From drawings to advanced assistive technology
"ITongue" is a patented tongue control system, which originates from the research of Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Department of Health Science & Technology, Aalborg University. The innovative collaboration between industry, users and research teams fostered and allowed for a process which has resulted in "emerging from Proof of Technology to Proof of Concept". The inventor of the tongue control system Lotte N. S. Andreasen Struijk, Associate Professor at Aalborg University, has now further expanded the process of developing and testing "Itongue". Together with collaboration partners from the industry, hospitals, research environments, etc. from all over Denmark the technology platform is now being tested by both intact people and users. One of the aims is to have 4 to 6 people suffering from spinal cord injuries test the tongue control system. At the same time the new system will be compared with the users' current assistive equipment.
The fundamental idea of this new study is to establish whether subjects will actually benefit from using this new technology. In future these technologies could be implemented into a robotic hand – another project initiated by Lotte N.S. Andreasen Struijk. The aim of this project is to offer people with spinal cord injuries the possibility of e.g. picking up items with the help of a robotic hand controlled by the tongue system. Implementing the system in various devices used by patients in their everyday lives could have a highly beneficial effect – from the action of opening a door, sending an e-mail, surfing the internet, controlling a phone, to reaching out for a friend. The possibilities are many and the tongue control system and its techniques might also be applied in the work of a surgeon, of a pilot, or of an officer in a war zone – or perhaps it could even be beneficial for young gamers.
Arising from a childhood dream, Lotte N.S. Andreasen has certainly realized her goals. Following her mother in her work as a trained nurse taking care of paralyzed people, Lotte spent the evenings drawing the equipment she dreamt of building for her mothers' patients. From drawings to high technology devices, and further from an actual tongue control system the project has now developed into a new commercialized product.
Read more about the research here (article in Danish, p. 8-12)
Anglonordic Medtech Conference
Eir recommends the Anglonordic Medtech Conference 2013 in London
"The Anglo-Nordic region continues to be one of the fastest growing medtech regions in the world and the Anglonordic Medtech Conference provides the ideal one-stop opportunity to discover, collaborate and invest in this success. By invitation only, the select audience is restricted to decision makers representing drug discovery and medtech companies from the Anglo-Nordic regions and international pharmaceutical and investment firms. The conference consists of four areas that have simultaneous activities.
The four areas are; the Main Conference Room & Aescap Venture Investment Room, the Exhibition Room (for SME only), the One-to-One Meetings Area and the Exhibition/Lounge Area. The conference ends with The Reception on the evening (12th June) that bridges the two conferences at Canada House in London."
Blood pressure and electric stimulation
One billion people world-wide suffer from high blood pressure. It is estimated that every third adult in the western part of the world suffer from high blood pressure. For most people the problem is solved by medicine and in some cases a change of life style. However, 10 per cent of these people suffer from resistant hyper tension meaning that even a mix of several blood pressure reducing drugs does not have an effect.
Companies developing an effective treatment for this group of patients will therefore have access to a substantial market. At Aalborg University a group of researchers headed by post doc Thomas Nørgaard Nielsen is starting up a revolutionary project which will take the first steps towards improved treatment of these patients based on electric stimulation.
Eir has contributed to the process of maturing the applied technology in this proof-of-concept project which is to prove how stimulation of a nerve on the neck can activate the so-called baroreflex that helps regulating the blood pressure.
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