Offer An Article

Pandemic Latest News

Indian startups – the AI glove that detects seizures

An Indian startup has developed a revolutionary device that is capable of warning a person in advance that they are at risk of an epileptic seizure. The technology could bring a degree of stability to those suffering with epilepsy, with great potential for future advancement.

Copyright: vampy1 / 123RF Stock Photo
Could AI driven technology prove useful in addressing the symptoms of diseases affecting the brain?

The company — TerraBlue XT — was created by Rajlakshmi Borthakur and is based in Bangalore. Borthakur created the company and began working on an AI driven wearable glove that could read electrical impulses in the palm and detect abnormalities that could be indicative of a potential seizure.

The AI glove was hailed by Ivanka Trump at the Hyderabad based Global Entrepreneurship Summit last year. Borthahur’s  company was mentioned by Ivanka as one that aims to aid rural locations in India “Her company TerraBlue aims to make specialty healthcare accessible even in the most remote places in India…your courage and determination is truly remarkable”.

As it is driven by AI, the glove has vast amounts of potential. The glove is constantly monitoring the user for a number of variables including: skin conductance, muscle tone, heart rate variability, temperature and motion. This data is then transmitted to a cloud service.

Though these inputs could be used to detect a number of conditions, epilepsy is currently the focus of the company’s development. Borthakur began working on technology to benefit those with epilepsy after her own son was diagnosed.

In those with severe epilepsy, time is of the essence if a seizure occurs. Medical treatment is often vital when they happen. “Tejas has had epilepsy since birth and often emergency medical care is required to bring his seizures under control…it was important to get enough lead time to rush him to a hospital at the fastest possible time so that his life and well-being will not be compromised,” said Borthakur.

The device can potentially give a sense of security to those with epilepsy. It features both GPS and an auto-SMS service, which, in the event of a seizure, could alert relatives or health providers that the wearer is at risk. Data is sent to healthcare providers in the vicinity, or relatives and friends who could be able to transport the wearer to a healthcare facility. This makes the individual with epilepsy far safer to perform activities unsupervised.

Use of real time data also assists doctors in remotely monitoring patients. AI allows the platform to learn more as more individuals use the device, allowing it to better assess, and so better inform, the doctors of their patient’s current situation. This allows medical staff to make decisions based on quantifiable information from the patient’s own body.

The glove does have potential uses in rural locations as a remote monitoring device for those known to have epilepsy. However, healthcare infrastructure is often lacking in rural regions and so the device’s capacity to aid treatment may be limited. As acknowledged at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the device at the very least represents Indian innovation to overcome such issues.

 

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

%d bloggers like this: