Marian Poboroniuc

Towards human arm rehabilitation in stroke patients by means of a hybrid FES&robotic glove

This paper is about the laboratory test of a hand exoskeleton for the rehabilitation of the patients that suffered a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Recent studies have shown that intensive and repetitive training may be necessary to modify neural organization and recover the functional motor skills. The main aim is to develop a mechatronic architecture whose design covers as much as possible the anatomic and functional finger phalanges, providing support for the actuation and artificial sensorial system.

Intelligent Haptic Robotic Glove for patients diagnosed with cerebrovascular accidents

This paper is based on a research project regarding the design and development of an Intelligent Haptic Robot-Glove (IHRG) for the rehabilitation of the patients that have a diagnosis of a cerebrovascular accident. The IHRG is an exoskeleton that supports the human hand and hand activities by using a control architecture for dexterous grasping and manipulation. This IHRG is a medical device that acts in parallel to a hand in order to compensate some lost function. A novel approach for the development of an exoskeleton assistive hand is considered, a “mechatronic approach” for the integration of the mechanical structure, the sensory, the actuation system and the virtual and control system.

Designing Functional Clothes for Persons with Locomotor Disabilities

Abstract The life quality improvement issue is a problem of national and international interest. This acquires total different values when it is to refer to a series of disadvantaged categories, that is the persons with locomotor disabilities. It is an inevitable social responsibility to create equal opportunities for disabled people, to prevent any intentional or unintentional discrimination that they face and apply positive discrimination if necessary to improve their living standards and to let them have an equal share from social development as productive individuals of society. A disability is any kind of restriction or inability to accomplish a certain activity, which belongs to the interval considered as “normal” for a human being. Disabilities are characterized by deficiencies or excesses in the activity or behaviour that is normally expected from a person; they can be temporary or permanent, reversible or irreversible, progressive or regressive. The physical disabilities that require the use of wheelchairs imply the manufacturing of special clothing products that meet certain needs at a functional and/or therapeutic level. The study presents the main aspects involved in designing and developing textile products for this category of users. Therefore, the apparel that is specially designed for persons with disabilities has to: allow more freedom and independence when is being worn, correspond to the aesthetic point of view, offer psychological benefits and help to socially integrate the individual who wears it. In addition, clothes should not hinder the individual’s mobility and must allow the use of the chest and of the superior limbs to the maximum, they must be durable, have a low level of electrostatic charge, be absorbent and comfortable, present the so-called “rehabilitation functions”, and last but not least, be beneficial for the wearer both from a physical and psychological point of view.

Exoskeleton Design of an Intelligent Haptic Robotic Glove

This paper is based on the results of a research project regarding the design and development of an Intelligent Haptic Robot-Glove (IHRG) for the rehabilitation of the patients that have a diagnosis of a cerebrovascular accident. The IHRG is an exoskeleton that supports the human hand and hand activities by using a control architecture for dexterous grasping and manipulation. The five-fingered assistive robotic glove is designed with mechanical compliance of human finger. The biomechanical elements of the exoskeleton assistive hand are designed considering: motion in different planes, adapted to patients hand, possible to train pinch and grasp, opening/closing game. The actuation system is also studied and designed. The paper provides an overview of hand rehabilitation and evaluation techniques.

Improved method to perform FES&BCI based rehabilitation

Both, functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems and brain-computer interfaces (BCI) based rehabilitation are earning year by year more involvement within rehabilitation field. This paper presents the coupling of a motor imagery based BCI system with a multichannel neurostimulator in order to control each of the hands opening and lower limb knees extension in paralyzed people. The specialty of the proposed method is related to an extension of the common spatial patterns method, called “one versus the others” in order to discriminate between three motor imagery classes. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been proven during the laboratory tests.

