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Neuromodulation uses the mechanism of brain plasticity to modify and recruit new neural connections to compensate for loss of motor or sensory function with other areas of the brain. One way to catalyze the formation of new connections is through electrotactile stimulation. Stimulation of the tongue in this manner has shown promising rehabilitative results for patients with balance disorders; however, not all patients are able to hold a tongue stimulator in its proper position. Therefore, a face mask design that stimulates the same neural bed was requested. The final prototype of our face mask design was made of flexible silicone specifically molded to a specific subject’s face. Testing of this prototype was performed to determine the reproducibility of the threshold stimulus (the minimum stimulus required for the subject to feel stimulation) for each electrode. Results were that the prototype met our goals, having a low standard error of less than 20% of the threshold stimulus for 34 of the 36 electrodes. Future work includes using MRI to obtain a 3D image of the face in order to obtain a more accurate face mask and using liquid silicone molding, rapid prototyping, or an alginate mold to make the silicone mask.
We finished our third prototype and our presentation. The first generation face neuromodulation stimulator is complete.
| Week | Reporting Period Beginning | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4 | Project chosen |
| 2 | September 11 | Team assembled and roles assigned, client was contacted, intitial research |
| 3 | September 18 | Client meeting, face receptor density mapped, electrode research |
| 4 | September 25 | Prototype construction involving electrodes, face mask and elastic banding |
| 5 | October 2 | First silicone masking pouring and intial electrode attachment |
| 6 | October 9 | Conducted electrode testing and prepared midsemester power point |
| 7 | October 16 | Prepared Midsemester Paper |
| 8 | October 23 | Researched alternative attachment methods and further testing methods |
| 9 | October 30 | Thermoformed molds made, alternative mask materials researched |
| 10 | November 6 | Created final mold from thermoformed masks, started carving mask down |
| 11 | November 13 | Silicone mask shaved down, electrode holes drilled and electrodes added |
| 12 | November 20 | Posted finished and conductive testing done, straps sewn in |
| 13 | November 27 | Thanksgiving break |
| 14 | December 4 | Final presentation given |
| 15 | December 11 | Final paper written |
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Midsemester Powerpoint Presentation (Oct 16 2009, 13790 kb) |
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Midsemester Report (Dec 5 2009, 1795 kb) |
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Final Poster Pesentation (Dec 9 2009, 2641 kb) |
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Final Report (Dec 9 2009, 4432 kb) |
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Project Design Specifications (Dec 9 2009, 33 kb) |
