Conformable systems for spatiotemporal decoding of facial strains

用于面部应变时空解码的适形系统

• 批准号: 2026344
• 负责人: Canan Dagdeviren
• 金额: $ 35万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2026344&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Conformable; systems; spatiotemporal; decoding; facial

Many neuromuscular disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often manifest themselves through physiological changes including gradual loss of the ability to exercise fine motor skills and to vocalize intelligible speech. Predictable methods for continuous tracking of dynamic skin strain on the face, therefore, can enable new forms of communication for individuals with such disorders. Present methods for in vivo characterization of facial deformations involve electromyography (EMG), skin impedance measurements, or camera tracking. Yet these typically result in high uncertainties or have bulky structures with highly visible interfaces to soft skin, presenting difficulty for continuous use in daily life, especially for individuals with neuromuscular disorders. The aim of the proposed research is to realize conformable sensors and systems that can translate patterns of facial soft tissue biomechanics in vivo into interpretable electrical signals to enable new forms of non-verbal communication. The concepts, materials, system design and characterization methods to be introduced in this project can offer new routes for rapid, in vivo biokinematic assessment of epidermal surfaces during dynamic movements. Such systems can help for continuous clinical monitoring of a wide range of neuromuscular conditions, where variations are anticipated due either to (i) time-dependent alterations in muscle movements, and thus measurable epidermal deformations due to neurodegeneration progression, or (ii) a response throughout medical therapy. The proposed interdisciplinary project will be integrated with educational and outreach activities, including interdisciplinary classes on the microfabrication of conformable sensors and the development of lower-power, computationally light paradigms for medical sensing for underrepresented students all the way from K-12 to graduate levels.Precise measurements of soft tissue biokinematics, such as skin strain during facial deformations, can be used to computationally recognize distinct facial motions, and thus facilitate nonverbal communication for patients who lack the ability to speak or interact with traditional electronic communication interfaces. However, existing nonverbal communication systems are unsuitable for use on curvilinear regions of the body, such as the face. A widely deployable system for real-time detection of facial motions, when combined with the use of low-cost materials, easily manufacturable processes, and a seamless pipeline for fabrication, testing, and validation, offers unprecedented potential for clinically realizable nonverbal communication technologies. The primary goal of the proposed research is to introduce a set of materials, device designs, fabrication steps, theoretical calculations, simulations, and validation protocols that realize robust, mechanically-adaptive, predictable, and visually-invisible in vivo monitoring of spatiotemporal epidermal strains and decoding of distinct facial deformation signatures through the use of conformable devices comprised of piezoelectric thin films on compliant substrates. The challenges that will be addressed during the course of the project include: 1) Development of a conformable Facial Code Extrapolation Sensor (cFaCES), 2) Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation (3D-DIC) for spatiotemporal assessment of soft tissues under dynamic deformations, and 3) In vivo Real-Time Decoding (RTD) on both healthy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) subjects during various facial deformations. The proposed work will build upon the PI's interdisciplinary expertise and experience in piezoelectric, microfabricated biomedical devices and conformable systems. The proposed system will introduce a novel device design and microfabrication strategy, along with a framework and advanced algorithms that will be a key enabler to reconstruct spatiotemporally accurate strain maps for any human body soft tissue.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

许多神经肌肉疾病，例如肌萎缩侧索硬化症 (ALS)，通常通过生理变化表现出来，包括逐渐丧失锻炼精细运动技能和发出可理解语言的能力。因此，持续跟踪面部动态皮肤应变的可预测方法可以为患有此类疾病的个体提供新的沟通方式。目前用于面部变形体内表征的方法包括肌电图 (EMG)、皮肤阻抗测量或相机跟踪。然而，这些通常会导致高度的不确定性，或者具有庞大的结构，与柔软的皮肤的界面高度可见，从而在日常生活中持续使用带来困难，特别是对于患有神经肌肉疾病的个体而言。拟议研究的目的是实现舒适的传感器和系统，可以将体内面部软组织生物力学模式转化为可解释的电信号，从而实现新形式的非语言交流。该项目中引入的概念、材料、系统设计和表征方法可以为动态运动过程中表皮表面的快速体内生物运动学评估提供新途径。这样的系统可以帮助对各种神经肌肉状况进行连续的临床监测，这些状况的变化是由于（i）肌肉运动的时间依赖性改变，以及因神经退行性进展而导致的可测量的表皮变形，或（ii）整个药物治疗过程中的反应而预期的。拟议的跨学科项目将与教育和外展活动相结合，包括关于舒适传感器微加工的跨学科课程，以及为从 K-12 到研究生阶段的代表性不足的学生开发低功耗、计算轻的医学传感范例。软组织生物运动学的精确测量，例如面部变形期间的皮肤应变，可用于通过计算识别不同的特征。 面部动作，从而促进缺乏说话能力或与传统电子通信界面交互的患者的非语言交流。然而，现有的非语言通信系统不适合在身体的曲线区域（例如面部）上使用。一种可广泛部署的实时面部运动检测系统，与低成本材料的使用、易于制造的工艺以及用于制造、测试和验证的无缝管道相结合，为临床上可实现的非语言通信技术提供了前所未有的潜力。拟议研究的主要目标是介绍一组材料、设备设计、制造步骤、理论计算、模拟和验证协议，通过使用由压电薄膜组成的适形设备，实现对时空表皮应变的稳健、机械自适应、可预测和视觉不可见的体内监测以及对不同面部变形特征的解码。 合规基材。该项目过程中将解决的挑战包括：1) 开发一致的面部代码外推传感器 (cFaCES)，2) 用于动态变形下软组织时空评估的三维数字图像相关 (3D-DIC)，以及 3) 在不同时期对健康和肌萎缩侧索硬化症 (ALS) 受试者进行体内实时解码 (RTD)。 面部变形。拟议的工作将建立在 PI 在压电、微制造生物医学设备和顺应系统方面的跨学科专业知识和经验的基础上。拟议的系统将引入一种新颖的设备设计和微加工策略，以及一个框架和先进的算法，这将成为重建任何人体软组织的时空精确应变图的关键推动者。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Experimentally verified finite element modeling and analysis of a conformable piezoelectric sensor

• DOI: 10.1088/1361-665x/ac08ae
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Smart Materials and Structures
• 影响因子: 4.1
• 作者: Nikta Amiri;Farita Tasnim;Mostafa Tavakkoli Anbarani;C. Dagdeviren;M. Karami

Decoding of facial strains via conformable piezoelectric interfaces

• DOI: 10.1038/s41551-020-00612-w
• 发表时间: 2020-10-01
• 期刊: NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
• 影响因子: 28.1
• 作者: Sun, Tao;Tasnim, Farita;Dagdeviren, Canan
• 通讯作者: Dagdeviren, Canan

Ubiquitous conformable systems for imperceptible computing

• DOI: 10.1108/fs-07-2020-0067
• 发表时间: 2021-09-18
• 期刊: FORESIGHT
• 影响因子: 2
• 作者: Fernandez, Sara, V;Sadat, David;Dagdeviren, Canan
• 通讯作者: Dagdeviren, Canan