The REMote

Spring 2021, Projects for the Community

Abstract: This past semester, I and a team of female engineering students created the REMote, a wifi-enabled bilateral stimulation device. With recent circumstances, the therapy industry has rapidly been moving online, in order to provide protection versus spreading illnesses and provide scheduling/transportation flexibility. Although some parts of the therapy industry have been thriving under the remote transition, therapists that do Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, have been strapped for solutions; EMDR therapy is usually done in-person, as the clinically-tested equipment is both expensive and incapable of supporting remote operation. Many have been turning to fully online versions (which are sometimes buggy and not fully researched/tested [1]), or sucking up the cost and purchasing Bluetooth-enabled devices, even though they still require somewhat close contact and can run upwards of $600 per set [2]. Therefore, our team was driven to design a physical device that allows patients and therapists to continue their practice from the comfort of their home.

What is bilateral stimulation? Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is a type of EMDR therapy used to help individuals overcome trauma. When the brain processes typical, "normal" memories, it simply stores the memory, processing and consolidating it during REM (rapid eye movement, a part of sleep). When the brain undergoes trauma, however, it becomes "stuck," and the information-processing systems become overwhelmed. In other words, the brain isn't able to fully process the event and unpleasant emotions and associations are stored along with the unprocessed trauma. During bilateral stimulation, patients basically reactivate their neural networks, engaging both hemispheres to re-access those memories, re-associate feelings, and process them completely [3][4].

This neural activation is done via alternating stimulation of the brains' two hemispheres - a buzzing sensation, tap, sound, or light on the left, and then one on the right. Therapists ask their patient to focus on their feelings and memories around their trauma while assessing their state by observing the patients' response to the stimulus.

Client background: Our team consulted with Alecia Zunker, a trauma therapist based in Denver (https://www.rockymountainmentalwellness.com/). Although Ms. Zunker had used online EMDR (given COVID-19), she and her patients missed being able to have the physical stimulation provided by traditional BLS devices. Our challenge was to build a BLS device that her clients could have at their home that she could operate from a remote location.

Our device works for therapists that just don't have the time or desire to meet in person with their patients that want to still be able to do a more traditional form of the therapy... Moreover, our device is quite cheaper than the alternatives currently on the market, providing a cost-effective solution for independently practicing or cash-strapped therapists.

Video: Below is our video from our final expo at the end of spring 2021.

For more information on our design, visit the in-depth page. Note that this page is password-protected, as we may be seeking a patent/to go market. If you want access, you can always contact me.

References

[1] Trillium Counseling. (2020, June 15). EMDR therapy online: What you need to know. Trillium Counselling. https://www.trilliumcounselling.ca/online-emdr-therapy-what-you-need-to-know

[2] EMDR Kit Shop. (n.d.). EMDR Kit. Retrieved May 1, 2021, from https://www.emdrkit.com/shop/?lang=en

[3] Schwartz, A. (2017, October 10). How does EMDR therapy work? Arielle Schwartz, PhD. https://drarielleschwartz.com/how-does-emdr-therapy-work-dr-arielle-schwartz/#.YI3DirVKjD4

[4] Shapiro, F. (2019, September 14). How EMDR Therapy Opens a Window to the Brain . Brain World Magazine. https://brainworldmagazine.com/how-emdr-therapy-opens-a-window-to-the-brain/