Communicating through the nasal breathing

Severely disabled people will soon write and surf the web, as they breathe. A team of Israeli researchers have in fact developed a series of software based on nasal breathing to control a computer mouse, a wheelchair and assisted handwriting interface.

These systems have already enabled the severely paralyzed, and in particular some of confinement syndrome (paralysis of four limbs and unable to move the head and speaking) to communicate. Eventually, these people might even succeed in moving wheelchair.

The results of the first successful experiments are being published in the journal PNAS. The system consists of two small nasal tubes that capture the differences in pressure in the nostrils. This system is very simple to implement, can detect aspiration (A) or expiration of (B) air. It is connected to a processing interface that detects combinations of these two blocks (A, B, AA, BB, AB and BA).

Three software packages have been developed. The first allows you to control a power wheelchair using the commands "forward" (BB), "backward" (AA), "turn right" (AB), "turn left" (BA). Similar commands to move a mouse and make right click and left click on a computer (the person can surf the Internet for example). A third program allows the patient to speak directly adopting a short and energetic expiry scrolling letters on a screen.

Much less expensive than the "eye-tracking"

The only technique that existed up until now was the method to intercept a blink of the eye a person reciting the alphabet. It required the presence of a third person and a good control of the eyelid. But the patient cited in this study was just a victim of the syndrome of confinement and unable to properly control the beating of his eyelids. Thanks to Israeli aircraft, he has been able to answer questions, finally, his first message to his family since his accident seven months ago.

"We have a patient who could not blink at all and we send emails through respiration, describes the study's lead author Noam Sembel. It is rather moving." Other patients with four limbs paralyzed for many years, have managed to use the software to control a computer. They were able to browse Internet and send emails without assistance.

A dramatic change in their lives. The chair has meanwhile been tested by people with paralyzed legs. The tests are very conclusive, however, since it did not take more than 15 minutes so that users are able to use it correctly. It is quite possible that persons most severely affected may soon experience it in turn. Huge advantage of this ingenious system, is its being much more comfortable and much cheaper than the eye tracking devices (eye-tracking). If it can one day be mass produced, the device "should cost no more than 10 or 20 dollars," said Noam Sobel well.

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