His hand began trembling for no apparent reason, two years ago. He first noticed it when he tried to pull a spoon from a bowl of soup. By the time the spoon reached his mouth, there was no broth left in it. Then when he attempted to concentrate on doing anything with exact precision, like signing a check, he found it impossible to steady his hand. The right-handed man — who happens to be my father — says this condition, which the doctors call an “essential tremor”, only happens with his right hand.I first noticed it when we were in a Chinese restaurant. I know he loves wonton soup, so I ordered some. But when it arrived, he didn’t want any. I asked what was wrong, and he confided in me that he was too embarrassed to eat soup in public. Then he showed me why. I felt so bad for him. A vibrant man now in his seventies, he was never one for being self-conscious.Eventually he’s found a way to stifle the shaking. He says he holds his elbow up higher and it seems to help.
Essential tremors are apparently common. But when they happen to someone you know, you realize how debilitating they can be. I can’t even begin to imagine how severely Parkinson’s Disease affects its sufferers. Thankfully, one company is doing something about it — bringing a very progressive product to the market.Health-tech company Gyenno Technologies recently debuted two products, its Spoon and Cup. Armed with an internal technology, they counteract hand tremors so those with Parkinson’s and similar shaking symptoms maintain independence and eat without embarrassment.
The Gyenno Cup is billed as the only smart cup with an LCD screen. It’s washable and provides information about the amount of liquid consumed, the temperature and time between washings. It records and saves data over time, so the user has a history of how much he or she has been drinking and reminds when to drink. Plus it displays if a liquid has been sitting too long.
The Gyenno Spoon uses an intelligent high-speed servo control system — essentially a computer chip that uses an intelligent algorithm — for fast and accurate stabilization that offsets 85 percent of hand tremors. Food stays on the utensil and people suffering from shaking can eat out and avoid embarrassment. The internal chip automatically distinguishes between intentional hand motions and unconscious tremors, so only the unconscious tremors are compensated for. Think of it as the culinary version of a camera’s image stabilization feature. Data about the tremors is stored in the device and when it’s charged, the information is sent to the cloud so that the system learns about the person’s tremors and automatically improves performance of the device.
My father has been trying out the spoon. He admits that it’s helped quite a bit. But he’s frankly too proud to use it all the time. That said, he tells me that he can see how it would be very helpful for Parkinson’s patients. The spoon is very substantial, when you pick it up. The handle is large, to help the user get an easier grip. And it comes with a charger, as it operates on batteries. I was very impressed with how much it eases the process. The company’s before-and-after videos online accurately depict how helpful the product truly is. Having seen it firsthand, I can confidently tell you it’s pretty impressive.
My father’s only criticism is that he wishes the bowl part of the spoon was larger, to fit more food or soup. The company promises that one is coming soon. Aside from being incredibly promising, this technology is an instant winner at restoring some dignity to those who suffer from tremors.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottkramer/2016/02/10/gyenno-smart-spoon-for-parkinsons-sufferers-neutralizing-the-shakes/#49ca1d69755d
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