Physical Rehabilitation System Research Articles

Mechanical design of an upper limb robotic rehabilitation system

Physical diseases have become an alarming social problem worldwide. Several conditions related to limb mobility are more frequent due to a high level of demand in the repetitive execution of activities. Assistive technologies have been proposed to improve the experience of physical rehabilitation. This paper presents a framework with the mechanical design criteria for an upper limb assistive robotic system. We define the design specifications and construction characteristics of an assistive system. As a result, a 7-degree-of-freedom system for upper limb physical rehabilitation is designed with a novel characteristic of arm-switching configuration for the treatment of both arms.

Natural Language-Driven Dialogue Systems for Support in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

This paper presents a natural language-driven dialogue system designed to support healthcare professionals and students in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. The system seamlessly integrates concepts from intelligent information systems, data mining, ontologies, and human-computer interaction, employing at its core a rule-based dialogue mechanism. The system harnesses the power of ontology-based graph knowledge, underscoring its domain-specific efficacy. This article delves into the automated knowledge base formation, utilising Python scripts to translate EBSCO’s dataset of articles on physical medicine and rehabilitation into an OWL ontology. This methodology ensures adaptability to the ever-evolving landscape of medical insights. The system’s approach to natural language processing encompasses text preprocessing, semantic category discernment, andSPARQL query creation, providing 26 predefined categories. As an innovation in performance optimisation, the system integrates a strategy to cache precomputed responses using a PostgreSQL database, which aids in resource conservation and reduction in query execution latency. The system’s user engagement avenues are further detailed, showcasing a Telegram bot and an API, enhancing accessibility and user experience. In essence, this article illuminates an advanced, efficient dialogue system for physical medicine and rehabilitation, synthesising multiple computational paradigms, and standing as a beacon for healthcare practitioners and students alike.

Exploring the applicability of haptic actuators in aquatic environments

The use of high-tech wearable devices and real-time biomechanical feedback (RTBF) is widespread in modern sports and physical rehabilitation. While the use of kinematic sensors for RTBF is well established, the question of the most efficient and appropriate way to present feedback information to the user remains largely unanswered. The haptic modality has only been used in a limited number of relatively simple studies and applications, and it has never been studied in an aquatic environment. In this study, the main motivation was to design, develop, implement, and test an RTBF system for sports and physical rehabilitation with haptic actuators suitable for use in aquatic environments. The developed miniature remote-controlled device with vibration motors as actuators was tested to determine how people perceive the haptic modality in and out of water. The results of the exploratory study with 34 participants suggest that the feedback device can be further developed for future studies. The results show that both simple and complex haptic stimuli can be understood by athletes both outdoors and in water, as well as while standing and performing simple physical activities. This study tested the use of both head and waist mounted haptic actuators, with both showing similar and promising results. The results of this study provide evidence that haptic feedback can be perceived in water, highlighting the potential for real-time haptic interventions in aquatic environments. In summary, this study represents a significant contribution to the evolving field of RTBF in modern sport training and physical rehabilitation. The development of a haptic feedback device that can be worn during aquatic and other activities is a significant advance in the field of feedback actuators. This study provides a foundation for future usability studies and the development of haptic RTBF applications in both aquatic and outdoor environments.

Retracted: Computational Technologies in Internet of Things and Big Data Technology for Physical Exercise Rehabilitation System

Retracted: Computational Technologies in Internet of Things and Big Data Technology for Physical Exercise Rehabilitation System

Changes in Muscle Quality after Physical Rehabilitation Reduce Blood Pressure in Weightlifters with Arterial Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial

