title: Essential tremor suppression by a novel self-balancing device.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are many associated devices using impedance method. However, they cannot completely suppress tremor. Other methods using active vibration control have been a challenging problem for industrial and academic researchers. Potential applications of the latter for tremor patients are still not realized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article presents a novel method for suppressing human lower arm tremor in essential tremor by using a self-balancing technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this article, a rotating unbalanced mass actuator was used to imitate an arm tremor with the same frequency range obtained from clinical sources. A novel counter-balance device was designed to attach the fictitious arm. The tremor reduction is expecting quantitatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller and an algorithm programmed in LabVIEW are proposed to control a rotating unbalanced mass actuator, anti-shaker, in order to counter the tremor. The self-balancing system for the new approach was obtained when both amplitudes and frequencies of anti-shaker and tremor are the same.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that this method can reduce vibration of tremor in the order of 0.001 rad/s(2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method can suppress the vibration and can also auto-tune to counter the tremor in a range of 4-12 Hz bandwidth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The therapy of arm tremor was associated with using counter-devices to palliate the vibration magnitude. Conventional methods such as physical surgery and drugs cannot completely eliminate tremor. The novel counter-device is an alternative technique with promising application for clinical uses for tremor patients without involving harmful surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Jakkrapun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chuanasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand ithuchon@kmutt.ac.th.
authors.forename: Szathys
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Songschon
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration
keywords: Essential tremor; PID controller; rotating unbalanced mass; self-balancing system