Technological considerations in measuring weather derived epileptic seizures of dogs

Recen Inno a ions in Mecha onics (RIiM) Vol. 2. (2015). No. 1-2. DOI: 10.17667/ iim.2015.1-2/12. 1 Technological conside a ions in measu ing wea he - de i ed epilep ic seizu es o dogs Ádám Pin é MOGI Depa men Budapes Uni e si y o Technology and Economics Budapes , Hunga y adam.pin e @icicom.hu K isz ián Samu MOGI Depa men Budapes Uni e si y o Technology and Economics Budapes , Hunga y [email p o ec ed]me.hu Kálmán Czeibe Depa men o Ana omy and His ology Facul y o Ve e ina y Science Budapes , Hunga y czeibe .kal[email p o ec ed]u Abs ac —As in e e y echnical discipline, he objec i e, ep oducible ins umen al measu emen s a e indispensable. I is no di e en a in es iga ing he e ec o wea he on li ing o ganism. The pa allel measu emen o he a mosphe ic en i onmen and he physiological pa ame e s is no el and indi idual, as well as he in es iga ion o epilep ic seizu es depending on wea he si ua ions. Se e al ques ions came up in connec ion wi h ou equipmen designed o s udying dogs epilep ic phenomenon, such as ixing, wa e esis an ,- and obus implemen a ion, he p oblem o da a s o age, measu emen schedule o he powe supply o ins ance. Keeping hese in mind du ing he de elopmen p ocess we go an appa a us, which since is an in eg al pa o ou u he esea ches. Keywo ds—e ec s o wea he , epilepsy, ins umen al measu emen s I. STATE OF THE ART As demons a ed in ou p e ious pape s [1][2], he scien i ic wo ld pays close a en ion o in es iga e he physiological e ec s o he wea he , bu s ill no awa e o any equipmen – besides ou de ices – which measu es pa allely he physiological cha ac e is ics o an indi idual and he indi idual's a mosphe ic mic oen i onmen . In addi ion, in such a way o examine he impac o wea he on epilep ic seizu es a e comple ely no el [3][4]. This pape discusses expe imen al ins umen de elopmen p oblems ela ed o his esea ch a ea. II. INTRODUCTION Today i is accep ed as a ac ha he wea he – and i s changes – has a signi ican impac on li ing o ganisms, as bo h in e na ional li e a u e [5-8] and ou p e ious publica ions [3][4] poin ed ou . In hese publica ions we discussed some measu ing echnology ques ions as ecu ing p oblems, such as he schedule o he measu emen , he sampling equency, o he wea abili y and com o o he equipmen s. We ha e pe o med measu emen s bo h on human and animal (especially dogs) indi iduals – om which mu ually use ul esea ch esul s can be hoped due o he high deg ee on analogy [9] –, bu he implemen a ion o he measu emen s aise e y di e en kinds o p oblems. In his pape we ocus on dogs' epilep ic seizu e measu emen di icul ies. I is necessa y o discuss b ie ly he backg ound o epilep ic symp oma ology, so i can be seen, ha s udies should be pe o med only wi h indi idualized cha ac e is ics, and indi idual assessmen should be applied in e e y case. Dogs’ epilep ic seizu es show a high deg ee o co ela ion wi h he human's, and seizu e classi ica ion is based on a simila manne p o ided by he ILAE (In e na ional League Agains Epilepsy) [10]. In he pe spec i e o his pape – and also he de eloped es equipmen – i is ele an o poin ou ha an epilep ic seizu e can be pa ial ( ocal) o gene alized, and in he majo i y o cases, mon hs o e en yea s be o e a g and mal seizu e – in ol ing loss o consciousness and gene alized con ulsions – ocal symp oms may show. In addi ion, seizu es may no a ec only he musculoskele al sys em, he e a e also seizu es a ec ing isce al (wi h au onomous symp oms) and senso y sys em (eg. s inging, bu ning, ingling sensa ions e c.), o hey esul he impai men o consciousness (eg. hallucina