I-Corps: A tool for increased accuracy in analysis of patient outcomes during neuromuscular rehabilitation

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发适应性物理疗法和运动设备，可用于不同身体能力的个人。有行动障碍的个体，如神经肌肉疾病、脊髓损伤和中风，在进行急需的物理治疗和定期锻炼的能力方面存在很大差距。一旦拟议的技术得到验证并在家中可用，它将大大增加获得护理的机会。高频率的物理治疗访问所需的个人身体残疾往往影响他们的生活质量。一种可以在家里甚至在旅途中进行临床准确康复的设备，将通过限制去诊所的次数，提高独立性和生活质量。此外，该技术可作为神经肌肉疾病新药治疗临床试验的研究工具。提高患者结果的准确性和解决方案将使开发新的更有效的治疗方法变得更容易。该设备将作为二级商业应用销售给制药公司。这个I-Corps项目是基于仿生和患者特定人机界面的开发，这将增加设备在长时间使用期间的舒适性。这可能会增加患者的依从性，并导致更好的数据收集和康复期间潜在的更好的患者结果。此外，该设备的精确对准不需要训练有素的专业人员，使该设备可以在诊所或家中使用。这将使需要频繁参加物理治疗会议的患者的灵活性显著增加。最后，该设备由机载电机和电池供电，以减轻重量，进一步提高患者的舒适度。初步的研究和测试已经成功地在患有脊髓性肌萎缩症的最终用户中进行。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of adaptive physical therapy and exercise equipment that may be used by individuals with varying ranges of physical abilities. There is a large gap in the ability of individuals with mobility impairments, such as neuromuscular disorders, spinal cord injuries, and strokes, to conduct much needed physical therapy and exercise on a regular basis. Once the proposed technology is validated and usable at home, it will significantly increase access to care. The high frequency physical therapy visits required for individuals with physical disabilities often impacts their quality of life. A device that can perform clinically accurate rehabilitation at home or even on the go will enable an increased level of independence and quality of life by limiting the number of visits to the clinic. Additionally, the proposed technology may be used as a research tool during clinical trials of new pharmaceutical therapies for neuromuscular diseases. An increase in patient outcome accuracy and resolution would make it easier to develop new and more effective therapies. The device will be marketed to pharmaceutical companies as a secondary commercial application.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a biomimetic and patient-specific human-machine interface that will increase the comfort of the device during extended use. This will likely increase patient compliance and lead to better data collection and potentially better patient outcomes during rehabilitation. Additionally, accurate alignment of the device will not require a trained professional, enabling the device to be used in a clinic or at home. This will allow for a significant increase in flexibility for patients who need to attend frequent physical therapy sessions. Finally, the device is powered by off-board motors and batteries to reduce weight and further increase the patient's comfort. Preliminary research and testing have been successfully conducted with end users with spinal muscular atrophy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.