ACM SenSys 2011 – Knee Joint Demo

October 25, 2011

Shimmer Research is very pleased to be attending the ACM SenSys conference in Seattle, WA next month. It is the 9th ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems and is packed full of interesting workshops and keynote sessions.  Shimmer Research will be on hand to demo a ‘Real-Time Joint Angle Measurement’ Application. The demonstration will be taking place on Tuesday the 1st of November at 14.15pm as part of the mHealthSys workshop.

This application will form the basis for applications to assist medical professionals in the assessment of joint angles in areas such as monitoring of joint disorders and rehabilitation programs. For the purposes of this demonstration we have focused on lower leg joint analysis. From Sports Injury to Occupational Health accurate detection of lower leg joint disorders is crucial to the eventual recovery and rehabilitation of the patient.

About the Application

The lower leg joint application uses a single Shimmer 9DOF unit placed on each body segment of interest. For the assessment of a single joint, two Shimmers are required. Each Shimmer 9DOF unit contains a tri-axial accelerometer, a tri-axial gyroscope and a tri-axial magnetometer. The Shimmer unit transmits the data from each sensor axis in real-time to a host PC. A Kalman filter based algorithm derives the three dimensional orientation of the body segment from the streamed data to the point where a physician can see the data on the ‘Real-time Joint Angle Measurement’ Application.

The application implements the Joint Co-ordinate System standard of the International Society of Biomechanics to provide the angle of flexion, angle of rotation and angle of inversion for the joint of interest.

Shimmer-Research is excited by the potential of this application as a starting point for developers to realise more practical clinical applications. We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase this application at ACM SenSys 2011 with a view to more applications of this nature being released in the future.

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Irish Student wins European Young Scientist Award with Wireless Sensing Project

Dublin Student Alexander Amini (16) was this year’s winner of the European Union contest for Young Scientists 2011. The competition which took place in Helsinki, Finland, was filled with aspiring young scientists from across 37 countries, but it was Alexander’s project “Tennis Sensor Data Analysis” which scooped the top prize.

The project which impressed the international judging panel incorporates wearable wireless sensing devices which were supplied by Shimmer-Research. Shimmer units are used to capture data from 15 tennis strokes in total, allowing coaches to assess the motion of each one in real-time. Included as part of the system, is Alexander’s own classification software analysing tennis motion data with accuracy levels of 98%. This application is particularly interesting as it is a major improvement on similar applications that already exist. Previously one could only measure two motion classes (forehand and backhand).

A Screen Shot of Alexander Amini’s Project

While this kind of application would be applicable to other sports it was Alexander’s particular interest in Tennis that compelled him to base his application around the sport. The application delivered by the young scientist works dynamically in a plug and play fashion as opposed to other applications which require the user to notify the application that they are about to hit a specific stroke. This coupled with the ability to offer real-time feedback makes it a novel and very effective system overall.

Alexander was awarded €7,000 in prize money from a total prize pool of €51,500 and is thrilled to have won the competition outright. He will now go forward to attend the London International Youth Science Forum and also plans to improve his application and algorithm by adding a chest sensor to the system as well as introducing mobile phone integration at some point. When asked why he chose Shimmer sensors for the system he maintained it was because of their small and lightweight form factor.

The use of Biosensors in sport has really begun to gather momentum of late –the recent release of Moneyball, staring Brad Pitt, a movie that highlights computer modelling of baseball player’s statistics to gain an edge makes it yet more topical.

We would like to congratulate Alexander and wish him every success with the further development of his application in the future!

If you would like to read more about Alexander’s project … please visit the project’s website: http://www.tennistek.webs.com

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IEEE SENSORS 2011 Conference

October 5, 2011

Visit Shimmer Research at the IEEE SENSORS 2011 Conference from October 28th – 31st. The University of Limerick in Ireland is the venue for the event, and Shimmer Research will have a stand located at the main entrance next to the Registration Desk. We will have information, equipment, and some application demos at the stand throughout the event, and visitors will have the opportunity to meet with our engineers and discuss potential applications.

The IEEE SENSORS Conference provides a common forum for research scientists, engineers and practitioners throughout the world to present their latest research findings ideas, developments and applications in the area of sensors and sensing technology. IEEE SENSORS 2011 Conference will include keynote addresses by eminent scientists as well as Invited Speakers for the Topical Special sessions.

