VOA标准英语2014--‘Smart’ Spoon Allows Parkinson's Sufferers to Feed Themselves

 

‘Smart’ Spoon Allows Parkinson's Sufferers to Feed Themselves

One of the biggest challenges for people living with Parkinson’s is the difficulty - and sometimes inability - to feed themselves, due to the shaking tremors² associated with the disease. But help might be on the way. A new, high-tech³, “smart” spoon promises to stabilize⁴ the vibrations⁵.

For people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a disorder⁶ of the central nervous system, simply eating a meal can be an ordeal⁷.

The most common symptoms of the disease are related to movement. The basic act of getting food from plate to mouth can be difficult and frustrating⁸.

But now there might be a solution. LiftLabs, based in San Francisco, California, has developed a small device that tracks and compensates⁹ for small vibrations and tremors.

Anupam Pathak, the founder¹⁰ and CEO of LiftLabs, explained that the technology behind Liftware is similar to the image stabilization¹¹ feature in high end cameras.

“What we have done is taken that same concept and applied¹² it to a handheld device, that would help people with a lot larger jitters," said Pathak. "So somebody with a neurological disorder might be moving up to an inch [2.5 centimeters] in magnitude. There is a little computer inside that is running an algorithm, that would basically sense the person’s motion, determine if that was intentional¹³ or unintended, and if it was unintended, move opposite to what that motion does.”

The result is the device remains¹⁴ smooth and level, despite the movement of the user’s arm or hand. Food that normally would fly off remains on the spoon.

“Being able to see somebody eat on their own for the first time, or even just eat better, has been a hugely impactful thing,” said Pathak.

The device costs $295, though LiftLabs also accepts donations to help those who cannot afford to buy one.

“We basically just have a donate button [on our website] for whatever amount they like, and once we get enough for a device, we’ll send one out to the International Tremor¹ Foundation or any one of the other Parkinson’s foundations, and they have a list of people who might be coming from economic hardship and might not be able to afford a device like this,” said Pathak.

A spoon is currently the only attachment¹⁵ for the Liftware device, but Pathak promises that more attachments¹⁶ - like a deeper soup spoon and a fork - will be available soon.

1 tremor   

n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震

参考例句：

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
• A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。

2 tremors   

震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动

参考例句：

• The story was so terrible that It'sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。
• The story was so terrible that it sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。

3 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

4 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

5 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

8 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 compensates   

补偿，报酬( compensate的第三人称单数 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The company compensates her for extra work. 公司因她的额外工作而给她报酬。
• A vertical spring compensates for the weight of the sensing element. 用一根垂直弹簧补偿敏感元件的负荷。

10 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

11 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

12 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

13 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

15 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

16 attachments   

n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物

参考例句：

• The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
• It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。