Skin Strain Analysis of the Scapular Region and Wearables Design

Monitoring scapular movements is of relevance in the contexts of rehabilitation and clinical research. Among many technologies, wearable systems instrumented by strain sensors are emerging in these applications. An open challenge for the design of these systems is the optimal positioning of the sensing elements, since their response is related to the strain of the underlying substrates. This study aimed to provide a method to analyze the human skin strain of the scapular region. Experiments were conducted on five healthy volunteers to assess the skin strain during upper limb movements in the frontal, sagittal, and scapular planes at different degrees of elevation. A 6 × 5 grid of passive markers was placed posteriorly to cover the entire anatomic region of interest. Results showed that the maximum strain values, in percentage, were 28.26%, and 52.95%, 60.12% and 60.87%, 40.89%, and 48.20%, for elevation up to 90° and maximum elevation in the frontal, sagittal, and scapular planes, respectively. In all cases, the maximum extension is referred to the pair of markers placed horizontally near the axillary fold. Accordingly, this study suggests interesting insights for designing and positioning textile-based strain sensors in wearable systems for scapular movements monitoring.

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The effect of washing on the electrical performance of knitted textile strain sensors for quantifying joint motion

Journal of Industrial Textiles ◽

10.1177/15280837211059210 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152808372110592

Author(s):

Cristina Isaia ◽

Simon McMaster ◽

Donal McNally

Keyword(s):

Elbow Flexion ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Electrical Performance ◽

Market Penetration ◽

Maximum Extension ◽

Maximum Flexion ◽

Flexion Extension ◽

Textile Sensor ◽

Simulated Training

Successful market penetration of textile-based strain sensors requires long-term reliability which in turn relies on the washability of the sensor. First, this paper presents an evaluation of the effect of 5 washing cycles on the electrical performance of a knitted conductive transducer, over 1500 cycles of repetitive elongation. The promising behaviour of the textile sensor in this study showed that it might be possible to make a smart garment, capable of quantifying elbow flexion-extension motion, by integrating it into an elbow sleeve. Second, a prototype sleeve, incorporating a knitted sensor (the so-called smart sleeve), was tested in a simulated training/clinical setting by performing 50 flexion-extension cycles after 1, 5, 15, 25, 50 and 75 washes. In both studies, the electrical resistance of the sensor increased with the number of washes in a predictable manner and exhibited a repeatable, reliable and prompt response to elongation. In particular, the electrical pattern representing flexion-extension motion measured using the sleeve was clear and distinguishable up to the 75th wash. Moreover, resistance measurements within the same trial were repeatable at maximum flexion (≤2% variation) and at maximum extension (≤3% variation) and predictable with increasing washes (R2 = 0.992 at maximum flexion and R2 = 0.989 at maximum extension). The good washability of the smart sleeve, evidenced by its ability to detect, distinguish and measure parameters of flexion-extension motion up to 75 washes, makes it a suitable and sustainable choice for applications, such as strength conditioning or rehabilitation, where repetition count and speed are useful.

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Analyzing strain in samples with all-ceramic systems using the digital image correlation technique

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh171030085t ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 147 (9-10) ◽

pp. 528-533 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ivan Tanasic ◽

Aleksandra Mitrovic ◽

Nenad Mitrovic ◽

Dusan Sarac ◽

Ljiljana Tihacek-Sojic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Digital Image Correlation ◽

Digital Image ◽

Correlation Method ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Experimental Models ◽

Image Correlation ◽

Correlation Technique ◽

Apical Region ◽

Maximum Strain ◽

Significant Difference

Introduction/Objective. The study was conducted to identify the maximum strain generated in the samples composed of poly-methyl-methacrylate, StraumannR implants, and three types of ceramic systems. Methods. Three types of experimental models were used, loaded by external load of 100 N, 300 N, and 500 N and analyzed using the digital image correlation method. The models were composed of yttriastabilized zirconia, e.max lithium disilicate, and Vita EnamicR hybrid ceramics, placed on the StraumannR cylindrical dental implant systems (4 ? 10 mm) with straight abutments. Results. Significant differences in strain values between samples with different crown material groups were detected (p = 0.000). This suggests that strain values were dependent on the type of crown material. Strain values were also affected by the region of interest (p = 0.000). Application of two-way ANOVA enabled testing of the interaction effect between two independent variables, crown material and region of interest, where a significant difference was also found (p = 0.046). This indicates that strain values were also influenced by different combinations of material type and region of interest. The highest strain values were found for Z (0.383 ? 0.015) in the apical region, and the lowest for E (0.303 ? 0.015) in the middle region. Conclusion. The study shows maximum strain in the apical and marginal directions. When considered various all-ceramics, we noticed the minimum strain below Vita EnamicsR, while the maximum strain was found in samples with yttria-stabilized zirconia crown.