Visit the IEEE Sensors 2011 – Conference Website

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Shimmer Research and the University of Wollongong Signs Strategic Relationship

September 29, 2011

A strategic relationship has been forged between ACES and Irish wearable sensor company, Shimmer Research, which will lead to wearable bionic devices used post operatively to improve patient recovery times.

Further proof that the University of Wollongong’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Sciences (ACES) is at the Australian forefront of medical bionics was cemented yesterday (14 September) with the signing of a joint international collaborative research agreement.

Signing the formal agreement between Shimmer Research and ACES are Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Judy Raper and Keiran Daly from Shimmer. Watching on are Professor Peter Choong (St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne) and Professor Gordon Wallace

Patients undergoing treatments such as orthopaedic surgery will be able to reduce their stay in hospital by wearing sensors strapped to their bodies which will feed vital rehabilitation information back (via a software program)to the patient and hospital.

The collaboration brings together the new materials and fabrication expertise at ACES, with the wearable wireless communication technology of Shimmer Research. A leading company in its field, Shimmer Research currently ships products to more than 50 countries worldwide.

The Executive Research Director of ACES and Director of the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, Professor Gordon Wallace, said that with input from ACES members (including world renowned orthopaedic clinicians from St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne) the agreement will allow work on building bionics devices that will improve the quality of life for a large number of elderly people and those recovering from injury.

“This is an exciting day striking up this collaboration which I believe will work very effectively,” Professor Wallace said.

His thoughts were echoed by Dr Keiran Daly, Vice-President of Business Development from Shimmer Research, who said the collaboration would be a long-term alliance that would have a tangible and direct impact for the quality of patient care.

ACES Associate Director of Strategic Development, Dr Bridget Munro, said the wearable devices would be used in post operative and diagnostic applications to improve patient recovery times, reduce hospital stay times and enable patients to be proactive about their own care.

“This will ultimately allow older people to live their dream of being healthy while living at home, reducing the strain on government resources,” she said.

Professor Peter Choong who is an international leader in the fields of musculoskeletal oncology and orthopaedic surgery also addressed the collaborative launch.

As well as his role as Head of Department of Surgery, Professor Choong is also the Professor/Director of Orthopaedics at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and Chair of the Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcome Service at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

He said that St Vincent’s was most enthusiastic to be part of this overall group highlighting how the need for orthopaedic surgery worldwide was growing rapidly.

“I am glad to be part of a team which is helping to solve a global health problem,” Professor Choong said.

Source: University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus News Feed - View Original Article


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EMBC Boston 2011

July 20, 2011

Visit Shimmer Research at EMBC Boston 2011

Booth Location
Shimmer Hosted Session at EMBC
Shimmer Research – Proud Sponsors of the EMBS Unconference on Wearable & Ubiquitous Technology for Health & Wellness
Shimmer Research – Proud Sponsors of the Wearable Technology Demo Competition

Booth Location

Our Booth will be located beside the poster area in the American Ballroom at the Westin Copley Hotel. We will be available throughout the show to meet attendees at our stand, demonstrate the Shimmer wearable sensor platform, and discuss potential applications in academic research, clinical trials, and project development.

To arrange a meeting with us during EMBC contact us via email: info ‘at’ shimmer-research.com.

Shimmer Hosted Session at EMBC

Shimmer Research would like to invite attendees at this year’s EMBC conference to join us as we host a session on wearable wireless sensing. Designed as a workshop, the session is open to all attendees that have registered for the conference, with no additional registration/payment required.

  • When:                           13.00 – 14.30, Wednesday, August 31, 2011
  • Where:                         Mariott 3rd Floor, Berkeley
  • Find out more:        Visit our Session Webpage for further details

What can I expect?

A live demonstration of building and customizing an application will be given. A Shimmer partner – Biosensics LLC- will also present and discuss their transition from research into commercialization based on a unique activity classification solution (PAMSys) developed on the shimmer platform. PAMSys (Physical Activity Monitoring System) provides a complete and comprehensive map of individuals’ physical activity including detailed posture classification (sitting, standing, walking, lying).

We hope you can join us and look forward to seeing you at the workshop.

Proud Sponsors of EMBS Unconference


Shimmer Research is proud to be sponsoring the EMBS Unconference on Wearable & Ubiquitous Technology for Health & Wellness – Tuesday, August 30, 2011. The purpose of the day is to bring together all those who care about addressing key challenges in the translation of technology from the lab to the field around wearable and ubiquitous technology for health and wellness.

