Parag Chitnis, Associate Professor, Bioengineering, Pilgyu Kang, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Siddhartha Sikdar, Professor, Bioengineering, and Qi Wei, Associate Professor, Bioengineering, received $499,977 from the U.S. Department of Defense for the project: "Training and Recovery Augmented with Ultrasound Myography and Assessment (TRAUMA) Using a Flexible Ultrasound-Imaging Patch."
This funding began in March 2021 and will end in March 2024.
An important aspect of rehabilitation following injury is the ability to perform dynamic assessment of movement through the synergistic assessment of the function and mechanical properties of skeletal muscles, tendons, and associated soft tissue, and utilize such assessments as outcome measures. In a clinical setting, such assessments are typically performed subjectively.
"The proposed Training and Recovery Augmented with Ultrasound Myography and Assessment (TRAUMA) research program will develop a wearable adhesive ultrasound sensor for biofeedback and rehabilitation following musculoskeletal injury. The proposed patch device can be used in a chronic implementation during physical activity and movement. With this system, we can assess dynamic movement of muscle groups as well functional measures like joint forces and muscle fatigue. If successful, this technology would allow care providers to tailor the treatment and rehabilitation based on biofeedback allowing for a personalized paradigm of care, which can significantly reduce recovery times for subjects suffering from such injuries. Although the injury sustained by military personnel is the primary focus of the proposal, the technology can be broadly applied to a variety of injuries, including those occurring from sports or falls," Chitnis said.
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