ions and empo a y a en ion de ici diso de s). The objec i e assessmen can be achie ed in hese cases usually only wi h p ope ideo-EEG moni o ing. Consequen ly ou s udy is p ima ily aimed a animals whose seizu es induce mo o ic mo emen changes (i.e. seizu es e ec ing muscle mo emen , hus easie o de ec ins umen ally): hese can be onic i s – wi h con inuous con ac ion –, muscle con ac ions wi h g a e o less equency (myoclonus, ei he locally o sp eading o e he whole body), mixed ( onic-clonic) o a onic seizu es as well. III. QUASI-TIME-POINT EVENTS – EPILEPSY Ou discussed esea ch a ea is o examine he epilep ic seizu es in dogs gene a ed by a mosphe ic mic o and mac o- en i onmen al impac . P e ious esul s ha e demons a ed he exis ence o his ela ionship [3][4]. I is impo an ha each animal ha e indi idual seizu e-pa e n: an animal may ha e only one kind o seizu e, bu i o en happens ha is shows se e al ocal symp oms beside gene alized Recen Inno a ions in Mecha onics (RIiM) Vol. 2. (2015). No. 1-2. DOI: 10.17667/ iim.2015.1-2/12. 2 con ulsion, and he empo al dis ibu ion o hese seizu es a e di e en . In long- e m epilepsy ea men one o he mos impo an ac o is he seizu e equency, i.e. how equen ly epilep ic i s occu (=how long is he seizu e- ee o in e ic al pe iod). An epilep ic e en gene ally ollows he nex o de : changes in beha io be o e he seizu e (p od oma sign eg. changes in ac i i y), hen he epilep ic i (ic al signs), and a e ha pos ic al pe iod. In some case he la e is much longe in ime compa ed o he i han he e ec i e seizu e (i could ake hou s o e en days), so i could be easily mis aken wi h he ac ual seizu e, since as majo i y o epilep ic e en s las only o minu es (o jus 10- 15 seconds), so owne o he animal only could no ice – i hey exis (eg. agg ession, ea , psychosis, compulsi e diso de s, e c) – he pos ic al signs, no he i i sel . Ano he challenge in cons uc ing a de ice which is capable o egis e hese e en s in co ela ion wi h wea he ac i i y while me eo ological changes akes place h ough se e al days (o weeks) we ha e o look o epilep ic i s wi h minu es o e en seconds (and hus esul ing only a small ac ion in he obse a ion pe iod). To sol e he p oblem o managemen and s o age o he big ou pu da a o long- e m measu emen s he p edic abili y o wea he changes can be e y help ul. In case o a gi en indi idual – possess su icien knowledge – we can de e mine wha ype o wea he si ua ion we should s a ou measu emen s o inc ease he sampling equency. In he i s phase o he examina ion o a selec ed animal, when we do no ha e p io knowledge abou he indi idual ye , i is necessa y o collec in o ma ion co e ing he en i e spec um o wea he . IV. COMPLEX, INEGRATED MEASUREMENTS As se e al physiological, en i onmen al, me eo ological pa ame e s ha e o be measu ed in sync, a high deg ee o in eg a ion is equi ed, which aises a numbe o di icul ies. Because o he mainly long- e m and high- esolu ion measu emen s, ansmission and s o age o la ge amoun s o da a is equi ed. The wi eless implemen a ion – see below – sends he da a h ough a 2.4 [GHz] communica ion channel o he docking uni so he amoun o da a o be ansmi ed is inc eased in p opo ion o he communica ion a ic, and ha means ex a ene gy needs. The s o age and he p ocessing o he big amoun o da a is an addi ional p oblem in case o mon h- e m s udy o nume ous indi iduals. The local da a-p ocessing could be a solu ion o his, bu he s udied me eo ological p ocesses can no be conside ed poin -like and also no independen om each o he , hus i would need se ious memo y and compu ing capaci y, which is oo ene gy in ensi e. Fo as much as he measu emen o he ac i i y1 (as one o