Three futuristic ways ultrasound is revolutionising healthcare -stroke is one

Until stroke survivors get this mapping of muscle movement and incorrect movements our therapists can never get to an objective damage diagnosis. Without that diagnosis our therapists are guessing what is wrong. We finally will be able to map damaged and dead areas in the brain to muscles that don't work properly.

There are nine reasons why muscle movement isn't proper and this ultrasound can be used with the MRI to figure out exactly which of this nine reasons needs to be fixed.

1. Penumbra damage to the motor cortex.
2. Dead brain in the motor cortex.
3. Penumbra damage in the pre-motor cortex.
4. Dead brain in the pre-motor cortex.
5. Penumbra damage in the executive control area.
6. Dead brain in the executive control area.
7. Penumbra damage in the white matter underlying any of these three.(This one)
8. Dead brain in the white matter underlying any of these three.
9. Spasticity preventing movement from occurring.

Three futuristic ways ultrasound is revolutionising healthcare - stroke is one

A wearable ultrasound monitor can provide insight into dynamic muscle movement during activities like jumping. Credit: Parag Chitnis.

For the moment, his primary goal is to help athletes and others recover from injuries. But the same process can also be used to facilitate stroke rehabilitation, assess the risk of falls in the elderly, and help both elite and recreational athletes find their optimum training protocols.

Currently, if someone is injured or recovering from surgery, they go through physiotherapy and exercise programs based largely on the physical therapist’s experience and intuition. “We interviewed clinical-care providers,” Chitnis says, “and over and over, they said that if they could peel back the skin and look at the muscles [it would be a dream come true].”

That is exactly what his new technique can do, using stick-on ultrasound transducer/sensors that look like bits of athletic tape connected to a powerpack small and light enough to be belted to the hip without interfering with overall movement. “Our devices can be used to ensure that the muscle is actually being activated and used correctly,” Chitnis says.

Better yet, it’s all based on components that can be bought off the shelf and are affordable for physical therapy clinics, gyms, and sports teams. “These are basically components you can find in your car radio,” Chitnis says. “We envision, moving forward, that rehabilitation clinics will be able to purchase these systems for just a few hundred dollars.”