Monitoring Metabolic Energy Expenditure Via the Prosthetics of Lower Extremity Amputees

Limb loss affects approximately 1.9 million people in the United States. It is well established that lower-limb amputees show greater metabolic demands during gait and more limited mobility compared to non-disabled individuals. Currently, there is no lower-extremity prosthesis available that can monitor the metabolic costs of the amputee. The proposed solution, code-named TEQUILA (Total Energy expenditure QUantification In Lower limb Amputees), will provide an accurate, low-profile, and convenient metabolic energy expenditure (EE) and physical activity (PA) intensity level monitor that is compatible with both transtibial and transfemoral prostheses. The TEQUILA system will also provide real-time user feedback via a wireless handheld touchscreen device; analytic software will provide more extensive details regarding EE and PA intensity levels obtained via long-term monitoring. Such feedback will be helpful to the user, for example, to establish daily activity goals and progress towards meeting them during and following rehabilitation, as well as provide a means of metabolic and kinematic data sharing with healthcare personnel (e.g., for use in assessing both physical and mental health). Furthermore, unlike traditional activity monitors that must be separately donned, the TEQUILA system will always be with the amputee, collecting EE and PA intensity level data whenever the prosthesis is worn.