Can Technology-Based Social Memory Aids Improve Social Engagement? Perceptions of a Novel Memory Aid for Persons With Memory Concerns.

Social withdrawal and isolation are frequently experienced among people with cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and Alzheimer's disease related dementias. Few assistive technologies exist to support persons with memory concerns' (PWMC) continuing social engagement. This study aimed to understand PWMC and family caregivers' initial perspectives on the feasibility and utility of a wearable technology-based social memory aid. We recruited 20 dyads, presented the memory aid, and conducted semi-structured interviews from June to August 2020 over Zoom video conferencing. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, participants anticipated the technology could reduce socializing-related stress now and in the future for both members of the care dyad. However, certain features of the memory aid (e.g., visitors must have the app), could limit utility, and participants provided recommendations to enhance the tool. Our findings will inform future technology-enabled social memory aid development for PWMC and family caregivers.

Stereoscopic Distance Filtering Plus Thermal Imaging Glasses Design.

The authors present the development of eyewear that incorporates stereoscopic and thermal imaging cameras for the purpose of highlighting objects/views of interest. Image processing algorithms that simplify complex elements in a scene have the ability to improve the utility of blind and low vision aids. Thermal imaging can be used to highlight important objects such as people or animals, while stereoscopic imaging can be used to filter background imagery beyond a certain distance. The methods used have been successful in providing utility to retinal prosthesis users. The stereoscopic camera systems involved strict requirements on the relative orientation of the cameras for calibrated distance filtering. A mechanical design is presented that fixes the relative camera locations on a 3D printed titanium structure that can float in the frame to maintain orientations even when the eyewear is flexed during wearing. Clinical Relevance - The design presented has utility in improving perceived spatial resolution in implantable retinal prostheses, implantable visual cortical prostheses, direct-vision prostheses, and wearable low vision aids.

Development of a Pleural Pressure Catheter via Continuous Fiberoptic Esophageal Pressure Measurements.

There is growing research showing the importance of measuring esophageal pressure as a surrogate for pleural pressure for patients on mechanical ventilators. The most common measurement method uses a balloon catheter, whose accuracy can vary based on patient anatomy, balloon position, balloon inflation, and the presence of other tubes in the esophagus. The authors present the development and initial testing results of a new combination catheter, utilizing fiberoptic pressure sensing to provide more accurate esophageal pressure measurements and allowing for the incorporation of a feeding tube and temperature sensor.

Socially Assistive Robots for Dementia Care: Exploring Caregiver Perceptions of Use Cases and Acceptance.

As the older population increases, the number of persons living with dementia (PWD) will increase as well. Yet, at the same time, there are fewer health care professionals per care recipient. To address the rising demand on healthcare professionals and informal care partners of PWD, socially assistive robots (SARs) can potentially facilitate care provision. It is crucial to understand the divergent tasks of these two caregiver groups so that the SAR's intervention can meet each group's needs. This qualitative study investigated and compared both caregiver groups' acceptance of a SAR. Six use cases involving a SAR (NAO, SoftBank) were demonstrated to both caregiver groups (N=20 persons). Both groups expressed willingness to adopt such technology and found that it could be useful in dementia care. However, participants' perceptions varied by task. Results indicate that healthcare professionals focused more on the assistive aspects, whereas care partners focused more on the social aspects of the SAR.

High Energy Side and Rear American Football Head Impacts Cause Obvious Performance Decrement on Video.

The objective of this study was to compare head impact data acquired with an impact monitoring mouthguard (IMM) to the video-observed behavior of athletes' post-collision relative to their pre-collision behaviors. A total of n = 83 college and high school American football players wore the IMM and were video-recorded over 260 athlete-exposures. Ex-athletes and clinicians reviewed the video in a two-step process and categorized abnormal post-collision behaviors according to previously published Obvious Performance Decrement (OPD) definitions. Engineers qualitatively reviewed datasets to check head impact and non-head impact signal frequency and magnitude. The ex-athlete reviewers identified 2305 head impacts and 16 potential OPD impacts, 13 of which were separately categorized as Likely-OPD impacts by the clinical reviewers. All 13 Likely-OPD impacts were in the top 1% of impacts measured by the IMM (ranges 40-100 g, 3.3-7.0 m/s and 35-118 J) and 12 of the 13 impacts (92%) were to the side or rear of the head. These findings require confirmation in a larger data set before proposing any type of OPD impact magnitude or direction threshold exists. However, OPD cases in this study compare favorably with previously published impact monitoring studies in high school and college American football players that looked for OPD signs, impact magnitude and direction. Our OPD findings also compare well with NFL reconstruction studies for ranges of concussion and sub-concussive impact magnitudes in side/rear collisions, as well as prior theory, analytical models and empirical research that suggest a directional sensitivity to brain injury exists for single high-energy impacts.

