1. Design and Development of a Device for Measuring Tactile Hand Sensitivity Adrian D’Amore 18 Units – Honours Project Academic Supervisors: Stuart Wildy David Hobbs

2. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background Information 3. Design and Development 4. Anticipated Results 5. Challenges 6. Future Directions

3. Introduction: About the Project Design Development Validation Improvements Additional Factors/Features Re-Development Confirm Design Clinical Trial

4. Introduction: Tactile Threshold Sensation of Touch Pressure Skin Stretch Vibration Threshold Max.Middle Min. Threshold INCREASES with ageSensitivity DECREASES with age

5. Introduction: Purpose of Device Rehabilitation Diagnostic Research Quantify Sensory Loss Data Logging Diagnostic Reviews Identify Decreased Sense of Touch Quantify ‘Normal’ Sensation Compare Methods

6. Vibration Over- Exposure Background Information: Mechanoreceptors Fibres Large Contact (2.9cm 2 ) Small Contact (0.008cm 2 ) P Pacinian/Lamellar Corpuscles >64Hz - NP1Meissner Corpuscles2 – 64Hz2 – 100Hz NP2Merkel’s Disk->100Hz NP3Ruffini Endings0.4 – 8Hz Peripheral Neuropathy Alenda, A. 2015. Somatosensation. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.fastbleep.com/biology-notes/39/145/911. [Accessed 23 September 2015]. King, B. 2014. Design and Development of a Device for Measuring Tactile Hand Sensitivity | Honours Thesis: Submitted to the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Flinders University. Pg 1-52.

7. Design and Development: Project Aims/Goals Target all 4 Mechanoreceptors Device Design/Development Vibration Isolation Techniques Measure Variable Factors Graphical User Interface Validation Study Contact Area Variable Frequencies Piezostack Housing Contact Plate Contact Probe LabView Additional Features Clinical Trial Temperature Applied Force Stimulus Location Isolation Rubber Headphones In-House Testing Clinical Trial Compare Data

8. Design and Development: Contact Probes Large Small

9. Design and Development: Housing Re-design Sketch3D ModelPrinted

10. Design and Development: Contact Plate Re-Design Sketch3D Model Final Product

11. Design and Development: Noise Minimisation Techniques Isolation SheetWasher Noise-Cancelling Headphones

12. Design and Development: Device Setup Completed DesignFinal Setup Contact Probe Piezostack Contact Plate Vibration Isolation Material Piezostack Device DAQ Kit Program Amplifier

13. Design and Development: Graphical User Interface Window 1Window 2

14. Design and Development: Graphical User Interface Window 3 Option 1BreakOption 2 1 Second

15. Design and Development/Results: Graphical User Interface/In-House Testing Window 4 Tab 1 Window 4 Tab 2

16. Anticipated Results: Previous Study P = Pacinian Corpuscles NP I = Meissner Corpuscles NP II = Merkel’s Disk NP III = Ruffini Endings Gescheider, G.A., S.J. Bolanowski, and R.T. Verrillo. 2004. Some characteristics of tactile channels | Behavioural Brain Research. pg. 35-40.

17. Challenges: Clinical Trial Conditional Approval Level 2 Social Behavioural Research Ethics Committee (SBREC) Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee (SAC HREC) Full Committee Ethics Application Approval Site Specific Assessment

18. Future Improvements: 1. Normalised Curve via Clinical Trial 3. Test device against peripheral neuropathy conditions 5. Measure frequency perpendicular to skin 6. Produce an Android application 2. Method to calibrate the device 4. Test effect of vibration over- exposure

19. Conclusion 1. Targeted all 4 mechanoreceptors 3. Re-designed the Graphical User Interface 5. Included vibration isolation material 6. Obtained ethics approval to conduct a clinical trial 2. Method to send a variable frequency 4. Re-designed and made a probe/housing /contact plate

20. Clinical Trial Participation Anticipated begin date: 12 th October, 2015 Individuals with no previous neurological conditions

21. Thank you for listening! Questions