A versatile sensor utilized to the again of the neck might assist researchers detect whiplash-induced concussions in athletes.
The sensor, described June 23 in Scientific Reports, is concerning the dimension of a bandage and is sleeker and extra correct than some devices at present in use, says electrical engineer Nelson Sepúlveda of Michigan State University in East Lansing. “My hope is that it will lead to earlier diagnosis of concussions.”
Bulky accelerometers in helmets are typically used to watch for concussion in soccer gamers. But because the units usually are not hooked up on to athletes’ our bodies, the sensors are susceptible to false readings from sliding helmets.
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Sepúlveda and colleagues’ patch adheres to the nape. It is product of two electrodes on an virtually paper-thin piece of piezoelectric movie, which generates an electrical cost when stretched or compressed. When the top and neck transfer, the patch transmits electrical pulses to a pc. Researchers can analyze these indicators to evaluate sudden actions that may trigger concussion.
The workforce tried out the patch on the neck of a human check dummy, dropping the determine from a peak of about 60 centimeters. Researchers additionally packed the dummy’s head with totally different sensors to supply a baseline stage of neck pressure. Data from the patch aligned with knowledge gathered by the interior sensors greater than 90 p.c of the time, Sepúlveda and colleagues discovered.
The researchers at the moment are engaged on incorporating a wi-fi transmitter into the patch for an much more streamlined design.