Whether it's patients with degenerative diseases or astronauts in zero gravity, some people
Currently the onlyThe only truly accurate means of measuring muscle size and volume in specific parts of the body is through clinical examinations, including technologies such as MRI. Led by electrical and computer engineering graduate student Allianna Rice, a team of Ohio State University scientists has developed a smaller, less expensive and patient-friendly alternative. Externally, the wearable device is not much different from a regular blood pressure cuff.
It consists of two electric coils,made from conductive threads that are sewn into the fabric in a stretchable zigzag pattern. One of them serves as a transmitter, and the other as a receiver. It is important to note that the size of the loop formed by each coil (when the device is wrapped around the limb) depends on the volume of the underlying muscle.
Device prototype. Photo: Ohio State University
“We supply a time-varying currenton the transmitting coil, which creates a magnetic flux on the transmitting coil. Magnetic flux is then induced on the receiver coil, and that flux induces a voltage on the receiver coil, which we can measure, explains Rice. — The induced magnetic flux depends on the cross-sectional area of the coils. Thus, as the circumference of the limb increases, the total magnetic flux and the voltage across the receiver coil will also increase.”
So far the device has been tested on3D printed leg molds filled with ground beef to mimic the calf muscle of an average-sized person. It was found to accurately detect small changes in overall limb size and was able to measure muscle loss of up to 51%. Once the tool is finalized, it can be connected wirelessly to an app that will record and transmit patient readings to healthcare providers.
The researchers recently published an article in the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering journal about a NASA-supported study co-authored by Prof. Asiminia Chiurti.
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