1. KATHERINE CALLAHAN,
THOMAS HAYES, AND
MATT WOLFORD
MARCH 11, 2016
Writing Aid for Individuals
with Parkinson’s

2. Background Information
Parkinson’s Disease:
- Nervous system disorder
- Progressive disease
CDS Expert:
- Laura Taylor
- Her mother has Parkinson’s Disease

3. Problem Statement
“My mother has Parkinson’s. One of the things that
bothers her most with the progression of the disease
is her loss of the ability to write clearly (or at all on
some days). She has a weighted pen and a wrist
weight that help to a small degree but not always.”

4. Current Products

5. Meetings with CDS Contact
• No specific design wants or needs
• Appearance of device is of zero importance
• Tremors:
o Only affect hand
o Non-dominant hand triggers dominant
o Cause circling motion when writing
• No problem with grip at present
• Current products don’t work

6. Writing example

7. Objectives

11. Functions
 Device is convenient (P)
 Is comfortable (S)
 Is easy to wash & clean (S)
 Fits easily in a purse or bag
 Is lightweight (S)
 Device allows the user to write
easily through a tremor (P)
 Device is sensitive to tremor–like
movement (P)
 Device is adaptable (P)
 Is adjustable to different sized
hands (S)
 Can be used in either hand (S)
 Can be used indoors/outdoors (S)
 Device is safe (P)
 Provides protection from
electronic risks (S)
 Allows user to write without harm
to themselves (S)
 Secures the hand through
tremors (S)
 Device provides resistance against
daily wear (P)
 Functions properly after repeated
use
 Device is easy to operate (P)
 Provides a user friendly grip (S)
 Is easy to take on/off (S)
 Allows the user to grip the writing
utensil (S)

12. Functions
Specifications
Metric Units Marginal Ideal Type
Device is easy to wash & clean Ability to wash subjective
hand
washable
machine
washable subjective
Device fits easily in a purse or bag Size (volume) inches^3 <100 <80 numerical
Device is lightweight Weight lbs. <2.0 lbs <1 lbs numerical
Device is easy to take on/off Time to take on/off seconds <30 <20 numerical
If electronic, device is easy to recharge Time to recharge minutes <45 <30 numerical
Writing is easily legible Legibility of writing
% of words
legible >85% >95% objective
The device is adjustable to different sized
hands/arms Compatibility
%
compatibility >95% >99% objective
The device can be used in either hand Dexterity subjective
Dominant-
handed use
Ambidextrou
s use subjective
Device can be used indoors/outdoors
Multi-environment
use subjective
Indoor use
only
Indoor &
outdoor use subjective
Specifications

13. Patents & Peer Reviewed Papers

14. Patents & Peer Reviewed Papers cont.

15. Concepts Criteria
 Tremor detection (Y/N)
 Tremor negating mechanism
 Attachment-to-user mechanism

16. Refined Concept Generation
 Hard Cast Glove – rigid glove with metal supports
 Soft Cast Glove – soft glove with metal supports
 Weighted Brace – soft brace with added weights
 Gyroscope Glove – rigid glove with gyroscope mounted on it

17. Reference
(Weighted Pen)
Soft Cast Glove Hard Cast Glove Weighted Brace Gyroscope glove
Selection
Criteria
Weight
(%)
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Portability 0.2 3 0.6 3 0.6 2 0.4 2 0.4 2 0.4
Negation
Effectiveness
0.2 3 0.6 4 0.8 4 0.8 4 0.8 4 0.8
Comfortability 0.15 3 0.45 4 0.6 3 0.45 3 0.45 3 0.45
Legibility 0.1 3 0.3 4 0.4 5 0.5 4 0.4 4 0.4
Ease of
Attachment
0.2 3 0.6 3 0.6 3 0.6 3 0.6 2 0.4
Ease of
Manufacturing
0.15 3 0.45 3 0.45 3 0.45 3 0.45 1 0.15
Net
Score
3 3.45 3.2 3.1 2.6
Rank 0 1 2 3 X
Concept Selection

18. Concept Selection
Reference
(Weighted Pen)
Soft Cast Glove Hard Cast Glove Weighted Brace Gyroscope glove
Selection
Criteria
Weight
(%)
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Rating
Weighted
score
Portability 0.2 3 0.6 3 0.6 2 0.4 2 0.4 2 0.4
Negation
Effectiveness
0.2 3 0.6 4 0.8 4 0.8 4 0.8 4 0.8
Comfortability 0.15 3 0.45 4 0.6 3 0.45 3 0.45 3 0.45
Legibility 0.1 3 0.3 4 0.4 5 0.5 4 0.4 4 0.4
Ease of
Attachment
0.2 3 0.6 3 0.6 3 0.6 3 0.6 2 0.4
Ease of
Manufacturing
0.15 3 0.45 3 0.45 3 0.45 3 0.45 1 0.15
Net
Score
3 3.45 3.2 3.1 2.6
Rank 0 1 2 3 X

19. Prototyping (Soft Cast Glove)

20. Prototyping (Weighted Brace)

21. Testing
 Trainer Cheryl
Rockwood placed
electrodes properly to
induce a hand tremor
 Wrote out phrase
with/without prototypes
to obtain comparable
data

22. Results from Initial Testing
Soft Cast
Glove ->
Weighted
Glove ->

23. Soft Cast Glove Takeaways
No Glove
W/ Glove

24. Weighted Brace Takeaways
No Brace
W/ Weighted
Brace

25. Final Design

26. Final Prototype
SKLZ
Training
Glove
Top
Metal
Support
Bottom
Curved
Metal
Support
1 LB Lead
Weight

27. Final Prototype

28. Testing with Our Patient
Free-hand W/ Final Glove Prototype

29. Evaluation
 30 Students surveyed on
how many of the previous 9
words written with/without
the glove were legible
 Words written without
glove:
 6.7% of people could read 8
or more words
 Words written with glove:
 90% of people could read 8
or more words
# of People
# of Words Legible Freehand W/ Glove
None 4 0
1 3 0
2 2 0
3 6 0
4 3 0
5 5 1
6 0 0
7 5 2
8 1 6
9 1 21

30. Comments & Future Plans
 “I’m so happy. I feel like
a child on Christmas
Day”
 “I can’t wait to show it off
to all my friends”
 Produce final product in
desired size for our client
 Previously M, desired M/L
 Meet with CDS expert
and patient to present
and give final product

31. Resources
 http://www.handicappedequipment.org/hand-weights-for-disabilities/
 http://www.caregiverproducts.com/weighted-pencil-with-the-grip.html
 http://www.thewright-stuff.com/parkinsons-writing-aids/
 http://www.eldermedicalsupplygroup.com/Arthrits-RinG-Pen-adaptive-writing-
instrument.aspx#.VrphlPkrK1s
 Kotovsky, J., & Rosen, M. J. (1998). A wearable tremor-suppression orthosis. Journal of
rehabilitation research and development, 35, 373-387.
 Patents no. 5,383,737; 4,917,517; 4,111,566; and 6,793,427
 CAD design of glove downloaded from https://grabcad.com/library/hand-tremor-stabilization-
glove-va-innovation-creation-series-1 and used for educational fair use, not for commercialization

32. Any Questions?