he physiological pa ame e s) is quasi-con inuous, while he wea he pa ame e s a e enough o measu e in minu e in e als, we need o ocus on his pa ame e a he solu ion o da a amoun p oblem. The ollowing solu ion s a egy has been de eloped (schema ically):  We ind he lowes sampling equency – based on Shannon's heo em [11] –, which does no dis o he use ul signal mo e han a h eshold we de ine. Fo his, apa om he ex eme mo emen s a 25 [Hz] sampling equency is sa is ac o y;  A scala so wa e has been de eloped, which, unde a gi en le el o ac i i y keeps he mic ocon olle in he ul a-low-powe mode, hen as he mo emen amoun g ows – wha we de ec wi h ha dwa e in e up s – is se s he measu emen dynamic ange o he le el o ac i i y, and a e a educ ion in he ac i i y is swi ches back o he IDLE s a e;  O he senso s du ing no mal beha io a e u ned on only wi h small ime du y a io and a e he measu emen se ies (which happen a he same ime) hey swi ches back o s andby;  In case o abno mal ac i i y de ec ion o a d as ic change in he measu ed pa ame e s – depending on he se ings – measu e equency can be inc ease au oma ically. These solu ions can op imize he use o ene gy – which has an impo an ole in wea abili y h ough educing he necessa y size o he ba e y – and educes he amoun o da a as well. Da a downloaded om he docking uni is hen subjec ed o u he p ocessing – o example we can s o e mo emen -pa e n in o ma ion o ac i i y le el ins ead o accele a ion alues – o educe he amoun o da a o be 1 h ee-axis gy oscope and absolu e accele a ion Figu e 2. Occu ence o an examined animal's epilep ic seizu es in 2013 ( oge he wi h he iden i ied me eo ological on s in hose pe iods) Recen Inno a ions in Mecha onics (RIiM) Vol. 2. (2015). No. 1-2. DOI: 10.17667/ iim.2015.1-2/12. 3 s o ed. The a mos amoun o ou pu da a a ises on ha e sion o he de ice which eco ds ECG-signal as well, especially in con inuous ope a ion mode. In his case he mos impo an is o de e mine he equi ed measu emen sec ions, which is cu en ly unde de elopmen . I also posed a se ious challenge o design he de ice – wi h ene gy sou ces, a numbe o senso s, wi eless module and cen al mic ocon olle uni – in such a deg ee o in eg a ion le el ha is s ill should be small and com o able o wea . To his, beside se ious echnical expe ience, he use o smalles size componen s in he indus y con ibu ed. We used:  0402 size code passi e componen s;  QFN package mic ocon olle uni ;  Su ace Moun (SMD) 2.4 [GHz] an enna;  mul i-le el PCB implemen a ion a MEMS senso modules;  Li-Polyme ba e y. The use o hese echnologies is clea ly equi es o en e low solde ing, wha – being a small p oduc se ies – we did ou sel es using he appa a us o ICI In e ac i e Co. L d. V. FIXING, ERGONOMICS AND SIGNAL LEAD Since in case o dogs we can no expec ha he wea e o he de ice pays pa icula a en ion o i s sa e y, he implemen a ion and he ixing mus be obus . In addi ion, i is an equally impo an aspec ha he de ice does no impede he animal in he no mal way o li ing, no o dis u b he indi idual wi h i s p esence e en in case o a long- e m use. Va ious echnological aspec s a ose du ing he design and es ing (schema ically):  In he accele a ion measu emen – i we a e in e es ed also in he mo emen pa e n – he di ec ion o he senso (so ha we know which way is "up") is impo an , and o de e mine he co ec amoun o mo emen is essen ial ha he senso mo e oge he wi h he animal's mass cen e . I is ob ious ha he animal will p oduce qui e di e en accele ome e da a when he senso is loca ed on i s back o on one o he lowe legs;  Measu ing he ambien empe a u e i is impo an ha he lead o he empe a u e senso p obe poin he ou side as mo e as