Restoring arm function with a soft robotic wearable for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Restoring arm function with a soft robotic wearable for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
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DOI：
10.1126/scitranslmed.add1504
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发表时间：
2023-02-01
影响因子：
17.1
通讯作者：
Walsh, Conor
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Proietti, Tommaso;Neill, Ciaran O. ';Walsh, Conor
尽管在康复领域取得了可喜的成果，但目前仍不清楚上肢机器人可穿戴设备，例如，为患有神经退行性疾病的身体受损的人，可以制成便携式并适合日常使用。我们提出了一个轻量级的，完全便携式的，基于纺织品的，软充气可穿戴机器人的肩部抬高援助，提供动态的主动支持上肢。该技术在无动力时是机械透明的，可以定量评估用户的自由运动，并且每个上肢仅增加150克的重量。在10名患有不同程度神经肌肉损伤的肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）患者中，我们证明了两名ALS患者在6个月以上的主动运动范围和持续身体恶化的补偿立即改善。沿着运动的改善，我们证明了这种机器人可穿戴设备可以在没有任何训练的情况下改善功能活动，恢复日常生活的基本活动。此外，肩部肌肉活动和感知到的肌肉用力减少，加上握持物体的耐力增加，突出了该器械减轻肌肉疲劳对ALS患者影响的潜力。这些结果代表了上肢辅助性、柔软的机器人可穿戴设备的日常使用又向前迈进了一步。
Despite promising results in the rehabilitation field, it remains unclear whether upper limb robotic wearables, e.g., for people with physical impairments resulting from neurodegenerative disease, can be made portable and suitable for everyday use. We present a lightweight, fully portable, textile-based, soft inflatable wearable robot for shoulder elevation assistance that provides dynamic active support to the upper limbs. The technology is mechanically transparent when unpowered, can quantitatively assess free movement of the user, and adds only 150 grams of weight to each upper limb. In 10 individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with different degrees of neuromuscular impairment, we demonstrated immediate improvement in the active range of motion and compensation for continuing physical deterioration in two individuals with ALS over 6 months. Along with improvements in movement, we show that this robotic wearable can improve functional activity without any training, restoring performance of basic activities of daily living. In addition, a reduction in shoulder muscle activity and perceived muscular exertion, coupled with increased endurance for holding objects, highlight the potential of this device to mitigate the impact of muscular fatigue for patients with ALS. These results rep-resent a further step toward everyday use of assistive, soft, robotic wearables for the upper limbs.