Dental News - Intraoral device maneuvers electrical wheelchair

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 28 February 2012

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ATLANTA, Ga., USA: Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed the latest version of the intraoral Tongue Drive System, which is embedded into a dental retainer and is worn inside the mouth. The system allows people with high-level spinal cord injury to control a powered wheelchair. It only requires free movement of the tongue.

The newest prototype of the system allows users to wear a dental device, similar to dental braces, inside the mouth. The user receives a clinical tongue piercing, with which he can control the magnetic field sensors mounted on its four corners. The sensors track the relative location of the magnetic piercing and transmit the data wirelessly to an iPod or iPhone. Software installed on this computer device interprets the user's tongue position and moves the wheelchair accordingly.

By moving the sensors inside the mouth, we have created a tongue drive system with increased mechanical stability and comfort that is nearly unnoticeable," said Maysam Ghovanloo, associate professor at the institute.

In earlier versions, the sensors were attached to an externally worn headset. "One of the problems we encountered with the earlier headset was that it could shift on a user's head and would need to be recalibrated," said Ghovanloo. The new device sits tightly against the roof of the mouth because it is molded from dental impressions. As it is worn inside the mouth, it is protected against such disturbances and is less conspicuous.

The new device includes a lithium-ion battery and an induction coil to charge the battery. It is covered with an insulating, water-resistant material and vacuum molded inside standard dental acrylic.

The researchers also created a multifunctional interface, which holds the iPod, receives and delivers the sensor data, charges the iPod and is fitted with a holder for charging the dental retainer at night. The system can be hooked up to any standard electric wheelchair.

Ghovanloo and his team plan to begin testing the usability of the system by able-bodied individuals soon and then move onto clinical trials.

On Feb. 20, the new intraoral Tongue Driver System was presented at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. The invention is supported by various institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

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