Development and Translational Assesment of a Tongue-Based Assistive Neuro-Technol

描述(由申请人提供)：研究领域：开发和验证辅助神经技术：06-NS-104摘要/摘要：为患有严重神经疾病的个人开发和翻译评估基于舌头的辅助神经技术(ANT)超过200万美国人因意外、暴力行为和神经系统疾病而瘫痪。例如，每年有11000例严重脊髓损伤(SCI)病例增加到25万人口。可悲的是，55%的脊髓损伤患者年龄在16岁到30岁之间，他们将需要终身特殊护理服务，目前每年的费用约为40亿美元。这些人中约有一半是四肢瘫痪患者，他们发现在没有持续帮助的情况下执行日常任务极其困难。辅助神经技术(ANT)帮助这些人传达他们的意图并有效地控制他们的环境，从而减少接受持续帮助的需要，从而减轻家庭成员的负担，并降低医疗保健和辅助生活成本。一种名为舌头驱动系统(TDS)的新蚂蚁可以让严重残疾的人只需舌头运动就能进入他们的环境。人类的舌头天生就有能力完成复杂的控制和操纵任务，具有多个自由度。它可以在口腔内快速而准确地移动，以至于尖端可以接触到每一颗牙齿。大脑和舌头之间的直接联系通常使它即使在严重的SCI中也能逃脱损害。与大脑不同，舌头是可以接触到的，它在嘴里的位置提供了一定程度的隐私。TDS由一个扁豆大小的磁性示踪剂组成，通过粘合、植入或穿孔附着在舌头上。示踪器在嘴巴内部和周围产生磁场，安装在无线耳机上的一组磁性传感器可以检测到该磁场。舌头运动引起的磁场变化被无线发送到用户携带的超移动计算机或智能手机上，这些计算机或智能手机处理每个舌头运动并将其转换为特定的用户定义函数。一旦残障人士被允许访问计算设备，他/她几乎可以完成健全个人使用该设备所能做的一切。这包括通信、教育、培训、娱乐和控制其他设备，如电动轮椅(PWC)、辅助机器人操作器和局域网(LAN)上的其他家庭/办公室电器。即使是个人自己的自然或假肢，也可以通过功能性电刺激(FES)来操纵来移动。该项目旨在改进和加强TDS技术，包括由最终目标用户--严重残疾个人--进行评估，他们是指出任何新蚂蚁的好处和可能存在的缺点的最佳专家。它还探索了基于语音的舌头运动，作为一种获得使用这种新型蚂蚁技能的直观方式。这些努力应该有助于使舌头驱动系统能够更广泛地使用。研究领域：开发和验证辅助神经技术：06-NS-104健康相关性：为严重神经疾病患者开发基于舌头的辅助神经技术(ANT)舌头驱动系统(TDS)是一种辅助神经技术，允许完全瘫痪的用户利用其舌头运动来访问计算机和控制轮椅。我们进一步开发TDS，并由严重残疾的个人进行评估。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): Research Area: Developing and validating assistive neuro-technologies: 06-NS-104 Abstract/summary: Development and Translational Assessment of a Tongue-Based Assistive Neuro-Technology (ANT) for Individuals with Severe Neurological Disorders More than two million Americans suffer from paralysis as a result of accidents, acts of violence, and neurological diseases. For instance, 11,000 cases of severe spinal cord injury (SCI) add every year to a population of a quarter of a million. Sadly, 55% of the SCI victims are between 16 and 30 years old, who will need lifelong special care services that currently cost about $4 billion each year. About half of these individuals are tetraplegics, who find it extremely difficult to carry out everyday tasks without continuous help. Assistive Neuro-Technologies (ANT) help these individuals communicate their intentions and effectively control their environments, easing the need for receiving continuous help, thus reducing the burden on family members, and lowering healthcare and assisted-living costs. A new ANT, called the Tongue Drive System (TDS), enables individuals with severe disability access their environment with nothing but their tongue motion. The human tongue is inherently capable of sophisticated control and manipulation tasks with many degrees of freedom. It can move rapidly and accurately within the mouth such that the tip can touch every single tooth. The direct connection between the brain and the tongue generally allows it to escape damage even in severe SCIs. Unlike the brain, the tongue is accessible, and its location inside the mouth affords a degree of privacy. TDS consists of a magnetic tracer, the size of a lentil, attached to the tongue by gluing, implantation, or piercing. The tracer generates a magnetic field inside and around the mouth that is detected by an array of magnetic sensors mounted on a wireless headset. Tongue-movement-induced changes in the magnetic field are sent wirelessly to an ultra-mobile computer or smartphone, carried by the user, which processes and translates every tongue motion to a particular user-defined function. Once an individual with disability is "enabled" to access a computing device, he/she can nearly do everything that an able-bodied individual can do with that device. This includes communicating, education, training, entertainment, and controlling other devices such as powered wheelchairs (PWC), assistive robotic manipulators, and other home/office appliances on a local area network (LAN). Even the individual's own natural or prosthetic limbs can be manipulated to move by functional electrical stimulation (FES). This project is intended to refine and enhance the TDS technology, including its evaluation by the ultimate intended users, individuals with severe disabilities, who are the best experts for indicating the benefits and possible shortcomings of any new ANT. It also explores speech-based tongue movements as an intuitive way of acquiring skills in using this novel ANT. These efforts should help make the Tongue Drive System viable for more general use. Research Area: Developing and validating assistive neuro-technologies: 06-NS-104 Health Relevance: Development and Translational Assessment of a Tongue-Based Assistive Neuro- Technology (ANT) for Individuals with Severe Neurological Disorders Tongue Drive System (TDS) is an assistive neuro-technology, which allows completely paralyzed users utilize their tongue motion to access computers and control wheelchairs. We further develop TDS and evaluate it by individuals with severe disabilities.