Design and control of system for elbow rehabilitation: Preliminary findings

Abstract

Background. The use of an exoskeleton elbow is considered an effective treatment in several pathologies, including post-stroke complications, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI), as well as in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. The effectiveness of rehabilitation is closely linked to a suitably chosen therapy. The treatment can be performed only by specialized personnel, significantly supported with the use of automated devices. Objectives. The aim of this study was to present a novel exoskeleton for elbow rehabilitation without a complicated control system. Material and methods. Single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) solution in constructing the prototype of an elbow exoskeleton for rehabilitation purposes has been applied. The simplicity of the actuation mechanism was set as one of the priorities in the design; thus, a single-axis stepper motor with a controller was found to be adequate for providing a reliable and precise source of motion for the exoskeleton. Results. Technological development may provide novel solutions, such as an exoskeleton-a wearable, external structure which supports or (in selected applications) even replaces the muscle actuation in the patient. The reported advantages of the proposed exoskeleton reflect current state-of-the-art. The proposed control strategy relies on closed-loop position control, performance, low manufacturing cost, and predicted performance in a rehabilitation scenario. All these factors play an important role in establishing the directions for further research, e.g., an integrated force sensor in the device, measurements of torque interactions on the elbow joint, and assessment and response to an overload of articulation. Conclusions. This study suggests not only the clinical but also the possible economic and logistical advantages offered by the portability of the system, and its effective support for therapists applying an elbow exoskeleton.

Development and Application of Medicine-Engineering Integration in the Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury

“…(1) Lack high-h-quality evidence to assess its effectiveness [50]. (2) The advantages and disadvantages of technology are unknown [51].…”

“…Wearable-assistive devices have been used in the rehabilitation of neurological disorder such as traumatic brain injury widely. According to the report [ 50 ], Mikołajczyk et al carried out the research and design of the system for elbow rehabilitation which consists of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) solution and a single-axis stepper motor with a controller. They designed an exoskeleton, a wearable, external structure which can support or even replace the muscle actuation in the patient, and the system promotes the rehabilitation of upper limb function after TBI.…”

A Review on New 3-D Printed Materials’ Geometries for Catalysis and Adsorption: Paradigms from Reforming Reactions and CO2 Capture

“…Notably, the resulting parts often have rough and grainy surfaces, which may need coating at the end to be smoothened [91]. According to the manufacturers [92][93][94], it is not preferable to reuse the unfused powder due to degradation by exposure to high temperature. SLS 3D printers use sintering to build up samples, whereas SLM printers use melting of powder beds [95].…”

Reducing Waste in 3D Printing Using a Neural Network Based on an Own Elbow Exoskeleton

“…Similar solutions have been developed in several countries (e.g., in the USA, and in Singapore [ 3 ]) as prototypes, but to our knowledge, they have not entered into mass production. A prototype of a stationary elbow exoskeleton has been developed by a Polish–Italian team with the participation of the Collegium Medicum Nicolaus Copernicus University (CM UMK) and University of Science and Technology (UTP) [ 4 ], but despite its technical sophistication, it can serve as a stationary elbow joint rehabilitation tool on the rehabilitation center’s equipment, but it cannot serve as a wearable individual elbow joint support that is fully mobile with the patient. For the aforementioned reasons, this solution is technically and purposefully very different from the 3D-printed mobile elbow exoskeleton solution proposed in this paper.…”