Most medical devices are intended to fight diseases and/or reduce the symptoms. Klick Labs, part of Klick, a product development and marketing firm out of Toronto, Canada, has developed a proof-of-concept system that actually induces some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s. The goal is to promote empathy and understanding of a condition that can be hard to relate to.
The SymPulse Tele-Empathy Device looks a bit like a blood pressure cuff and is worn on the forearm arm by a healthy individual. An electromyography device, which seems to be the Myo, is placed around the forearm of a Parkinson’s patient and used to monitor and record that person’s muscle activity. The electromyograph is wirelessly connected to the SymPulse, which has a neurostimulator and a set of electrodes. Muscle contractions of the patient are immediately transferred to the SymPulse, which in turn recreates the muscle tremors and movements that the patient is experiencing. All this is meant to happen in real-time and when the two people are near each other. Hopefully the system will prove itself beneficial in helping family, caretakers, and others to build a more visceral understanding of how someone with Parkinson’s feels.
Here’s a demo of the SymPulse Tele-Empathy Device being used with twins, one of which is a Parkinson’s sufferer:
Via: Klick Labs…