An overview about modern rehabilitation techniques for locomotor system.
Barbu, Daniela Mariana ; Dumitriu, Adrian ; Lache, Simona 等
1. INTRODUCTION
As is described by Elsevier, Mechatronics is the synergistic
combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic control and
systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes.
It relates to the design of systems, devices and products aimed at
achieving an optimal balance between basic mechanical structure and its
overall control. An emerging variant of this field is Biomechatronics,
which is an applied interdisciplinary science that aims to integrate
mechanical elements, electronics and parts of biological organisms.
Biomechatronics includes the aspects of biology, mechanics, and
electronics. It also encompasses the fields of robotics and
neuroscience. The goal of these experiments is to make devices that
interact with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems. The end
result is that the devices will help with human motor control that was
lost or impaired by trauma, disease or birth defects. On the other hand,
a robot as a mechatronical product is just a device made to fulfill a
specific task or a series of tasks. Robots are used in many
applications, from fun to industry or in domestic field. These
application domains are constructions, the rehabilitation of sick
people, trade, transportation and carrying of goods, local
administration, environment protection and agriculture, supervision,
inspection, radiation protection and intervention in disaster cases,
hotels and restaurants, in medicine, in household, hobby and spending
the spare time. In medicine, robotic systems were implemented for the
ecography diagnosis, robotic systems for neurosurgery intervention,
telemanipulators for laparoscopy surgeon, robocars for the
transportation of sick people that can't move, robocars for drugs,
food, drinks and bed sheets, robocars for cleaning activities and
disinfection in hospitals, robotic systems for simulation preparation
before an operation of surgery interventions, etc.
Rehabilitation engineering, as is described in Wikipedia, is the
systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop,
adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to
problems confronted by individuals with disabilities. Functional areas
addressed through rehabilitation engineering may include mobility,
communications, hearing, vision, and cognition, and activities
associated with employment, independent living, education, and
integration into the community. The rehabilitation process for people
with disabilities often entails the design of assistive devices such as
walking aids intended to promote inclusion of their users into the
mainstream of society, commerce, and recreation. (Hoffman, 2008)
As defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Rehabilitation
engineering means the systematic application of engineering sciences to
design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute
technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with
disabilities in functional areas, such as mobility, communications,
hearing, vision, and cognition, and in activities associated with
employment, independent living, education, and integration into the
community. Rehabilitation technology means the systematic application of
technologies, engineering methodologies, or scientific principles to
meet the needs of, and address the barriers confronted by, individuals
with disabilities in areas that include education, rehabilitation,
employment, transportation, independent living, and recreation. The term
includes rehabilitation engineering, assistive technology devices, and
assistive technology services (Cooper et al., 2007).
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
As a branch of the rehabilitation engineering, rehabilitations
mechatronics is a special field concentrated on machines that could be
used for helping people to get on feet after a severe physique trauma.
Rehabilitation robotics exists for solving serious problems, which
appear in physiotherapeutic, and already the results are miraculous in
many cases. The benefits of rehabilitation robotics are many. In common,
physiotherapeutic, many therapists work with a single patient, for
according him proper attention and for helping him reach the closest
support. An exoskeleton robot, like the one we want to realize and
implement, permits rehabilitation much more exact, the robot can give
the support and the patient's way of walking. The therapist can
watch many patients' exercises in the same time. In addition, using
this type of robots takes in count the training conditions of the
patient, watching his progress, but also helps by decreasing the stress
of working with a human therapist.
For rehabilitation could be identified the following applications:
folding wheel chair, manipulator for paralytic patients, vehicle for
blind people, etc.
An orthosis is a device that is applied to a part of the body to
correct deformity, improve function, or relieve symptoms of a disease.
This may be an externally applied device, which supports or assists the
musculo-neuro-skeletal system. Orthotics is an allied health profession
that is concerned with the design, development, fitting and
manufacturing of orthoses, which are devices that support or correct
musculoskeletal deformities and/or abnormalities of the human body. The
term is derived from the "ortho", meaning to straighten.
Sciences such as materials engineering, gait analysis, anatomy and
physiology, and psychology contribute to the work done by orthotists,
professionals engaged in the field of orthotics.
