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

Nicolas Vuillerme (1) , Olivier Chenu (1) , Nicolas Pinsault (1) , Alexandre Moreau-Gaudry (1) , Anthony Fleury (1) , Jacques Demongeot (1) , Yohan Payan (2)

1 TIMC-IMAG - Techniques de l'Ingénierie Médicale et de la Complexité - Informatique, Mathématiques et Applications, Grenoble - UMR 5525
2 TIMC-IMAG-GMCAO - Gestes Medico-chirurgicaux Assistés par Ordinateur

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.

Mots clés: Biofeedback; Tactile display; Tongue; Postural control; Handicap; Pressure sores; Fall; Biomedical engineering

Domaines: Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]; Neurosciences [q-bio.NC]; Neurosciences; Automatique / Robotique

Nicolas Vuillerme, Olivier Chenu, Nicolas Pinsault, Alexandre Moreau-Gaudry, Anthony Fleury, et al.. Pressure sensor-based tongue-placed electrotactile biofeedback for balance improvement - Biomedical application to prevent pressure sores formation and falls.. 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society., Aug 2007, Lyon, France. pp.6113-6116. ⟨hal-00169999⟩