Laboratory and On-field Data Collected by a Head Impact Monitoring Mouthguard.

Although concussion continues to be a major source of acute and chronic injury in automotive, athletic and military arenas, concussion injury mechanisms and risk functions are ill-defined. This lack of definition has hindered efforts to develop standardized concussion monitoring, safety testing and protective countermeasures. Recent research has provided evidence of the role of repetitive head impact exposure as a predisposing factor for the onset of concussion using developed instrumented helmets and mouthguards.To overcome this knowledge gap, we have developed, tested and deployed a head impact monitoring mouthguard (IMM) system. In this study, we deployed the IMM system to gather high quality estimates of athlete head impacts in situ. And with enough longer-term data collection, potential concussive events or mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) will be gathered and ideally will provide actionable risk-based threshold.

Development of a head impact monitoring "Intelligent Mouthguard".

The authors present the development and laboratory system-level testing of an impact monitoring "Intelligent Mouthguard" intended to help with identification of potentially concussive head impacts and cumulative head impact dosage. The goal of Intelligent Mouthguard is to provide an indicator of potential concussion risk, and help caregiver identify athletes needing sideline concussion protocol testing. Intelligent Mouthguard may also help identify individuals who are at higher risk based on historical dosage. Intelligent Mouthguard integrates inertial sensors to provide 3-degree of freedom linear and rotational kinematics. The electronics are fully integrated into a custom mouthguard that couples tightly to the upper teeth. The combination of tight coupling and highly accurate sensor data means the Intelligent Mouthguard meets the National Football League (NFL) Level I validity specification based on laboratory system-level test data presented in this study.

ICD lead failure detection in chronic soaked leads.

Abrasion-induced insulation breach is a common failure mode of silicone-body, transvenous, implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads. It is caused either by external compression or internal motion of conducting cables. The present method of monitoring lead integrity measures low frequency conductor impedance. It cannot detect insulation failures until both the silicone lead body and inner fluoropolymer insulation have been breached completely, exposing conductors directly to blood or tissue. Even then the resistance changes are usually swamped by the baseline values. Thus the first clinical presentation may be either failure to deliver a life-saving shock or painful, inappropriate shocks in normal rhythm. We have previously presented a method for identifying early lead failure based on high frequency transmission line impedance measurements. That work used fresh leads in a liquid simulation bath; we have now demonstrated similar effects in leads soaked for 32 days and hence with saline-saturated silicone lead bodies.

Distance bounded energy detecting ultra-wideband impulse radio secure protocol.

We present a demonstration of a novel protocol for secure transmissions on a Ultra-wideband impulse radio that includes distance bounding. Distance bounding requires radios to be within a certain radius to communicate. This new protocol can be used in body area networks for medical devices where security is imperative. Many current wireless medical devices were not designed with security as a priority including devices that can be life threatening if controlled by a hacker. This protocol provides multiple levels of security including encryption and a distance bounding test to prevent long distance attacks.

Yaw rate and linear velocity stabilized manual wheelchair.

We present the development of a prototype novel low-power, inexpensive stability control system for manual wheelchairs. Manual wheelchairs, while providing the ability to maneuver in relatively small indoor spaces, have a high center of gravity making them prone to tipping. Additionally, they can easily slide on sloped surfaces and can even spin and tip when attempting to turn or brake too quickly. When used on ramps and in outdoor environments where the surface is rarely perfectly flat (slopes greater than 1∶20 (5%) are common), wheelchair users can easily encounter potentially dangerous situations. The design and evaluation of an accident prevention system for independent manual wheelchair users that increases independence by enabling mobility with greater confidence and safety is described. The system does not limit a wheelchair user's ability to manually brake, rather, if the system detects that the wheelchair is out of control, braking force will be added by the system to either one or both wheels. The prototype utilized inexpensive bicycle technologies for the wheel brake and electrical power generator assemblies. Custom servos were designed along with custom electronics and firmware in the prototype to evaluate performance. The goal of the project was to derive specifications for a control and actuation system that utilizes inexpensive bicycle components in this cost-sensitive application. The design is detailed and the final specifications provided.

