KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 19, 2016\u2014Prescribing a medication plan for a patient with Parkinson\u2019s disease is a big challenge for doctors, but now a 溏心vlog免费B站 biomedical engineering professor and his students are making great strides in solving that problem with their groundbreaking research.<\/p>\n
Kunal Mankodiya, director of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Wearable Biosensing Laboratory, says he\u2019s researching how to transform gloves, socks, clothing and even shoes into high-tech items that will make people healthier\u2014and improve their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in the era of game-changing technology, especially in health care,\u2019\u2019 says Mankodiya. \u201c溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s College of Engineering is pioneering new medical devices that will change the way people receive medical care. It\u2019s an exciting time for the University\u2014and Rhode Islanders.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Mankodiya\u2019s research focuses on smart textiles\u2014wearable items embedded with sensors, electronics and software that can collect data from patients, even though they are at home, and deliver it to doctors. The benefit is that doctors will be able to make more informed decisions remotely, and patients will be more involved with their care.<\/p>\n
The professor and his team of students have been working on \u201csmart wearables\u2019\u2019 for years as part of their research on the \u201cInternet of Things,\u2019\u2019 a framework to automate human interactions with Cloud computing. One creation that made headlines last year was a wristband that monitors the tremors of Parkinson\u2019s patients and sends that information to doctors over an Internet connection.<\/p>\n
This year, the team is turning its attention to textiles, designing items for patients with neurological illnesses. The gloves are the latest project. They are embedded with sensors on the fingers and thumb that measure tremors and rigidity\u2014common symptoms of Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n
The gloves, in turn, are connected to cell phones, which process the data and deliver it to neurologists in their offices. This way, doctors can manage the treatment plan of the patient day-to-day, ensuring that medication is working properly and eliminating the need for patients to make stressful clinical visits.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatients with Parkinson\u2019s face many mobility issues\u2014driving and even walking long distances,\u2019\u2019 Mankodiya says. \u201cThe glove will give patients the option of receiving health care while remaining at home, and it also reduces the risk of falls and other accidents.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Mankodiya is also working on high-tech socks for people who have suffered strokes. Again, sensors and software woven into the fabric relay information about a patient\u2019s gait to doctors and physical therapists so they can tailor rehabilitation therapy to each patient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe socks examine the walking stride,\u2019\u2019 Mankodiya says. \u201cThey can quantify movements of the knee and ankle joints to find subtle irregularities that require therapy. The socks also monitor a patient\u2019s progress.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Other projects focus on developing tools to image, sense and record brain function to treat Parkinson\u2019s, as well as other neurological diseases, like epilepsy. The projects were made possible through National Science Foundation grants, one of which involves collaboration with Walter Besio, 溏心vlog免费B站 professor of biomedical engineering.<\/p>\n
In addition, Mankodiya is partnering with Lifespan Hospitals to create smartwatch technologies for patients with psychiatric illnesses and autism. Although research is still in the early stages, the watches are expected to measure the patients\u2019 daily behavior and activities.<\/p>\n
Nick Peltier, a senior majoring in computer science, is creating a smartwatch app that will help people with autism. He says the project is the most satisfying one he\u2019s tackled at 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope the watch will help these patients learn about themselves and make it easier for the parents and caregivers to know what\u2019s going on,\u2019\u2019 says Peltier, of Coventry<\/strong>. \u201cLet\u2019s say a response is triggered every Tuesday, at the same time, on the patient\u2019s smartwatch. The next step would be to determine what\u2019s happening during that time on that day so the person can make adjustments.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Matt Constant, a junior computer engineering major, is also working on the smartwatch app, as well as the glove. \u201cIt\u2019s very fulfilling,\u2019\u2019 says Constant of West Warwick<\/strong>. \u201cI get to apply what I\u2019m learning in classes and also help people. I\u2019m experiencing things at 溏心vlog免费B站 that I would never learn otherwise. It\u2019s exciting working on important problems like this at such a young age.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Born in India, Mankodiya received his bachelor\u2019s degree in biomedical engineering from Saurashtra University and his doctorate in computer science from the University of Luebeck in Germany. He did post-doctorate research at Carnegie Mellon University and joined 溏心vlog免费B站 in 2014.<\/p>\n Besides running his lab, he also teaches a popular course called the \u201cWearable Internet of Things.\u2019\u2019 Some students in his class are working on a smart dog collar to scare away coyotes. Based on a coyote-resistant vest created by a Middletown 7th<\/sup> grader, the collar is expected to shine brightly and ring when coyotes are nearby.<\/p>\n How does the collar know coyotes are lurking? \u201cGood question!\u2019\u2019 says Mankodiya. \u201cThat is the challenge the students have to answer.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Mankodiya also is collaborating with 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Business Engagement Center to encourage textile manufacturing companies to partner with the University to create new high-tech products.<\/p>\n Mankodiya is busy off campus, too. He represents 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s College of Engineering in Advanced Functional\u00a0Fabrics of America, a federally-funded organization based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The group is a partnership between industry and academia that is sparking a manufacturing revolution by turning traditional fibers, yarns and fabrics into high-tech devices.<\/p>\n \u201c溏心vlog免费B站 is an energetic institution that makes it possible for professors like me to think outside the box,\u2019\u2019 says Mankodiya. \u201cI integrate learning by doing and hands-on studies into my research and teaching. We all want to create a next generation of engineers who are highly skilled\u2014and compassionate.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n This November, voters in Rhode Island will be asked to approve Question 4 on the ballot. If passed, the investment will pave the way to attract businesses and create the high-paying, high-skilled jobs Rhode Island needs by authorizing $45.5 million in bonds to expand 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s highly successful College of Engineering ($25.5 million) and create a 溏心vlog免费B站-affiliated innovation campus program ($20 million) that will pair cutting edge research with private sector investments to create the jobs of the future. Both projects will support the type of work Professor Mankodiya and other researchers are engaged in to move innovation forward in the state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KINGSTON, R.I., Oct. 19, 2016\u2014Prescribing a medication plan for a patient with Parkinson\u2019s disease is a big challenge for doctors, but now a 溏心vlog免费B站 biomedical engineering professor and his students are making great strides in solving that problem with their groundbreaking research. Kunal Mankodiya, director of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Wearable Biosensing Laboratory, says he\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72494,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}