TREMOREX Exercisor
The TREMOREX photo depicts a makeshift device assembled to deliver amplitude and frequency controlled forced movement to prove and study its effects on movement disorders. It is a kludge; an investigative, improvised, experimental model that may lead to a prototype and eventually to a production device for movement disorder therapy.
The device may be handheld as described in the patent; the figure below is one of several configurations, or a floor standing apparatus that subjects may stand, sit or lie down in.
The device may be highly automated:
1. Turn it on and it communicates with a website that downloads today’s exercise parameters; exercise duration, amplitude, frequency, load parameters and special instructions.
2. A closed loop, positive feedback feature may be incorporated to detect actual tremor in real time and reinforce it; amplify it, to deliver heightened, synchronized forced motion. In this manner, as the frequency of the tremor changes during exercise, so does the frequency of the forced motion.
3. The device terminates the exercise session and upon doing so, uploads the recorded results to the website for analysis and to set the parameters and instructions for the next session download.
In fact, the control unit for the device may very well be a smart phone, one that is “docked” to the device. Smart phones are currently used with TREMOREX to measure tremor in 3 dimensions, before and after an exercise, and, to email the reports to TREMOREX control center. We also use smart phones to measure; heart rate, reflex time, EKG, and perform tests; tap, trace, handwriting. Collection of data is vital. One must be able to establish baselines and measure progress against them and collection is a frequent and ongoing process. Instead of seeing a doctor once a month or so, data may be collected multiple times per day and when episodes of heightened symptoms occur. This bringing together of disparate technologies is what Gaetano Cimo did for a living.