Glove designed to diagnose neuromuscular disorders a finalist for prestigious STEM award
28, Oct, 2024
EDMONTON, Oct. 28, 2024 – Imagine if diagnosing a neuromuscular disorder could be as easy as putting on a glove? A former team of NAIT biomedical engineering technology students has attempted to turn that vision into reality with their development of DynaMight, a diagnostic glove that has the potential to enable earlier detection and assessment of some neuromuscular disorders in patients.
As a result, the former team has been recognized as a finalist for the 2024 ASET Capstone Project of the Year Award. The provincial award is given out annually by the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET), the professional self-regulatory organization for engineering technologists and technicians in Alberta.
The former two-person team of Aliza Moriah Molines and Jose Rogelio Morales designed DynaMight: a biomedical device for the treatment of patients with neuromuscular disorders in their hands and forearms. Neuromuscular disorders are any disease that affects the functionality of the peripheral nervous system, skeletal muscles, and/or neuromuscular junctions. These disorders result in fatigue and muscle atrophy that often worsen over time without intervention. Examples of neuromuscular disorders for which this device could be used are Guillain-Barré syndrome and diabetic neuropathy.
DynaMight is an EMG diagnostic and therapeutic device that fits onto the patient’s hand/forearm and can measure muscular strength, flexibility and dexterity. Electromyography or EMG is a form of electrodiagnostic testing that evaluates the health and function of a patient’s skeletal muscles and the nerves that control them.
The glove acquires surface EMG data from the patient’s forearm and finger movements and placements and combines that data to provide clinical data to the clinician. It then interfaces with a Windows application that operates in two modes: monitoring and therapeutic mode. Monitoring mode displays a graphical and numerical rolling EMG graph, and index for finger flexibility, hand dexterity and muscle strength. Therapeutic mode involves an interactive game that will monitor and log patients’ measurements as they go through simple rehabilitative activities prompted by the application.
“The sooner neuromuscular disorders are diagnosed, the easier it is to determine the best treatments and therapies to stop the disorder from progressing further,” said Molines.
“Kudos to the former NAIT team for exploring this practical and interesting idea that could benefit people with neuromuscular disorders,” said ASET CEO Barry Cavanaugh.
Three other former teams from Alberta polytechnics were recognized provincially as finalists for the award due to their outstanding innovation.
The winner of the 2024 ASET Capstone Project of the Year Award will be announced later this autumn.
The ASET Capstone Project of the Year Award was established by ASET in 2017 in response to overwhelming member interest in stories about Capstone projects undertaken by teams of engineering technology students from NAIT, SAIT, Red Deer Polytechnic, and Lethbridge Polytechnic as part of their end-of-program requirements.
About ASET
ASET is the professional self-regulatory organization for engineering technologists and technicians in Alberta. ASET currently represents over 17,000 members, including full-time technology students, recent graduates and fully certified members in 21 disciplines and more than 120 occupations across a multitude of industries.
Media Contact:
Michele Penz, Calico Communications for ASET
1.778.888.2249
calicocomm@telus.net