A Novel 8-Channel Functional Electrical Stimulation Gait Training System

• Main Authors: Wei-chia Ho, 何偉嘉
• Other Authors: Kuen-Horng Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/38890762521175638963

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 系統工程研究所碩士班 === 97 === Gait training is one of most important stages in the process of physiotherapy, in which repeated motion is employed as a way of training in the hope of reactivating patients’ mobility. A number of training methods, including traditional gait training, treadmill, robot-based rehabilitation gait training, have proven significantly effective. Nevertheless, the fact that patients rely excessively on the “passive” training offered by therapists or machines may lead to a result that fails to meet expectation. This study, therefore, employs Functional electrical stimulation, FES, to the gait rehabilitation robot by using an angle detecting encoder to sense angle change during the process of walk. This feedback signal is sent to a microcontroller unit, MCU, for further assessment. An electrical stimulation then follows to stimulate patient’s muscle and activate its movement, which aims to enhance the therapy effect that is mostly low among reluctant patients by this “active” training method. Through the actual trial, the gait trajectories may, with the assistance of motor-driven angle control, more closely match those presented by Jacquelin Perry MD, and can mimic the walking pattern of an ordinary people. The design of this 8-channel functional electrical stimulator features 200Hz output frequency, 100-300 µs pulse width, and 0-200 mA current, working together to make it a perfect device that is quite close to a gait rehabilitation robot. Moreover, there is the active dynamic training effect in the process of concentric contraction. With the help of FES, muscle atrophy can be effectively slowed down, and functional physical motion becomes more. This study focuses on the integration of an exoskeleton gait rehabilitation robot and FES implementation in the hope that patients can receive active gait training, and achieve a better result.