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P1494Usefulness of longitudinal strain adjusted to regional thickness in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehz748.0258 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

N Mansencal ◽

S Utado ◽

M Hauguelf-Moreau ◽

S Mallet ◽

P Charron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy ◽

Longitudinal Strain ◽

Global Longitudinal Strain ◽

Strain Analysis ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Control Group ◽

Myocardial Wall ◽

Regional Strain ◽

Standard Software

Abstract Background In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), longitudinal strain analysis allows to early detect left ventricular (LV) contraction abnormalities despite preserved LV ejection fraction. In current software, the width of the region of interest (ROI) is the same over the entire myocardial wall, and might analyze partially LV hypertrophic segments. Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate a novel software for strain analysis with an adjustable ROI according to each segment thickness. Methods We included 110 patients: 55 patients with HCM (HCM group) and 55 healthy subjects (age- and sex-matched control group). All patients underwent echocardiography using a Vivid 9 GE system and measurements were performed using EchoPAC software. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and regional strain for each of the 17 segments was calculated with standard software (for 2 groups) and with software adjusted to the myocardial wall thickness (for HCM group). Results GLS was significantly decreased in the HCM group as compared to the control group (−15.1±4.8% versus −20.5±4.3%, p<0.0001). In HCM group, GLS (standard method versus adjusted to thickness) were not significantly different (p=0.34). Interestingly, regional strain adjusted to thickness was significantly lower than standard strain in hypertrophic segments, especially in basal inferoseptal segment (p=0.0002), median inferoseptal segment (p<0.001) and median anteroseptal segment (p=0.02). Strain adjusted to thickness was still significantly lower in the most hypertrophic segments (≥20 mm) (−3.7±3%, versus −5.9±4.4%, p=0.049 in the basal inferoseptal segment and −5.7±3.5% versus −8.3±4.5%, p=0.0007 in the median inferoseptal segment). Analysis of strain adjusted to thickness had a better feasibility (97.5% versus 99%, p=0.01). Conclusion Analysis of longitudinal strain adjusted to regional thickness is feasible in HCM and allows a better evaluation of myocardial deformation, especially in the most LV hypertrophic segments.

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Fabrication Process and Evaluation of Printed Strain Sensors for Detection of Maximum Strain Direction

2021 21st International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers) ◽

10.1109/transducers50396.2021.9495699 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Zymelka ◽

Takeshi Kobayashi

Keyword(s):

Strain Sensors ◽

Fabrication Process ◽

Maximum Strain ◽

Strain Direction

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Exploratory study of how Cognitive Multisensory Rehabilitation restores parietal operculum connectivity and improves upper limb movements in chronic stroke

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77272-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

A. Van de Winckel ◽

D. De Patre ◽

M. Rigoni ◽

M. Fiecas ◽

T. J. Hendrickson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Upper Limb ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Chronic Stroke ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Before And After ◽

Upper Limb Movements ◽

The Right ◽

Sensorimotor Recovery

AbstractCognitive Multisensory Rehabilitation (CMR) is a promising therapy for upper limb recovery in stroke, but the brain mechanisms are unknown. We previously demonstrated that the parietal operculum (parts OP1/OP4) is activated with CMR exercises. In this exploratory study, we assessed the baseline difference between OP1/OP4 functional connectivity (FC) at rest in stroke versus healthy adults to then explore whether CMR affects OP1/OP4 connectivity and sensorimotor recovery after stroke. We recruited 8 adults with chronic stroke and left hemiplegia/paresis and 22 healthy adults. Resting-state FC with the OP1/OP4 region-of-interest in the affected hemisphere was analysed before and after 6 weeks of CMR. We evaluated sensorimotor function and activities of daily life pre- and post-CMR, and at 1-year post-CMR. At baseline, we found decreased FC between the right OP1/OP4 and 34 areas distributed across all lobes in stroke versus healthy adults. After CMR, only four areas had decreased FC compared to healthy adults. Compared to baseline (pre-CMR), participants improved on motor function (MESUPES arm p = 0.02; MESUPES hand p = 0.03; MESUPES total score p = 0.006); on stereognosis (p = 0.03); and on the Frenchay Activities Index (p = 0.03) at post-CMR and at 1-year follow-up. These results suggest enhanced sensorimotor recovery post-stroke after CMR. Our results justify larger-scale studies.

