Pressure sensor-based tongue-placed electrotactile biofeedback for balance improvement - Biomedical application to prevent pressure sores formation and falls

TL;DR

This paper presents tongue-placed electrotactile biofeedback systems designed to improve balance and prevent pressure sores in disabled individuals, with preliminary feasibility results on healthy adults demonstrating potential benefits.

Contribution

It introduces innovative sensory substitution devices using artificial tongue biofeedback for balance and pressure sore prevention in disabled populations.

Findings

Preliminary feasibility demonstrated on healthy adults.

Effective balance control improvement observed.

Potential for pressure sore prevention in spinal cord injury patients.

Abstract

We introduce the innovative technologies, based on the concept of "sensory substitution", we are developing in the fields of biomedical engineering and human disability. Precisely, our goal is to design, develop and validate practical assistive biomedical and/or technical devices and/or rehabilitating procedures for persons with disabilities, using artificial tongue-placed tactile biofeedback systems. Proposed applications are dealing with: (1) pressure sores prevention in case of spinal cord injuries (persons with paraplegia, or tetraplegia); and (2) balance control improvement to prevent fall in older and/or disabled adults. This paper describes the architecture and the functioning principle of these biofeedback systems and presents preliminary results of two feasibility studies performed on young healthy adults.