The Manufacturing of Textile Products with Incorporated Electrodes

Abstract One of the main causes of disabling deficits is neurological affections. Many times, the evolution of the condition leads to a diminution of the patient’s life quality. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is part of the neurological rehabilitation process that comprises all the actions one can take in order to increase a patient’s integration and autonomy degree from a social and financial point of view. FES is a method based on substituting the commands that are usually transmitted by the nervous system with an electric impulse. The use of such a method on different body areas required the development of some adequate devices, starting with the stimulator itself and finishing with the way in which the stimulus is conveyed to the effectors. Textile materials that incorporate sensors and, mainly, the clothing products that have such components in their structure, have a high applicability potential; they can be used for preventing illnesses and for the rehabilitation of seniors, of people who are confined to bed, sportsmen, people who suffer from long-term illnesses, disabled people, thus diminishing the time one spends in the hospital. A possible solution for manufacturing incorporated textile electrodes consists in the insertion of some electro-conductive yarns onto textile surfaces by using a variety of technologies. The project approaches the use of knitting, a widespread textile technology. The incorporated knitted electrodes were accomplished by applying the knitting technology on single circular small diameter machines. Thus, we were able to obtain a variety of knitted articles as two-dimensional or three-dimensional tubular knitted fabric. Their dimensions, structures, and parameters correspond to the typo-dimensions of the human body and to the purpose for which the clothing product was designed. The knitted versions were tested by using a Microstim2v2 (PW = 300 μs, 40 Hz) neurostimulator for which the current intensity was adjusted to approx. 30 mA.

Preliminary tests on a hybrid upper arm exoskeleton for upper arm rehabilitation for disabled patients

This paper deals with Matlab modeling of the upper limb muscles supposed to be driven by means of FES - Functional Electrical Stimulation. FES, is a relative new method used for the recovery of the neurological patient and can be widely applicable. The FES technology is used successfully in recovery of the handicapped people. Most times the central nervous system is affected. The electrical stimulus replaces a command that previous was generated voluntary. In order to produce a muscle contraction sufficient to achieve a movement we have to apply an electrical stimulus and the necessary condition is that the nerve that will cause the contraction to be intact. Complex movements can be produced by activating the muscle lodges in steps which can replicate movements and activities previously made voluntary. These movements are guided by an electrically operated exoskeleton.

recoveriX: A new BCI-based technology for persons with stroke

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems have been used primarily to provide communication for persons with severe movement disabilities. This paper presents a new system that extends BCI technology to a new patient group: persons diagnosed with stroke. This system, called recoveriX, is designed to detect changes in motor imagery in real-time to help monitor compliance and provide closed-loop feedback during therapy. We describe recoveriX and present initial results from one patient.

Correlations between muscular contraction type and muscle electrical activity

Each activated motor unit produces an electrical signal. By summing the signals produced at the level of each activated motor unit we achieve an electrical signal that can be recorded as electrical waves. In this study we aimed to identify a correlation between different types of muscular contractions and the muscle electrical activity. 23 healthy persons aged between 19 and 52 years participated to this study. By recording the electrical activity of the triceps brachialis muscle during its contraction it has been found that the strongest electrical activity of the muscle was produced during isometric contractions, followed by eccentric contraction, contraction with weight in the hand, contraction against gravity and contraction without gravity. In other words, as the muscle load is higher the muscle electrical activity is more intense.

A survey results on existing Electrical and Information Engineering programmes oriented to key global technical challenge areas

Over the last 20 years the European Association for Education in Electrical and Information Engineering (EAEEIE) has proven itself to be a strong organization aiming to support Electrical and Information Engineering (EIE) education across Europe. EAEEIE members participated in several EU projects (i.e. ELLEIEC, THEIERE) with recognized contribution to EIE education process. Its new Strategic Alignment of Electrical and Information Engineering in European Higher Education Institutions (SALEIE) EU supported project aims to provide higher education models in the EIE disciplines that can respond to the key global technical challenges. This paper deals with the last results within the SALEIE project work package WP3 (Global Challenges). After defining the global challenges that the EIE graduates may face, a survey has been conducted to identify existing models in EIE higher education and their degree of response to key global technical challenges.