Acupuncture Needling Force and Motion Sensor

描述(申请人提供)：该项目的长期目标是提高针灸治疗的质量。这将通过开发一种工具(传感器)来实现，该工具能够跟踪针灸针的运动和力的相互作用。该传感器将立即用于改进针灸培训和研究，这将导致临床实践的改进。我们的具体目标包括：1)改进目前测量针头扭矩的Acusenser原型，另外测量角位移(旋转度)、轴向位移(上下移动量)和轴向力。2)开发用户友好的软件界面，以可视化的实时格式显示传感器数据。这将使用户能够立即查看针对针的运动或组织力响应的针刺轮廓。3)该传感器将用于表征针法的类型(如补益、消散)和风格(如日本针法、中国针法)。通过客观地描述针刺手法的特点，研究人员将能够设计未来的临床试验，这些试验可以回答迄今仍未测试的重要问题(例如，预期的手法在整个试验过程中是否成功复制？对于特定的临床情况，某些手法是否比其他手法更有效？)4)该传感器将被用来教授针的操作。针灸学生将使用Acusensors来增强他们准确可靠地复制导师演示的目标操作的能力。针刺技术是出了名的难以掌握的技能。由于缺乏评估针刺活动的工具，这一点变得更加复杂。通过实时图形界面提供针刺轮廓，这项技术可能会改变针灸技术的教学。这项技术将首次允许用户测试与针灸的基本组成部分相关的假设和改进实践。它将为针灸研究人员、教育工作者和临床医生提供必要的工具，最终将转化为提高针灸治疗质量，造福患者。与公共健康相关：据估计，美国有820万成年人使用针灸--仅2001年就有210万人。针灸针灸技术差异很大，很难复制。由于缺乏客观的测量工具，评估针灸的努力一直受到阻碍。新的Acusensors技术将提供一个必要的工具来识别与针灸相关的最佳实践。这一工具收集的数据将转化为针灸治疗质量的改善，以造福患者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term goal of this project is improvement in the quality of acupuncture treatment. This will be accomplished by developing a tool (the Acusensor) capable of tracking acupuncture needle movement and force interactions. The Acusensor will be applied immediately to improve acupuncture training and research, which will lead to improvements in clinical practice. Our specific aims include: 1) Improve the Acusensor prototype which currently measures needle torque, to additionally measure angular displacement (degrees of rotation), axial displacement (amount of up and down movement), and axial force. 2) Develop a user-friendly software interface displaying Acusensor data in a visual real-time format. This will enable users to instantly view needling profiles oriented to needle motion or tissue force response. 3) The Acusensor will be used to characterize types (e.g. tonifying, dispersing) and styles (e.g. Japanese, Chinese) of needle manipulation. By objectively characterizing needling manipulation techniques, researchers will be able to design future clinical trials which can answer important questions that have thus far remained untested (e.g. - Was the intended manipulation successfully replicated throughout the trial? Are certain manipulations more effective than others for specific clinical conditions?). 4) The Acusensor will be used to teach needle manipulation. Acupuncture students will use the Acusensor to enhance their ability to accurately and reliably reproduce target manipulations demonstrated by their instructors. Needling technique is a notoriously difficult skill to master. This is compounded by the lack of tools with which to evaluate needling activity. By providing profiles of needling via a real-time graphic interface, this technology will potentially transform the teaching of needling techniques. This technology will allow users, for the first time, to test assumptions and improve practices related to a fundamental component of acupuncture} needling. It will provide a needed tool to acupuncture researchers, educators and clinicians which will ultimately be translated into improvements in the quality of acupuncture treatments for the benefit of patients. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Acupuncture has been used by an estimated 8.2 million US adults - 2.1 million in 2001 alone. Acupuncture needling techniques vary widely and are difficult to replicate. Efforts to evaluate acupuncture needling have been hampered by a lack of objective measurement tools. The new Acusensor technology will provide a needed tool to identify best practices related to acupuncture needling. Data gathered by this tool will be translated into improvements in the quality of acupuncture treatments for the benefit of patients.