Hypertension is a frequent diagnosis in power athletes. Aim. To assess the effect of increased muscle oxidative capacity on blood pressure in athletes with arterial hypertension from power sports, heavy weight categories. Material and methods. The study was conducted at the Department of Sports Medicine of the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism and lasted 180 days. The study involved 65 representatives of strength sports (weightlifting), heavy weight categories with arterial hypertension. Athletes were randomized into two main groups: the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training, n=23) group, the MICE (Moderate Intensity Continuous Exercise, n=22) group and the RT (Resistance Training, n=20) control group. The following methods were used to achieve the aim of the study: ergospirometry, muscle tissue oxygenation level measurement, blood pressure measurement and methods of mathematical statistics. Athletes in the main groups trained for 180 days (3 times per week) on a cycle ergometer using a high-intensity interval and uniform protocol, and participants in the control group trained for 180 days (3 times per week) according to their traditional strength protocol. Results. After 180 days of physical rehabilitation, participants of the main groups had increased oxygen consumption at the anaerobic threshold, decreased thigh muscle oxygenation and increased maximum oxygen consumption, resulting in an average decrease in systolic blood pressure of 11.1 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 11.2 mm Hg in the intervention groups. Conclusion. The physical rehabilitation systems we have developed for power athletes allow us to effectively and safely influence the oxidative capacity of working muscles and blood pressure, but the time spent by athletes on non-specific training activities in the HIIT system is 38% less.

Computational Technologies in Internet of Things and Big Data Technology for Physical Exercise Rehabilitation System

Traditional exercise rehabilitation mode information is closed, it is difficult for users to obtain exercise rehabilitation information, and the exercise rehabilitation data of users are not fully utilized. With the combination of big data technology and the Internet of Things and exercise rehabilitation, we also face the problem of processing massive amounts of data. Whether these data can be used well has become the key to obtaining good business benefits and improving user experience. This paper applies the Internet of Things and big data technology to the physical exercise rehabilitation system to improve sports data processing and combine with the big data processing technology to explore the factors affecting exercise rehabilitation to improve the effectiveness of physical exercise rehabilitation. Moreover, this paper proposes a posture recognition algorithm based on human vision and defines the human posture described by the feature, which improves the classifier’s ability to classify different posture data. Finally, this paper carries out experimental analysis to verify the effect of the method proposed. The research results show that the method constructed in this paper has a good physical exercise rehabilitation effect.

A comparative analysis of pose estimation models as enablers for a smart-mirror physical rehabilitation system

Smart mirrors are gaining attention as a smart device that could integrate a set of functionalities intended to assist older adults in their day-to-day life. These devices are seamlessly integrated in the environment, providing a user-friendly interface and naturally fitting into the daily-care routines. People face a mirror several times a day, thus ensuring that any application running on a smart mirror will have several guaranteed interactions per day. It is therefore essential to detect when the user is in front of the mirror and also to interpret what he or she is doing. Very powerful and accurate libraries are currently available, but the limited computational resources and the need to work in real time limit the valid options for smart mirror devices. This paper therefore analyses and evaluates several body pose estimation models in order to determine which one can be deployed in a smart mirror-like device dedicated to supporting older adults in their physical rehabilitation routines.

Розробка комплексів фізичної реабілітації та оцінка їх ефективності в постменопаузальних жінок з остеопорозом залежно від віку та кількості вертебральних переломів