With a highly innovate format the Unconference agenda/schedule for the day will be created live the day of the event – yes this works! The real time nature means that emerging developments can be discussed and new ideas and unfolding research can be explored.  Bring your ideas, knowledge and enthusiasm to this event and you will get a lot out of it!

The Unconference will be attended by some of the leading experts in the industry, and is being organized in conjunction with Kaliya Hamlin, one of the world’s leading experts in designing and facilitating Unconferences.

Being touted as ‘one of the best conferences you ever attend’ we are proud to be sponsoring (and excited to be attending) what promises to an extremely engaging and worthwhile event.

Details:

Proud Sponsors of the Wearable Technology Demo Competition

Shimmer Research is proud to be sponsoring the Wearable Technology Demo Competition at the EMBS Unconference on Wearable & Ubiquitous Technology for Health & Wellness.

The topic for the demonstrations will be to highlight wearable sensors and systems for medical applications. Participants are encouraged to submit a video of their demonstration prior to the event, with presentations on the day in speed geeking format. Two demos will be selected for an award as the most innovative and the highest potential impact demos. The awardees will receive a check for $500 sponsored by Shimmer Research.

Best of luck to all participants and we look forward seeing a video preview of the demos online.

Further Detail: http://embc2011.embs.org/unconference/submit-an-abstract/

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An insight into wireless diagnostics

July 18, 2011

Soft tissue injuries (STIs) refer to the damage of muscle fibres, tendons and ligaments that connect the skeletal bones and account annually for $200billion in lost work hours across the US. This is by no means an insignificant sized sum nor is the fact that 34% or $68 billion dollars of all work related injuries in the US are defined as Soft tissue injuries (STIs).

The main reason for the cost of STIs is the failure of current diagnostic tools to provide soft-tissue-specific diagnosis. In relation to STI in back pain for example, x-ray machines only reveal significant results in 1 in 10,000 cases.

Litigious environments and stand offs between embellished STI cases or legitimate work injuries create the need for a ready solution to this troublesome issue.

A recent IEEE pulse article deals with this very challenge, it begins at the root of the problem, how it has been approached thus far, and how future solutions can ensure that these kinds of injuries are treated in a cost effective manner to improve clinical outcomes.

EFA solving the problem

The IEEE article reports on Insight Diagnostics Inc. (iDi) a Nevada based Diagnostics Company; outlining how they have developed state-of-the-art evaluation and diagnostic equipment for STIs. They combine the existing Electro-diagnostic Functional Assessment (EFA) with five medically accepted tests – Electromyography (EMG), Range of Motion (ROM), functional capacity evaluation (FCE), grip test and pinch test.

This method opens a comprehensive list of results to the clinician to determine the nature, extent, acuity, location and source of the referred pain, capturing information not only when a patient is static but also while the muscle is functioning dynamically (ROM). The EFA Assessment is nonloading, meaning there is no weight or resistance placed on the both the patient and the ROM apparatus whilst capturing full freedom of movement (flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral movements).

Currently iDi’s solution is a wired unit, with the patient tethered to a signal acquisition system using a complex wire harness. This provides less flexibility when performing tests within different work place environments and activities, resulting in the need for a more portable, and adaptable solution.

Wireless system

The relationship between iDi and Shimmer Research IEEE maintains is just the tonic for the advancement of this kind of technology, “Maximising potential gains while mitigating drawbacks led to a system that was validated for further commercial development.”

Shimmer Research, a leader in body worn sensor manufacture sought to deliver a wireless solution to the EFA wired offering. The Shimmer sensors configured for EMG, ROM (accelerometers), FCE pinch, and grip were chosen to develop the wireless EFA system based on features, commercial availability, and extensibility to include all the sensors in an EFA measurement suite.

Working in partnership the companies were able to address challenges of operating time, RF communication, network architecture, and device configuration to develop a reliable sensor based Personal Area Network (PAN) for the wireless EFA system.

Wired v Wireless EFA

Equipment (a) represents the Wireless Solution vs. Equipment (b) the Wired Solution

The development of a wireless system resulted in a ‘significant enhancement in system capability’ over the wired solution. Improved data quality, form factor, portability, number of channels, costs, and field maintenance were gained in the development of the wireless system.

