System peers under skin to reveal muscle actions

February 10, 2009

Dutch researchers have developed a system they say could help people

learn to walk and balance sooner after an injury or stroke by

displaying a virtual image of their body and moving muscles on a

screen in real time.

The digital imaging system allows doctors and physical therapists to

peer into a person's body, highlighting which muscles are flexing as

they move.

" It's like we're stripping off the skin and helping the doctor to see

more clearly than they have before, " said Michiel Westermann, chief

executive of Motek Medical, a Dutch company which designed the system.

Using infrared strobe lights and eight cameras, the system tracks

movements of individuals wearing reflective suits as they exercise.

Muscle movements, monitored by reflectors on the suit, are shown

within a virtual body double projected on a screen.

The researchers say the immediate visualization of muscle forces

could help speed up rehabilitation of patients learning how to walk

and balance again, such as stroke sufferers, amputees or people

recovering from an injury.

Athletes could benefit from the system for technique training and

injury prevention.

" Usually when patients are requested to activate a muscle, they will

have a problem to understand which muscle, and the therapist will

have a problem verifying the patient understood. With this they have

immediate feedback, " said Westermann.

The system is being tested in hospitals this year and should be ready

for use at the start of 2010, Westermann said.

(Reporting by Hornby; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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