Wu Lin, Wang Chao, Liu Jiawei, Zou Benjian, Chakrabarty Samit, Bao Tianzhe, Xie Sheng Quan
Institute of Robotics, Autonomous System and Sensing, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Wuhan Institute of Healthcare Tech Industry, Wuhan 430205, China.
Sensors (Basel). 2024 Dec 30;25(1):153. doi: 10.3390/s25010153.
Knee joint disorders pose a significant and growing challenge to global healthcare systems. Recent advancements in robotics, sensing technologies, and artificial intelligence have driven the development of robot-assisted therapies, reducing the physical burden on therapists and improving rehabilitation outcomes. This study presents a novel knee exoskeleton designed for safe and adaptive rehabilitation, specifically targeting bed-bound stroke patients to enable early intervention. The exoskeleton comprises a leg splint, thigh splint, and an actuator, incorporating a series elastic actuator (SEA) to enhance torque density and provide intrinsic compliance. A variable impedance control method was also implemented to achieve accurate position tracking of the exoskeleton, and performance tests were conducted with and without human participants. A preliminary clinical study involving two stroke patients demonstrated the exoskeleton's potential in reducing muscle spasticity, particularly at faster movement velocities. The key contributions of this study include the design of a compact SEA with improved torque density, the development of a knee exoskeleton equipped with a cascaded position controller, and a clinical test validating its effectiveness in alleviating spasticity in stroke patients. This study represents a significant step forward in the application of SEA for robot-assisted rehabilitation, offering a promising approach to the treatment of knee joint disorders.
膝关节疾病给全球医疗保健系统带来了重大且日益严峻的挑战。机器人技术、传感技术和人工智能的最新进展推动了机器人辅助治疗的发展，减轻了治疗师的身体负担并改善了康复效果。本研究提出了一种专为安全和适应性康复设计的新型膝关节外骨骼，特别针对卧床不起的中风患者以实现早期干预。该外骨骼包括腿部夹板、大腿夹板和一个致动器，采用了串联弹性致动器（SEA）以提高扭矩密度并提供固有柔顺性。还实施了一种可变阻抗控制方法以实现外骨骼的精确位置跟踪，并在有和没有人类参与者的情况下进行了性能测试。一项涉及两名中风患者的初步临床研究证明了该外骨骼在降低肌肉痉挛方面的潜力，尤其是在较快运动速度下。本研究的关键贡献包括设计了一种具有更高扭矩密度的紧凑型SEA、开发了配备级联位置控制器的膝关节外骨骼，以及一项验证其在减轻中风患者痉挛方面有效性的临床试验。这项研究代表了SEA在机器人辅助康复应用方面向前迈出的重要一步，为膝关节疾病的治疗提供了一种有前景的方法。