Актуальність. Малорухливий спосіб життя, що характерний для більшості людей незалежно від віку, призводить до розвитку багатьох захворювань, зокрема до патології опорно-рухового апарату, передчасного старіння й смерті. Згідно з європейськими та американськими рекомендаціями, оптимальне лікування остеопорозу передбачає поєднання медикаментозних та немедикаментозних методів лікування, серед останніх важливу роль відводять і фізичній реабілітації. На сьогодні в літературних джерелах наведені численні комплекси лікувальної гімнастики, які розроблені для осіб з остеопорозом, у тому числі і для постменопаузальних жінок. Проте ці комплекси були розроблені для хворих із системним остеопорозом загалом й не були адаптовані для пацієнтів із вертебральними переломами зокрема. Мета — розробка комплексів фізичної реабілітації для жінок старших вікових груп із системним остеопорозом та вертебральними переломами в підгострому періоді та оцінка їх ефективності залежно від віку хворих та кількості вертебральних переломів. Матеріали та методи. Проведені аналіз й узагальнення даних літературних джерел для розробки програм фізичної реабілітації. Для оцінки ефективності розроблених нами комплексів фізичної реабілітації в Українському науково-медичному центрі проблем остеопорозу нами обстежені 53 постменопаузальні жінки віком 50–84 роки, які були розподілені на дві групи залежно від віку: І група — пацієнтки віком 50–69 років, ІІ група — 70–84 роки. Для аналізу використовували статичні й динамічні види функціонального тестування (ФТ). Обстежені жінки займалися розробленим комплексом фізичної реабілітації два тижні, щоденно — протягом 30 хвилин. Результати. При аналізі показників ФТ у жінок у двох вікових групах після закінчення занять із використанням розробленого комплексу фізичної реабілітації виявлено вірогідне покращання більшості показників динамічних і статичних видів ФТ. При аналізі показників ФТ у постменопаузальних жінок залежно від кількості вертебральних переломів (ВП) вірогідних відмінностей вищезазначених параметрів комплексного лікування з включенням нових комплексів лікувальної гімнастики і при його завершенні не виявлено. Нами підтверджено вірогідне покращання показників ФТ у хворих незалежно від кількості ВП. При аналізі показників ФТ залежно від кількості ВП (один або два і більше) вірогідних відмінностей у хворих із системним остеопорозом до і після комплексного лікування з включенням нових розроблених комплексів лікувальної гімнастики нами не виявлено. Висновки. Розроблені програми фізичної реабілітації покращують показники функціонального стану організму незалежно від віку, кількості ВП і є безпечними, що підтверджується стабільністю оцінки основних гемодинамічних показників у жінок із системним остеопорозом та ВП, що дозволяє рекомендувати їх до застосування в лікувально-профілактичних закладах.

Kinect-based Physical Rehabilitation System for Home Use

Kinect-based Physical Rehabilitation System for Home Use

Towards a physical rehabilitation system using a telemedicine approach

ABSTRACT Advances in informatics technologies have enabled new ways of attention in a health-care system. This kind of approach is commonly referred as a telemedicine. In this context, this work proposes an environment that facilitates the execution of a specific protocol of physical rehabilitation on a patient by a health care specialist through tele-operating technical aids. For this purpose, a service-oriented architecture was designed and implemented. In addition, considering the dynamics of the system oriented to occurrence of discrete events, formal modelling tool known as Coloured Petri Nets were used for validation and verification. Finally, numerous rehabilitation protocols were tested without presenting alterations with respect to the technical model.

Winning compensations: Adaptable gaming approach for upper limb rehabilitation sessions based on compensatory movements.

Recent research has been using automatic difficulty adjustment techniques as an effective channel to improve the quality of physical rehabilitation. Notably, these approaches often incorporate adaptation metrics such as emotions and performance. Nonetheless, compensatory movements, which hinder movement correctness and are considered as a core quality evaluation criterion of rehabilitation, have not been considered as an adaptation metric. Weighting how visual feedback interfaces increase patient engagement, we leverage an interactive system with a compensatory movements-based difficulty adjustment framework to enhance the upper-limb physical rehabilitation process. We conducted user tests with professionals (N=15), which included observation sessions, co-design workshops, semi-structured interviews, and usability testing, to evaluate our prototype. Results showed that our interactive system achieved scores of perceived usability between 74 and 78.17, along with participants praising both the dynamic and manual customization of difficulty parameters. Our findings empower physical therapists and health professionals by reducing their burden on physical rehabilitation monitorization.

Sistema de rehabilitación física con 2 CH, basado en electroterapia con software de seguimiento y control de paciente

The Physiotherapist uses special equipment for electrotherapy, based on the generation and management of interferential currents, voltage and frequencies (sine waves, sawtooth and square), applying energy from the electromagnetic spectrum to the human organism, generating on the tissues, desired biological responses and therapeutic. In the present article, a viable reengineering proposal was developed for teams dedicated to the application of electrotherapy as a means of physical rehabilitation, based on the analysis, emphasizing the improvements to be implemented, to give timely follow-up to the patient and fundamental support to the physiotherapist. The design was contemplated and integrated a system for physical rehabilitation (2 CH), based on electrotherapy and thermotherapy, with software for control and punctual patient follow-up, creating a folder of clinical history since the patient arrives, plotting the progress or setbacks for the generation of reports, allowing the software to suggest changes or continuation with the treatments always with the corresponding medical authorization. The existing professional teams for this area are very expensive, the most complete incorporate an interface in the instrument, but there is no software that relates the patient to the medical part, they do not provide patient follow-up, much less suggest a specific treatment based on the history.