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D-cycloserine Inhibits Amygdala Responses During Repeated Presentations of Faces

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852900021398 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 600-605 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Jennifer C. Britton ◽

Andrea L. Gold ◽

Eric J. Feczko ◽

Scott L. Rauch ◽

Danielle Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Region Of Interest ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Double Blind Study ◽

3.0 Tesla ◽

Double Blind ◽

Fear Reduction ◽

Amygdala Activity ◽

Single Block ◽

Anatomic Region ◽

Response Habituation

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Recently, human studies using exposure therapy to treat anxiety have demonstrated that pretreatment with D-cycloserine (DCS) enhances fear reduction in anxiety disorders. However, the underlying brain mechanisms mediating this fear reduction have yet to be determined.Methods: The effects of orally administered DCS on amygdala activity during the processing of repeated facial expressions were examined in this double-blind study. Fourteen healthy males (30.0±8.7 years of age) randomly received DCS 500 mg or placebo prior to 3.0 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging acquisition. All participants viewed four separate runs, consisting of a single block of a repeated facial expression (happy or fearful) bracketed by fixation blocks.Results: Anatomic region-of-interest analyses showed that the placebo group exhibited amygdala activation and response habituation, while the DCS group displayed blunted amygdala responses to emotional faces across the experiment, whereby habituation was not detected.Conclusion: This finding may have relevance for testing treatments of anxiety and depression.

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Exploratory study of how cognitive multisensory rehabilitation restores parietal operculum connectivity and improves upper limb movements in chronic stroke

10.21203/rs.3.rs-75235/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ann Van de Winckel ◽

Daniele De Patre ◽

Marco Rigoni ◽

Marc Fiecas ◽

Timothy J Hendrickson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Upper Limb ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Region Of Interest ◽

Chronic Stroke ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Before And After ◽

Upper Limb Movements ◽

The Right ◽

The Brain

Abstract Cognitive multisensory rehabilitation (CMR) is a promising therapy for upper limb recovery in stroke, but the brain mechanisms are unknown. We previously demonstrated that the parietal operculum (parts OP1/OP4) is activated with CMR exercises. In this exploratory study, we assessed the baseline difference between OP1/OP4 functional connectivity (FC) in the brain at rest in stroke versus healthy adults to then explore whether CMR affects OP1/OP4 connectivity and motor recovery after stroke.We recruited 8 adults with chronic stroke and left hemiplegia/paresis and 22 healthy adults. Resting-state FC with the OP1/OP4 region-of-interest in the affected hemisphere was analysed before and after 6 weeks of CMR. We evaluated sensorimotor function and activities of daily life pre- and post-CMR, and at 1-year post-CMR.We found decreased FC between the right OP1/OP4 and 34 areas distributed across all lobes in stroke versus healthy adults. After CMR, only four areas had decreased FC compared to healthy adults. Participants improved on motor function (MESUPES, p=0.03; Fugl-Meyer, p=0.006), with those improvements maintained at 1-year follow-up. Stereognosis and Frenchay test (both p=0.03) improved from pre-CMR to 1-year follow-up, suggesting enhancing sensorimotor recovery post-stroke by CMR. Our results from this exploratory study justify larger-scale studies.

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Practical Evaluation of Printed Strain Sensors Based on Long-Term Static Strain Measurements

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21144812 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (14) ◽

pp. 4812

Author(s):

Daniel Zymelka ◽

Kazuyoshi Togashi ◽

Toshihiro Takeshita ◽

Takahiro Yamashita ◽

Takeshi Kobayashi

Keyword(s):

Sensor Arrays ◽

Strain Analysis ◽

Strain Sensors ◽

Engineering Structures ◽

Test Environment ◽

Strain Measurements ◽

Static Strain ◽

Long Term Stability ◽

Printed Sensors

Recent progress in printable electronics has enabled the fabrication of printed strain sensors for diverse applications. These include the monitoring of civil infrastructure, the gradual aging of which raises concerns about its effective maintenance and safety. Therefore, there is a need for automated sensing systems that provide information on the performance and behavior of engineering structures that are subjected to dynamic and static loads. The application of printed strain sensors in structural health monitoring is of growing interest owing to its large-area and cost-effective fabrication process. Previous studies have proven the suitability of printable strain sensors for dynamic strain measurements on bridges; however, the analysis of the long-term stability of printed sensors during static strain measurements is still lacking. Thus, this study aims to assess the long-term stability of printed strain sensor arrays and their suitability for the static strain analysis of large civil structures. The developed sensors and a dedicated wireless data acquisition system were deployed inside a gravity dam, which was selected as the field test environment. This test environment was chosen owing to the relatively stable temperature inside the dam and the very slow static strain changes associated with periodic water level changes. The results exhibited an average signal drift of 20 μϵ over 127 days. One of the sensor arrays was installed on a small crack in the dam structure; it showed that the sensors can track static strain changes owing to variations in the crack opening, which are related to the water level changes in the dam. Overall, the results of the developed sensors exhibit good strain sensitivity and low signal drift. This indicates the potential suitability of printed sensors for applications in the static strain analysis of engineering structures.

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