One of the most notable outcomes was in relation to lead failure. Lead Failure is the primary failure mode of the wired EFA solution and can lead to a test being postponed. The wireless solution allows for the detection of the fault by a Shimmer device with an indicator illuminated at the failure location. The lead in question can be changed or, as the system is modular, the Shimmer in question can be easily swapped out. This results in a more robust solution, reduced complexity, lower initial system costs, elimination of custom components, and an increase in uptime.

The wireless EFA system will allow iDi to make a more significant impact in occupational and sports medicine, with greater ease of use, flexibility and portability, whilst offering a clear economic advantage.

Read the Full IEEE Pulse Article on pages 20-26.

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News Round Up! – Recent Articles and Applications Featuring Shimmer

April 4, 2011

The Shimmer platform has been busy in recent weeks, popping up in news items from New York, and Boston, to Florida and Pennsylvania.

PAMSys

Biosensics LLC have been receiving a lot of media attention since releasing the PAMSys (Physical Activity Monitoring System). The PAMSys, which is underpinned by Shimmer technology provides a complete map of a person’s daily activity for up to five days. Data obtained includes a person’s posture, gait and sit / stand transitions. The Shimmer powered PAMSys is now being used in weight, pain, and diabetic foot ulcer management, along with assessing the risk of falls for the elderly.

See the full article from the Boston Herald, or watch the news features on the PAMSys in operation from WTAJ, and WSOCTV.

HIMSS

Shimmer Research recently attended the HIMSS 2011 exhibition in Orlando – Florida, and spoke with a number of journalists seeking to spread the news on Shimmer’s latest developments. One of the more interesting articles that surfaced was by Mary Cronin for MedHealthWorld. She caught up with Kieran Daly who gave an insight into Shimmer Research’s current and future growth strategy.

Read the full article from MedHealthWorld.

New York Times

The New York Times recent ran a very interesting feature on Aging, and caught up with MIT’s AgeLab to look at cutting edge research being conducted in the area. The article goes on to look at some of the challenges and resulting opportunities an aging population presents. If you take the time to read the article – check out the picture of Eric Dishman on page 3 … complete with Shimmer units.

Read the full article from the New York Times.

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Taking the Wireless Pulse

January 14, 2011

In the latest edition of ‘Technology Ireland’, the magazine has a feature on the use of wireless technology in healthcare, and talks to Kieran Daly – VP of Business Development here at Shimmer Research.

Focusing on how wireless technology can transform healthcare delivery, the article looks at how patients can benefit from being monitored, and how clinicians can improve the overall management and quality of patient care through wireless technologies.

Covering topics such a next generation networks, mobile technology, and home care systems, the article also looks at Shimmer to explore current developments in wearable sensors and assisted living solutions. Kieran Daly goes on to discuss the market demand for e-health, and how Telco’s are taking the lead in meeting customer’s needs ahead of the healthcare sector and healthcare institutions.

See the full article on page 40 of the magazine: Technology Ireland Online

Technology Ireland is a bi-monthly magazine published by Enterprise Ireland. The magazine covers the latest news, innovations, and developments across the technology sector.

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Shimmer Streams ECG to an iPhone and Monitors Patients with Severe Diabetes

November 2, 2010

Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have recently conducted research into compressed sensing and wirelessly transmitting the data via Bluetooth to an iPhone. To find out more visit their project webpage or watch their video clip below.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Arizona’s Department of Surgery are using a Shimmer powered device to monitor daily activities of patients with severe diabetes. This is to identify common activities that can lead to wounds, and ultimately to amputations. The study aims to provide early detection and treatment. Watch the video clip posted by a local news channel below.

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Paul Jacobs of Qualcomm Demonstrates Shimmer at TEDMED

June 30, 2010

TEDMED has released the presentation given by Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm at the conference last October. Jacobs shares his vision for the future of Wireless Healthcare where people will always feel in touch with their doctor, and their health can be monitored at all times for when something goes wrong. This he notes will be realised by wearable wireless sensors, to improve individuals’ healthcare from aiding acute and chronic conditions, to a person’s general health and wellbeing. Jacobs demonstrates a Shimmer on the 7:25 mark, which monitors the activity of a person whilst the data is being remotely interpreted in real time.

The program interpreting and displaying the data captured can be viewed on an interview conducted with Paul Jacobs at TEDMED. The program is displayed on the 1:50 mark – view video.

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