A SIX-MONTH EFFORT IS PROPOSED TO DEVELOP A THREE-CHANNEL COMPUTER PROTOBOARD SYSTEM FOR HAND-CONTROL IN QUADRIPLEGIC (SPINAL CORD-INJURED) SUBJECTS.

A SIX-MONTH EFFORT IS PROPOSED TO DEVELOP A THREE-CHANNEL COMPUTER PROTOBOARD SYSTEM FOR HAND-CONTROL IN QUADRIPLEGIC (SPINAL CORD-INJURED) SUBJECTS. THIS PHASE I PROJECT WILL RESULT IN FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION PROTOTYPES. THE LITERATURE IS REVIEWED WITH RESPECT TO RECENT ADVANCES IN CLOSED-LOOP FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND MOVEMENT OF PARALYZED MUSCLES. PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TOWARDS HAND CONTROL. THE RUDIMENTARY HAND CONTROL DEVELOPED AT WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY INDICATES THE FEASIBIL-ITY OF THE APPROACH. COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES ARE IDENTIFIED. THE RELATIONSHIP OF PHASE I PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT TO AN EXPANDED PHASE II STUDY IS OUTLINED. THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN INVOLVES ACCEPTED, STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY AND CONSISTS OF SHOULDER-MYOELECTRIC CONTROL, SURFACE MUSCLE SENSING AND STIMULATION, MODERN ELECTRODE TECHNOLOGY, COMPUTER CONTROL TECHNOLOGY, AND "VISUAL" CLOSED-LOOP CONTROL. THE EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL IS PROPOSED TO SATISFY THE SPECIFIC AIMS AND INCLUDES: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A FIRST GENERATION HAND-CONTROL SYSTEM, FUNCTIONAL TESTING ON TWO NORMAL SUBJECTS, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SECOND GENERATION SYSTEM, FUNCTIONAL TESTING ON NORMAL AND QUADRIPLEGIC PATIENTS, DEVELOPMENT OF THE HAND-CONTROL SOFTWARE, AND DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTING OF RESULTS. THE SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED AS A TYPE ZERO SERVOMECHANISM AND BREADBOARDED ON AN AT&T COMPUTER BOARD (IN FORTH LANGUAGE). SUBJECT TESTING WILL BE EXTREMELY LIMITED (ONLY AS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP THE PROTOTYPE).