MONITORING OF LIMB POSITION

FUNCTIONAL NEUROMUSCULAR STIMULATION IS A NEW AND POTENTIALLY VIABLE METHOD OF ASSISTING PARAPLEGIC PATIENTS IN LEADING PRODUCTIVE LIVES. WITH THIS TECHNIQUE, ELECTRICAL STIMULATING ELECTRODES ARE PLACED OVER THE PERIPHERAL NERVES THAT INNERVATE SPECIFIC MUSCLE GROUPS IN THE LOWER LIMBS. WHEN THE NERVES ARE STIMULATED IN PROPER SEQUENCE, IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED THAT PATIENTS CAN EXHIBIT WALKING MOTIONS. IN REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS, MOVEMENT REQUIRES THAT THE WALKING MOTION ADAPT TO CHANGES EXTERNALLY IN THE LOAD OR INTERNALLY IN THE MUSCLE FORCE, NECESSITATING A REAL-TIME FEEDBACK OF POSITION INFORMATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DESIGN A LOW-COST, ACCURATE TRANSDUCER MECHANISM FOR SENSING OF LOWER LIMB POSITION, NOT ONLY AT THE KNEE BUT ALSO AT THE OTHER CRITICAL AREAS SUCH AS THE HIP, ANKLE AND FOOT, HENCE POSSIBLY ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR ANKLE BRACES. A MECHANICAL MODEL OF LIMB MOVEMENT HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED TO HELP IN THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POSITION SENSING SYSTEM, AND THREE STRATEGIES WILL BE TESTED TO DETERMINE WHICH MOST ADEQUATELY MONITORS LIMB MOVEMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY AT SEVERAL POINTS ON THE BODY SURFACE. A GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO MOUNT SENSORS FOR LIMB POSITION IN A COSMETICALLY-PLEASING MANNER, SUCH THAT THEY WILL NOT BE VISIBLE TO A CASUAL OBSERVER. THE DEVICE WILL OUTPUT POSITION (OR JOINT ANGLE), VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION INFORMATION TO BE UTILIZED BY THE FUNCTIONAL NEUROMUSCULAR STIMULATION HARDWARE FOR REAL-TIME ADAPTATION OF MOVEMENT TO CHANGES IN EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CONDITIONS.