A low cost vibrotactile array to manage respiratory motion

We present a tactile Respiratory Management System (tRMS) to manage and control breathing patterns of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The system comprises of an array of small vibrating motors and a control box that supplies power to and provides a control interface for up to twelve motors through the parallel port of a standard personal computer. The vibrotactile array can be fastened along the forearm, arm, thigh, leg or abdomen in any configuration using Velcro and fabric wraps. All motors are operated in a binary fashion, i.e. on or off, with quick response time and perceivable vibration magnitudes. The tRMS system is inexpensive and portable, providing spatiotemporal variations in tactile cues to regulate respiratory motion during radiotherapy. The system will also be used in future psychophysical studies to determine effective use of tactile cues to control human motor actions.