing system and visual cueing system. If the person stuck in the place where he is unable to see the laser light and also mot able to hear the voice, then vibratory system is the best option which helps him to continue his motion.
4. Our device is light weighted used by people of any age.
5. Helps Parkinson’s patients to walk.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder, in which the neuro pathway between your brain and foot muscles are no longer communicating effectively causing problems like tremor, slowness of movement, stiff muscles, and Freezing of gait. 

Freezing of gait (FOG) is an abnormal gait pattern in which person is not able to walk properly. FOG occurs at a swear level and person feels difficulty in moving the feet forward (glued to the ground) and in making the balance. FOG occurs during walking when person try to walk and not able to move the feet forward, try to lift the stairs up, while turning, multi-tasking and emotional states.

So, we will make a device (wearable belt) to aid the PD patients suffering with episode of freezing of gait. The walking frequency for normal person lies in a range of 1-4 Hz but when FOG occurs frequency increases and lies in range between 5-8Hz. So our system will automatically detect the FOG frequency range and trigger all the three systems named as Visual, Auditory and Vibratory Cueing system.

So. the main function of our device is to detect the Freezing of gait episode and our device will automatically turn on and trigger all the cueing systems. Later it will depend on the patients which cueing system they want to use. Freezing of gait is detected by the change in frequency Like normal person walks in range of frequency 1-4Hz and when episodes occurs their frequency increases and lies in a range of 5-8Hz. For this we will use method "Frequency analysis using Fourier Transform" (FFT). By using this technique, we find the value of frequency. Also we set the threshold frequencies. when patient frequency lies between the threshold frequency it means episodes occur and device will automatically turn on and trigger all the systems.

Our device can help the Parkinson’s patient with laser, sound or vibration cueing systems. The Parkinson’s disease patients also include the patients with weak eyesight in this case the device can be switched to the auditory mode or vibratory mode. So that if the patient is unable to see the laser light then the device can help him with sound or vibration. It all depends on the patients that which option is more suitable for them. So that they may not risk their life while going out. some patients have weak hearing capacity so they have a choice to use our device through laser light and vibration.

The vibratory motor is placed in our device that can be used by the patients according to their convenience as this is also one of our objective to make our device comfortable as much as possible. So if the patient wants to use all the three options at a time it can also be available in our device. Our other objective is to make our device a light weighted device so that it can be used by the patients of any age. As mentioned above that this disease is more likely to affect people above age 60.

This is how or designed model will look alike.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry HealthOther IndustriesCore Technology Wearables and ImplantablesOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for PeopleRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	37000
Laser Pointer	Equipment	1	2000	2000
Vibratory Motor	Equipment	2	1000	2000
Speaker	Equipment	1	1000	1000
Microcontroller	Equipment	1	5000	5000
Movement Sensor	Equipment	2	2000	4000
Rechargeable batteries	Equipment	4	250	1000
Battery charging Mobile	Equipment	2	500	1000
Housing	Equipment	1	4000	4000
PCB Prototyping	Equipment	1	7000	7000
Miscellaneous	Miscellaneous	1	10000	10000