Distinct Feature Extraction for Video-Based Gait Phase Classification

Recent advances in image acquisition and analysis have resulted in disruptive innovation in physical rehabilitation systems facilitating cost-effective, portable, video-based gait assessment. While these inexpensive motion capture systems, suitable for home rehabilitation, do not generally provide accurate kinematics measurements on their own, image processing algorithms ensure gait analysis that is accurate enough for rehabilitation programs. This paper proposes high-accuracy classification of gait phases and muscle actions, using readings from low-cost motion capture systems. First, 12 gait parameters, drawn from the medical literature, are defined to characterize gait patterns. These proposed parameters are then used as input to our proposed multi-channel time-series classification and gait phase reconstruction methods. Proposed methods fully utilize temporal information of gait parameters, thus improving the final classification accuracy. The validation, conducted using 126 experiments, with 6 healthy volunteers and 9 stroke survivors with manually-labelled gait phases, achieves state-of-art classification accuracy of gait phase with lower computational complexity compared to previous solutions.1

Segmentation of Exercise Repetitions Enabling Real-Time Patient Analysis and Feedback Using a Single Exemplar.

We present a segmentation algorithm capable of segmenting exercise repetitions in real time. This approach uses subsequence dynamic time warping and requires only a single exemplar repetition of an exercise to correctly segment repetitions from other subjects, including those with limited mobility. This approach is invariant to low range of motion, instability in movements, and sensor noise while remaining selective to different exercises. This algorithm enables responsive feedback for technology-assisted physical rehabilitation systems. We evaluated the algorithm against a publicly available dataset (CMU) and against a healthy population and stroke patient population performing rehabilitation exercises captured on a consumer-level depth sensor. We show that the algorithm can consistently achieve correct segmentation in real time.

Development of an information system for teleoperated physical rehab care service via Internet. Pilot case: patients with mild knee injury who live in geographically vulnerable zones

En los últimos años, se han implementado nuevas tecnologías para el tratamiento y la rehabilitación de enfermedades, como la medicina a distancia, conocida como telemedicina. Con la participación de un grupo interdisciplinario de investigadores de la Universidad del Valle y profesionales de la salud, se estableció un proyecto piloto para probar un sistema de atención teleoperado con un prototipo diseñado para la rehabilitación de pacientes con lesión leve de rodilla, en la red de salud pública ESE Ladera en Cali, Colombia, para proporcionar servicios de rehabilitación física desde el centro de salud urbano a pacientes que viven en áreas rurales de Cali. Con el fin de evaluar de manera integral el funcionamiento de este sistema de rehabilitación física teleoperado, se diseñó un sistema de información (SI) que incluye un conjunto de indicadores que evalúa el sistema de atención de la salud desde un punto de vista mecánico, económico, clínico y social.

Framework for the agile development of innovative Product-Service-Systems for existing physical rehabilitation systems

Smart Health means innovation of the health sector through digitization. This leads to many possibilities regarding to an effective home-based, self-managed physical rehabilitation. With an innovative Product-Service-System (PSS), patients will have a better access, availability, and affordability of physical rehabilitation. In this contribution we present generic approaches of upgrading existent systems from a technological perspective. Furthermore, we introduce a framework for the agile development of innovative PSS, which could be adapted to other fields. The initial situation is an existing PSS for physical rehabilitation. The framework covers four phases. The planning phase consists of methods from the value based idea creation to Systems Engineering (SE) approaches, which focus on the conception of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The second phase describes a fast prototyping of the previously defined MVP, which addresses the PSS concept and the business model. Based on that, the next phase consists of the validation of the developed prototype and business model by real customers. The result is analyzed in the fourth stage. The learnings are interpreted regarding to the real market demand for the developed PSS. The developed PSS will be improved or completely changed through multiple iterations.

