We've already seen a pen that helps people with Parkinson's disease write clearly, but this one is a little different. By assessing a user's hand movements while writing, it can issue early warnings before a patient's condition develops. Currently, Associate Professor Chen Jun of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and his colleagues are developing such a pen. Although it contains ink, it doesn't actually write. Instead, it can detect the subtle hand movements caused by Parkinson's disease-related tremors, which are often not noticed until the condition worsens.
Prototype pen capable of detecting subtle tremors associated with Parkinson's disease through writing exercises such as drawing a continuous spiral (pictured) Jun Chen Lab/UCLA
The pen's magnetoelastic tip is made of a soft silicone matrix with tiny magnetic particles embedded in it. Just above the nib, inside the pen barrel, is a sealed ink reservoir containing magnetic fluid ink. Conductive yarn wraps around the outside of the barrel and covers the soft polymer grip.
Schematic diagram of pen
When a user moves the pen tip across a surface during writing exercises, the pen tip compresses under pressure, changing the direction and spacing of the magnetic particles. This causes a change in the magnetic flux at the pen tip. The magnetized particles in the ink will also move as the ink sloshes, causing the magnetic flux in the ink to change.
The combination of these flux changes induces a voltage signal in the coil surrounding the barrel. Artificial intelligence software connected to a computer analyzes these signals and compares the user's hand movements to the baseline movements of non-Parkinson's patients. Even the slightest tremor can be detected.
In a test of this technology, 16 test subjects used the pen to perform exercises such as drawing continuous wavy lines, drawing continuous spirals, and writing the capital letters "MEGPEN." The pen's software identified three individuals known to have Parkinson's disease with an average accuracy of 96.22%.
Professor Chen said: "Detecting subtle motor symptoms that are invisible to the naked eye is crucial for early intervention in Parkinson's disease. Our diagnostic pen is an affordable, reliable and accessible tool that is sensitive enough to capture subtle movements and is suitable for a wide range of people as well as resource-poor areas."
The research was published in a paper recently published in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering.
Source: UCLA Samueli School of Engineering