Reference #: 1664
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Innovative vibrational system for the trunk proprioceptive impairment study.
Background:
One of the key human feedback systems is somatosensory system. The somatosensory system transmits proprioceptive, or body segment position sense, information from sensors in the skin, joints, tendons, and muscles. The human nervous system uses the proprioceptive information to reveal a predictive model of the body’s location in space both relative to itself and the surroundings. Proprioceptive deficits are also associated with, and hypothesized to be causally related to, chronic low back pain which is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Impaired proprioception along with ACL ruptures, lateral ankle ligament sprains, and chronic low back pain alone represent an enormous economic burden on the United States health care system. Thus, there is a desperate need of experimental study where the proprioceptive manipulation is performed to understand the full consequences and to further develop the prevention strategies.
Vibration applied to muscles and tendons results in increased discharge from muscle proprioceptive sensors known as primary muscle spindle afferents. This results in altered proprioception and a kinesthetic illusion where individuals perceive that the vibrated muscle is lengthening when in fact, it is not. The ability to manipulate the proprioceptive feedback system is significant because it approximates an in vivo knockout model in humans. A major limitation of previous muscle vibration work is the application of standard vibration parameters for all participants when it is known that not everyone experiences proprioceptive impairment and kinesthetic illusion at a given vibration frequency and amplitude.
Invention Description:
This invention is a flexible, non-expensive, robust, compact, and user-friendly vibrational device which has the flexibility of various features such as amplitude, frequency, phase, delay time, offset, type of waveform of the vibration. This vibrational system accounts for the between-individual variation in response to vibration parameters and can be adjusted for different muscle groups, body types, and experimental paradigms.
Potential Applications:
This vibrational system can be used to improve research paradigms as well as increase scientific understanding of proprioceptive impairment and enable the creation of more effective prevention and treatment strategies. Research teams can employ this device to accomplish this goal.
Advantages and Benefits:
This device basically breaks the constraints of commercial vibrators enabling the ability not only customize vibration parameters for different subjects but different muscles using a single device saving huge costs and time. This device is also integrated with other components needed for proprioceptive study. Furthermore, this device incorporates less metal than commercial vibrators in order to have reduced signal disruption and fewer magnetic field distortions. It is also less bulky and more compatible with users as compared to current commercial vibrational devices.