i is possible o a oid measu ing he body empe a u e o he animal. The empe a u e senso s mus be loca ed on he mobile de ice, as he docking uni is almos always being indoo , while he dog is no necessa ily, and we need he a mosphe ic mic oen i onmen o he animal, as i s o ganism exposed di ec ly o ha ;  Measu ing he ambien ligh – which is also impo an in epilepsy examina ions [12][13] – s ands simila o he c i e ia abo e;  In case o he ECG e sion he ches elec odes should be p o ec ed agains majo shi , o he wise he quali y o he signal lead d as ically de e io a es. Beside hese he ollowing gene al c i e ia should be conside ed:  The de ice need o be placed so he dog can no each i and o example no able o chew i ;  The de ice mus be wa e - esis an , wi h wa e - esis an echa ging abili y. The o me we sol ed wi h epoxy molding, he la e wi h gil , co osion- ee connec o s;  Due o he la ge amoun o da a he mobile uni should send he da a h ough wi eless communica ion o he docking uni so he de ice ixed on he animal can be eally mobile while he da a can obse ed in eal- ime. These wo ea u es a e e y impo an , so du ing he design p ocess we e main ained wi h a high p io i y. Based on he demands abo e using ha ness seemed o be an ob ious solu ion. I is he mos s abile way o ixing a de ice on a dog. This way, we ha e he chance o se he senso s in he bes possible loca ion ( his in luences mos he ECG elec odes' posi ion-s abili y), conside ing also he ac o s occu s in he animal's ac i i y. The la e no only helps o il e he noise, bu also – aking in o accoun he speci ic cha ac e is ics o he pa icula animal’s epilep ic symp oms – may help o ind he bes loca ion whe e o place he accele ome e (eg. in he case o ocal con ulsions o head and neck muscles i can be placed on neck ing, o in case o limb mo emen he p ope side o he animal) Figu e 4. ECG mobile de ice's main PCB Recen Inno a ions in Mecha onics (RIiM) Vol. 2. (2015). No. 1-2. DOI: 10.17667/ iim.2015.1-2/12. 4 Figu e 5. Two o en used ha ness ype sou ce: h p://www.pe d eam.hu VI. RESULTS As a esul o he echnical conside a ions ou lined abo e we ge an easily wea able ins umen , which – besides i is capable o se e al days o con inuous ope a ion wi h a single cha ge – p o ides eliable measu emen esul s. The measu emen s o he ambien ligh and empe a u e a e sa is ac o y, he ac i i y measu emen is excellen . The ECG signal's lead du ing se ies o es s on animals in es ing posi ion b ough e y good esul s, bu in case o mo ing, ac i e animals u he imp o emen s a e needed o inc ease he s abili y o he elec odes. Ou u he goal is o c ea e an expe imen al ool can gain da a mo e e icien ly and accu a ely, hus also sui able o clea iden i ica ion o he ype o epilep ic seizu es. Figu e 6. Mobile de ice (ECG ype) and docking uni Re e ences [1] Ádám Pin é , K isz ián Samu, “De elopmen o a complex mic oen i onmen - and hea moni o ing equipmen o measu ing he e ec s o he wea he on human o ganism”, CERiS'13, pp. 176-180, 2013, ISBN 978-963-313-086-5 [2] Ádám Pin é , K isz ián Samu, “Technological solu ions o compensa e humanme eo ological® measu emen e o s wi h measu ing human ac i i y and mo emen ”, CERiS'14, pp. 30-37, 2014, ISBN 978-963-313-086-5 [3] Kálmán Czeibe , Ádám Pin é , Ane I ády, K isz ián Samu, “Rela ionship be ween me eo ological ac o s and epilep ic i s in a Jack Russell Te ie ” Magya Álla o osok Lapja 136:(8) pp. 461- 471. (2014) [4] Kálmán Czeibe , Ádám Pin é , Ane I ády, K isz ián Samu, “E ec o he me eo ological ac o s on he i s o an epilep ic dog. Case epo ” Magya Álla o osok Lapja pp. 149-156. (2014) [5] S.L. Molloy, S. 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