D3: Emerging & Accessible Healthcare Technologies

Coordinator: Jack Winters

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes:

Knowledge of and influence on development of emerging technologies relevant to healthcare
Effective demonstrations of new accessible interfaces used with medical devices

Objectives:

To develop and demonstrate approaches for designing medical diagnostic, therapeutic and procedural equipment that is interoperable, and that integrates with minimally obtrusive evaluation and interactive telesupport
In collaboration with other involved parties, to participate in the development of modality translation and telehealth interface systems and techniques

Motivation:

The initial focus in this project is on approaches that integrate interactive telesupport and universally usable interfaces, specifically for medical monitoring and therapeutic technologies. For both projects there have been two paths of focus:

Development and evaluation projects
Technical report activities that help identify the current state of technology in strategic areas.

Project D3.1: Access to Interoperable Monitoring and Therapy with Integrated Telesupport

This project develops and demonstrates approaches for designing medical diagnostic, therapeutic and procedural equipment that is interoperable, and that integrates with minimally obtrusive evaluation and interactive telesupport. A key example is the UniTherapy technology.

Project D3.2: Modality Translation & Cross-Disability Interfaces for Communication

In collaboration with other parties, through this project the RERC participates in the development of innovative personalizable interfaces for communication that enable Multimodal translation and more universal access interface systems and techniques. An example is the new Universal Remote Console Standards (also known as the "V2" standard, officially five standards called ANSI-INCITS 389-2005 through ANSI-INCITS 393-2005). Our implementation is called MedURC.

Relevant Publications:

Winters, J.M. (2002). "Emerging Rehabilitation Healthcare Anywhere: Was the Homecare Technologies Workshop Visionary?", in Winters, J.M., Robinson, C., Simpson, R. and Vanderheiden, G. (eds), Emerging and Accessible Telecommunications, Information and Healthcare Technologies, Arlington: RESNA Press.

Feng X., Winters, J.M. (2005). Progress Towards a Service-Oriented Universal Access Telerehabilitation Platform, Proc. Intern. Congr. Rehab. Robotics (ICORR), Chicago, IL, June 2005.

Shroff, P. (2005). Algorithm to automatically generate multi-modal interfaces for hand held devices based on user preferences and abilities. Master's Thesis, Marquette University.

Feng, X, & Winters, JM (2006). A Home NeuroRehabilitation Appliance that Integrates Universal Access with Personalized Interface.In Y. Kim (Ed.), IEEE D2H2 (Distributed Diagnosis / Home Healthcare) (pp. 4 pages). Arlington: IEEE Press.

Shroff, P, & Winters, JM (2006). Generation of Multi-Modal Interfaces for Hand-Held Devices Based on User Preferences and Abilities.In Y. Kim (Ed.), IEEE D2H2 (Distributed Diagnosis / Home Healthcare) (pp. 4 pages). Arlington: IEEE Press.

Feng, X., & Winters, J.M. (2006). Quantification of Upper-Limb Target Acquisition with Various Impedance Fields Using Force Reflecting Joysticks. RESNA 2006. Atlanta, GA.

Winters, J.M. (2006). Future Possibilities for Interface Technologies that Enhance Universal Access to Health Care Devices and Services. In J. Winters and M. Story (Ed.), Medical Instrumentation: Accessibility and Usability Considerations (pp. 389-412). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Feng, X., & Winters, J.M. (2006). Emerging Personalized Home Rehabilitation: Integrating Service with Interface. In J. Winters and M. Story (Ed.), Medical Instrumentation: Accessibilty and Usability Considerations (pp. 431-454). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Danturthi, R.S., Shroff, P., & Winters, J.M. (2006). Progress in Using the Universal Remote Console Standard to Create User-Customized Interfaces for Future Medical Devices. In J. Winters and M. Story (Ed.), Medical Instrumentation: Accessibility and Usability Considerations (pp. 455-476). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.