Collaborative Computer-Assisted Cognitive Rehabilitation System

Recently have been proposed different physical and cognitive rehabilitation system that allow people with some disabilities to improve and recover some lost capabilities. All these systems allow to carry out these therapies at home proving patients the possibility to accomplish a better rehabilitation, due to the fact that they can practice at home and in a more controlled environment. But, it is not so common that these systems include some social features that reduce the feeling of social isolation of the patients. Thus, in this paper we present an adaptation of a previous proposal including some multiuser therapies that try include some social features and other aspect related to videogames that increases the motivation and makes the treatment funny.

Developing and evaluating effectiveness of 3D game-based rehabilitation system for Total Knee Replacement Rehabilitation patients

With the development and popularization of virtual reality and motion capture technology, physical therapists have had a new option to improve patient rehabilitation effectiveness. However, there were few studies in the past focusing on total knee replacement (TKR) rehabilitation solutions and many restrictions on the assistance devices. This paper aims to explore how users' motivation and perception of system usability affect rehabilitation performance in a 3D game-based rehabilitation environment. Further, we examine the feasibility of applying Kinect-based method in rehabilitation activities to improve performance. A system called the Physical Rehabilitation System (PRS) was developed and deployed in a one-week TKR rehabilitation process. 27 TKR rehabilitants were divided into a control group (Nź=ź11), and an experimental group, which was rehabilitated with a PRS (Nź=ź16), and had, also, to fill out a questionnaire. The group with higher performances generally had stronger motivation and a better evaluation on a PRS (pź<ź.05). The experimental group showed greater improvement with an average knee-bending angle of 109.38. This study shows that motivation influences the effectiveness of rehabilitation, and that PRS acceptance by rehabilitants was indeed able to strengthen their motivation and improve their rehabilitation outcomes.

Distance Physical Rehabilitation System Framework with Multi-Kinect Motion Captured Data

Visiting physical therapists to the clinics for physical rehabilitation in regular basis is a very long and timeconsuming trip where the final result for success is truly hard to see in daily training. That’s why technological development in traditional physical rehabilitation system is both important, interesting and its effects on patients’ time-management process is huge. In this paper we have proposed a framework for distance physical rehabilitation system using motion captured data from multiple Kinects which can interact directly with the patients, even grasp and track their movements so as to send those data back to the doctors in clinics using Windows Azure. Its goal is to coach patients through their physical therapy exercises and make those exercises a more enjoyable experience and bring physical therapy alive for them at their homes, the same way doctors interact with them in clinics. General Terms Motion Captured Data, Movement Recognition.

Grip Pressure and Wrist Joint Angle Measurement during Activities of Daily Life

The goal of this study is to improve future physical human-robot interaction and rehabilitation systems. Experiments were conducted to collect dominant hand grip pressure and joint-angle data during activities of daily life. Representative actions chosen as part of this study were: pushing a weighted cylinder along a flat surface, pulling a weighted cylinder across a flat surface, and lifting a weighted cylinder from a flat surface to shoulder height. Three separate weighted cylinders were used, 3lbs., 5lbs., and 10lbs., and the representative motions were repeated five times for each cylinder. A Tekscan Grip VersaTek Pressure Measurement System and Motion Analysis Cortex System were utilized to collect data. Each subject was outfitted with 18 separate sensorized piezo-resistive tiles placed on their dominant hand and 33 reflective markers at representative locations on their body. The motion of each cylinder was tracked via the placement of seven retro-reflective markers on the cylinder's surface. Analysis of cohort data from five male and five female volunteers, aged between 23 and 51 years, is presented. A Moving Average Filter was implemented to automatically determine contact between the subject's hand and the weighted cylinder. Once contact was determined during an action cycle, maximum detected pressure from each of 18 sensing areas was found. Results report wrist angle during the action- cycle as well as maximum applied pressure during each action across the cohort. Average wrist angle per action-cycle, by action, is also reported for the cohort. These data, along with results from a previous study, will be used improve and verify human intent models for use in future pHRI and rehabilitation systems.