Background We have developed a wearable rehabilitation robot, “curara®,” and examined its immediate effect in patients with spinocerebellar degeneration and stroke, but its rehabilitative effect has not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of this device on gait training in stroke patients. Methods Forty stroke patients were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided randomly into two groups (groups A and B). The participants assigned to group A received RAGT with curara® type 4, whereas those in group B received conventional therapist-assisted gait training. The clinical trial period was 15 days. The participants performed 10 sessions of gait training (5 times per week) each lasting 30 ± 5 min per day. The 10-m walking time (10mWT), and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) were evaluated as the main outcomes. Timed up and go and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were also examined. Gait parameters (stride duration and length, standard deviation of stride duration and length, cadence, ratio of the stance/swing phases, minimum/maximum knee joint angle, and minimum/maximum hip joint angle) were measured using a RehaGait®. The items other than BBS were measured on days 0, 7, and 14, whereas BBS was measured on days 0 and 14. The improvement rate was calculated as the difference of values between days 14 and 0 divided by the value on day 0. The improvement rates of the 10mWT and 6MWD were set as the main outcomes. Results The data of 35 participants were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the main outcomes between both groups at the end of gait training. As for intragroup changes, gait speed, stride length, stride duration, and cadence were improved significantly between days 0 and 14 in each group. When examining the interaction effect between the day of measurement and group, stride duration (p = 0.006) and cadence (p = 0.012) were more significantly improved in group A than in group B. Conclusions This novel wearable powered robot may have the potential to improve gait speed of individuals in stroke rehabilitation. Trial registration Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs032180163). Registered on February 22, 2019; https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs032180163. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000034237) Registered on September 22, 2018; https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000038939.

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Background: Recently, robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) has been applied widely to individuals with stroke to regain and improve walking ability. We have developed a non-exoskeleton rehabilitation robot, “curara®,” and examined its immediate effect in patients with spinocerebellar degeneration and stroke, but its rehabilitative effect has not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of curara® on gait training in stroke patients.Methods: Forty stroke patients were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided randomly into two groups (groups A and B). The subjects in group A were assigned RAGT with curara® type 4, whereas those in group B received conventional therapist-assisted gait training. The clinical trial period was 15 days. The 10-m walking time (10mWT), 6-min walking distance (6mWD), timed up and go test, and gait parameters (stride duration and length, standard deviation of stride duration and length, cadence, ratio of the stance/swing phases, minimum/maximum knee joint angle, and minimum/maximum hip joint angle) were measured using a RehaGait® analyzer. The Berg Balance Scale was evaluated on days 0 and 14. Gait training was performed for 30 ± 5 min per day through days 2–6 and days 8–13 (total, 12 days) in both groups. The improvement rate was calculated as the difference of values between days 14 and 0 divided by the value on day 0. The improvement rates of the 10mWT and 6mWD were set as the main outcomes.Results: The data of 35 participants were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the main outcomes between both groups. As for intragroup changes, gait speed, stride length, stride duration, and cadence were improved significantly between days 0 and 14 in each group. There was no significant difference between the measured joint angle and the left-right angle ratio of symmetry within or between the groups. When assessing the interaction effect between the day of measurement and group, stride duration and cadence were more significantly improved in group A than in group B.Conclusions: The wearable curara® robot has the potential to improve gait function during stroke rehabilitation.Trial registration: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs032180163). Registered on February 22, 2019; https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs032180163UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000034237). Registered on September 22, 2018; https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000038939

SUMMARY Patterned polymer thin films were prepared by spin‐coating a solution consisting of an acryl monomer of 2‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)ethylmethacrylate, a photoinitiator of 4‐(dimethylamino)benzophenone, and a phosphorescent dopant of iridium(III) bis(2‐phenylpyridinate(4‐vinylphenylpyridine)). The film was exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light through a photomask and rinsed with an organic solvent to develop a patterned polymer thin film. A mixture of tetrahydrofuran and 1,4‐dioxane was used as the spin‐coating solvent, and ethanol was used as the developing solution. The effects of solvent, exposure time, UV intensity, and the phosphorescent dopant were examined to optimize the patterning condition. The patterned film was utilized as an emissive layer to construct an organic light‐emitting diode.

Patterned polymer thin films were prepared by spin-coating a solution consisting of an acryl monomer of 2-(9Hcarbazol-9-yl)ethylmethacrylate, a photoinitiator of 4-(dimethylamino)benzophenone, and a phosphorescent dopant of iridium(III) bis(2-phenylpyridinate(4-vinylphenylpyridine)). The film was exposed to UV light through a photomask and rinsed with an organic solvent to develop a patterned polymer thin film. A mixture of tetrahydrofuran and 1,4dioxane was used as the spin-coating solvent, and ethanol was used as the developing solution. The effects of solvent, exposure time, UV intensity, and the phosphorescent dopant were examined to optimize the patterning condition. The patterned film was utilized as an emissive layer to construct an organic light-emitting diode.