Revolutionary Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen Aims to Transform Parkinson’s Diagnosis

A 3D-printed pen that utilizes magnetic ink may revolutionize the identification of individuals with Parkinson’s disease, according to preliminary findings from a small-scale study. More than 10 million people globally live with Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative illness characterized by symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, slow movement, and challenges with mobility. While there is no cure presently, early diagnosis can provide critical access to support and treatment.

The research team highlights the inefficacy and subjectivity of traditional diagnostic methods, which rely heavily on the observation of motor symptoms. In contrast, biomarker-based diagnostics often necessitate specialized equipment and skilled health professionals. The newly developed pen aims to capture distinct motion signatures to detect Parkinson’s disease in individuals. “It is very cost-effective and fully accessible for lower-income countries,” noted co-author Prof. Jun Chen from the University of California, Los Angeles. The pen’s functionality is designed to pair with a mobile app for result analysis.

As detailed in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering, the researchers crafted a pen with a soft silicone tip embedded with magnetic particles. This pen is filled with an ink containing tiny floating particles, magnetized by the tip. When the pen touches a surface, the magnetic characteristics of the tip change, and the dynamic movement of the ink generates a voltage in a metal coil within the pen. This results in current signals that are recorded. “We are using the handwriting-generated electrical signal to quantify the tremor during writing,” explained Chen.

The team discovered that signals produced by participants while drawing wavy lines, spirals, or writing—both on surfaces and in the air—effectively captured their movements. By applying various machine learning models, a type of artificial intelligence, to classify handwriting signals from 16 participants (including three diagnosed with Parkinson’s), they achieved an average accuracy of 96.22% in distinguishing Parkinson’s patients from healthy individuals once the model had been trained.

Chrystalina Antoniades, an associate professor of clinical neuroscience at the University of Oxford, who was not part of the research, commented that individuals with Parkinson’s often exhibit smaller handwriting—a symptom that usually becomes apparent once other symptoms manifest. While she found the pen’s approach to be fascinating, she emphasized the need for further testing and acknowledged that numerous alternative methods for early Parkinson’s diagnosis are currently under development. “You can’t rely on a single biomarker. This pen assesses handwriting, which is only one of many symptoms we observe in our patients,” Antoniades noted. “However, it could complement existing findings, capturing nuances that may be difficult to detect.”

Becky Jones, the research communications manager at Parkinson’s UK, praised the initiative, highlighting the absence of a definitive test for Parkinson’s. “Although the study involved a small sample size of just three individuals with Parkinson’s, it introduces an innovative perspective on diagnosing the condition by tracking changes in handwriting, which can serve as an early indicator,” she remarked. “We now require more extensive and diverse studies to further explore the potential of this method and its ability to facilitate earlier and more precise diagnoses in the future.”