Team 21
Pain Level Measurement Device
Team Members:
Pain Level Measurement Device
Team Members:
Rachel Boylan
Paulette Iniguez Erunez
Michelle Rodriguez
McKenna Godman
Joseline Salinas
Team Mentors:
Mr. Jeff Skiba - CEO at Desert Valley Technologies
Dr. Christopher Zarembinski, MD - Joint Vitality at The Pain Center
YouTube Link:
View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting
Zoom Link:
https://asu.zoom.us/j/83107672475
Abstract
Our device will serve as an alternative to the visual analog scale (VAS) in pain level assessment. Current VAS methods are subjective and may misrepresent the pain level experienced. Pain Medication is prescribed based on a number of clues from the patient, such as, communication, facial expression, mood, or body movements. However, with the focus today on the misuse of pain medication there is a need to objectify the pain level. The hypothesis is that the human brain will sense pain at the highest source and if a device can apply an external stimulus that can redirect the pain reception, then the stimulus can be quantified and measured. Our device is a modified dynamometer; a pressure sensor equipped with a handle that is uncomfortable to grip. A patient would be instructed to grip the device until the pain they are experiencing elsewhere can no longer be felt, and the number of pounds or kilograms shown to be their grip strength on the device would correlate with a pain level on our own scale that we have created, giving us a quantifiable and more reliable pain measurement that can be used to prescribe medication. This semester we focused on prototyping our device, and 3D-printed prototypes for our handle cover. We tested different shapes of the handle that would provide us with the most desirable outcome and then developed a pain scale based off of predicted force readings to correlate with the VAS, the standard method of pain measurement. We concluded that further testing of our pain level measurement device will provide a more objective, accurate result than the VAS. This will prevent patients from overdosing, underdosing, or any other misuse of pain medication.