VCSEL based, wearable, continuously monitoring pulse oximeter.

We present the development of a novel pulse oximeter based on low power, low cost, Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology. This new design will help address a need to perform regular measurements of pulse oximetry for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. VCSELs with wavelengths suitable for pulse oximetry were developed and packaged in a PLCC package for a low cost solution that is easy to integrate into a pulse oximeter design. The VCSELs were integrated into a prototype pulse oximeter that is unobtrusive and suitable for long term wearable use. The prototype achieved good performance compared the Nonin Onyx II pulse oximeter at less than one fifth the weight in a design that can be worn behind the ear like a hearing aid.

Indoor magnetic navigation for the blind.

Indoor navigation technology is needed to support seamless mobility for the visually impaired. This paper describes the construction of and evaluation of a navigation system that infers the users' location using only magnetic sensing. It is well known that the environments within steel frame structures are subject to significant magnetic distortions. Many of these distortions are persistent and have sufficient strength and spatial characteristics to allow their use as the basis for a location technology. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a prototype magnetic navigation system consisting of a wireless magnetometer placed at the users' hip streaming magnetic readings to a smartphone processing location algorithms. Human trials were conducted to assess the efficacy of the system by studying route-following performance with blind and sighted subjects using the navigation system for real-time guidance.

Indoor waypoint navigation via magnetic anomalies.

A wide assortment of technologies have been proposed to construct indoor navigation services for the blind and vision impaired. Proximity-based systems and multilateration systems have been successfully demonstrated and employed. Despite the technical success of these technologies, broad adoption has been limited due to their significant infrastructure and maintenance costs. An alternative approach utilizing the indoor magnetic signatures inherent to steel-frame buildings solves the infrastructure cost problem; in effect the existing building is the location system infrastructure. Although magnetic indoor navigation does not require the installation of dedicated hardware, the dedication of resources to produce precise survey maps of magnetic anomalies represents a further barrier to adoption. In the present work an alternative leader-follower form of waypoint-navigation system has been developed that works without surveyed magnetic maps of a site. Instead the wayfarer's magnetometer readings are compared to a pre-recorded magnetic "leader" trace containing magnetic data collected along a route and annotated with waypoint information. The goal of the navigation system is to correlate the follower's magnetometer data with the leader's to trigger audio cues at precise points along the route, thus providing location-based guidance to the user. The system should also provide early indications of off-route conditions. As part of the research effort a smartphone based application was created to record and annotate leader traces with audio and numeric data at waypoints of interest, and algorithms were developed to determine (1) when the follower reaches a waypoint and (2) when the follower goes off-route. A navigation system utilizing this technology would enable a low-cost indoor navigation system capable of replaying audio annotations at precise locations along pre-recorded routes.

Public transportation assistant for the cognitively impaired.

This project developed and evaluated the utility of a mobility assistant cognitive prosthetic that leverages the computing power and GPS location determination capabilities of smart phones to provide location-sensitive mobility assistance. New relatively inexpensive smart phones offer powerful computing and location sensing capabilities. A prototype cognitive prosthetic was developed to assist users in their use of transportation systems. User Interface design included remote caregiver programming features, and automated SMS status generation. Location specific memory cues are triggered by comparing current GPS coordinate location with expected route coordinates obtained from stored route databases based on the GTFS feeds from transit systems. Additional development focused on developing algorithms to identify potential user errors, such as wrong-bus. These reminders and instructions will allow cognitively disabled persons to utilize public transportation systems with greater confidence leading to greater mobility and independence.

Telemedicine enabled remote critical care ventilator.

Following a critical illness, technology-dependent children on chronic ventilator support require specialized care to facilitate recovery and rehabilitation that minimally impedes social and psychological development. Intervention strategies have been confounded by the need for frequent assessment via physical exam in a relatively immobile patient population. The availability of technology that enables effective, timely, and reliable information transfer between the homecare providers and the attending pulmonologist is likely to decrease the need for transport and hospitalization, and provide a dramatically increased level of comfort for care givers in the home and ultimately the children. A Pulmonetic Systems LTV 1200 ventilator was enabled with a wireless cellular interface to make its settings and performance data real-time accessible over a secure wireless Internet connection. A complete web-browser ventilator interface program was specified, coded, and tested. The live web interface was used to support a formal survey of pediatric pulmonologists to help gauge the potential medical utility of the new remote interface to the ventilator. The survey results were overwhelmingly supportive of the concept, and the pulmonologists listed many varied ways that the data could have utility in their patient populations.