Kinesiology, derived from the Greek words kinesis (movement) and
kinetin (to move), also known as human kinetics, is the science of human
movement. It is a discipline that focuses on Physical Activity. A
kinesiological approach applies scientific based medical principles
towards the analysis, preservation and enhancement of human movement in
all settings and populations. Kinesiologists work in research, the
fitness industry, clinically, and in industrial environments. Studies on
human motion may be supported by computer vision, using stereo camera
systems for pose recognition and motion modeling. The practice of
kinesiology is the assessment of movement, performance, and function;
and the rehabilitation, prevention, and management of disorders to
maintain, rehabilitate, and enhance movement, performance, and function
in the areas of sport, recreation, work, exercise, and general
activities of daily living. (Smith et al., 2000)
2. PROPOSED SOLUTION FOR HUMAN REHABILITATION
The main purpose is acquiring and implementation of an intelligent
orthesis used for recovery training of the subject with neuromotor
problems. It is destined especially to inferior and superior limbs
joints recovery but performing the corresponding exercises will affect
also the muscles. It will be conceived in a modular way (the mechanic
module, the electronic module and the interface module). It is attached
to the leg or hand, in the area that need recovery; it is programmed for
each subject depending on the program type of every subject. It is made
from easy and unassuming materials. As it was demonstrated as well in
the evaluation of the actual status, this project's subject is
compliant with the European and world trends and priorities for
developing robotics systems for medical recovery. Being designed for a
large range of people with locomotory and neuromotory problems and with
a highly degree of adaptation, the system we want to implement can have
an important contribution to knowledge evolvement in rehabilitation
robotics field. (Barbu et al., 2007)
Thru this research work, we want to design, to realize and to
implement mechatronical system, which could help people with a specific
neuro-motory rehabilitation therapy. We speak about the knee and elbows
joint, but the system can be adapted to the hands, ankles, shoulders or
haunches joint. Therefore, our intention to realize a robotic
mechanical-electronic system, which is a device that helps an organ to
have a proper functionality, makes this project to be very important for
some category of people. Here we speak about: people that suffered an
accident and have lost partially or totally the possibility of moving a
leg or a hand; people that suffered surgery interventions and who need a
recovery technique of locomotion; sportsmen that need training or need
medical recovery after an accident; old people which need neuro-motory
rehabilitation exercises; children with neuro-muscular dystrophy; people
that by some causes have lost temporary the locomotion function, etc.
In addition, the recovery techniques and methods are new and
original, determined by the structure and functionality of the proposed
system. Those will pursue the recovery in optimal conditions of a
subject as well as the possibility of a therapist to serve more subjects
in the same time. The orthosis can be used in clinical conditions but as
well at home. It will record the conditions and the manner in which the
recovery exercise has been made, so that the therapist can realize the
evolution of the corresponding subject's treatment.
First we established the technique as physical therapy recovery. It
will apply to a subject in seated position, which makes recovery of a
leg that needs rehabilitation, while the other foot operating properly.
Recovery will be in training by copying the movements of the healthy
leg.
[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]
The main contribution which this project can bring to robotics and
recovery orthotics, taking in account the experience of the team members
are: identifying new methods for neuromotory recovery; adopting new
approaches in the biomechanics of the locomotory system; designing,
making and implementation of a intelligent orthosis for jointing
problems recovery; evaluating from the user's point of view, the
efficiency of the recovery method recommended by the therapist. The
system's proposed structure represents a new approach in the
afferent area of the subject. (Barbu et al., 2007)
3. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK
The project's theme lies between the tendency and European and
World priorities of development of some informatics' systems of
assistance of handicapped people or for the drawback people. The
complexity of this, the fact that involves specialists from many domains
(engineering, medicine, sports), make that this could be seen like a
fundamental theme of research.
4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This paper is supported by the Exploratory Research Programme
(PCE), financed by the Romanian Ministry of Education, Research and
Innovation--the National Council for Scientific Research in Higher
Education, under the contract number ID_147/2007-2010, named
"Contributions to Analysis, Modeling and Simulation of the Modern
Mechatronical Systems Used for Medical Rehabilitation".
5. REFERENCES
Barbu, D. et al. (2007). Contributions to Analysis, Modeling and
Simulation of the Modern Mechatronical Systems Used for Medical
Rehabilitation. CNCSIS Project ID_147
Cooper, A.R. & Ohnabe, H. & Hobson, A.D (2007). An
Introduction to Rehabilitation Engineering, Taylor and Francis Ed., ISBN 0-8493-7222-4
Hoffman, S. J. (2008). Introduction to Kinesiology. Studying
Phisical Activity (3 ed.). Human Kinetics. ISBN 0736076131
Smith, V.R. & Leslie, H.J. (2000). Rehabilitation Engineering.
CRC Press, ISBN 0-8493-7222-4
*** http://en.wikipedia.org/, Accesed on: 2009-09-09
