Iran-Made Smart Spoon Reduces Hand Tremors in Parkinson's Patients
“Our company is active in making rehabilitation equipment for Parkinson's patients and has manufactured different products so far, the most important of which is the smart spoon that we have produced for people with hand tremors, such as the elderly and Parkinson's patients,” Seydeh Fatemeh Hosseini, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
She explained that the spoon neutralizes hand tremors, preventing hand tremors from being transmitted to the head of the spoon, adding, “It directs the vibrations so that food does not fall off the spoon and the person can eat without the need for help from others.”
“The spoon is equipped with electromechanical systems and a series of sensors that measure the amount of hand tremor. The processors inside this spoon calculate the vibrations and separate them from the voluntary movements. Then, based on the commands they give, the spoon head is moved and controlled so that the food does not spill,” Hosseini said.
In a relevant development last year, Iranian researchers acquired the technical know-how of producing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), placing Iran among the group of top four countries with that technology.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a potent tool for modulating endogenous oscillations in humans. In repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), an electromagnetic coil placed against the scalp creates a magnetic field that stimulates certain areas of the brain.
Each magnetic pulse easily and painlessly passes through the scalp and bones and membranes of the brain and reaches the neurons and causes the short-term activity of the neurons in that part of the brain.
In addition to being safe, the magnetic field created as a result of rTMS does not cause an unpleasant feeling in the person, and in contrast to the passage of the magnetic field through the brain, it creates a current in the nerve cells of the brain and stimulates these cells.
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