NSF Convergence Accelerator: Track H: Restoring Arm Function with Connected Assistance and Rehabilitation Systems

NSF 融合加速器：轨道 H：通过连接的辅助和康复系统恢复手臂功能

• 批准号: 2236157
• 负责人: Conor Walsh
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-12-15 至 2023-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2236157&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Convergence; Accelerator; Track; Restoring

This project, Convergence Accelerator Track H: Restoring Arm Function After Stroke (RAFAS) will develop and translate a cloud-connected, soft, wearable rehabilitation and assistance platform to restore arm function and independence for stroke survivors, veterans, and others with upper limb disability. At the heart of the development process are stroke survivors, caregivers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, neurologists, and clinicians. The vision of restoring arm function after stroke through new wearable technology is well beyond the scope of a single-investigator proposal. These communities are engaged via focus groups, development testing, formal protocols, and clinical feasibility testing to maximize the translation potential of this technology. RAFAS will enable a paradigm shift from the current ‘in clinic’ model of rehabilitation to one of remote physical rehabilitation for persons with upper limb disability. RAFAS’ broadening participation goal is to attract, train and mentor the next generation of rehabilitation and assistive technology innovators focused on use-inspired research while accelerating knowledge integration and communication across traditional boundaries. Primary attention will be placed on students and faculty who identify as racial/ethnic minorities, or are female, veterans or persons with disabilities. RAFAS engages PWDs via a Patient Advisory Board, a research webinar series, and workshops and panels that bring together engineering students with persons with disabilities to discuss challenges and opportunities for technology development. RAFAS supports hackathons, with industry panels focused on bringing assistive technology to market and undergraduate and graduate students via research experiences and mentoring. Finally, outreach events targeted to female high school students and focused on occupational therapy will encourage broader participation in the fields of assistive and rehabilitation technology. The primary Phase I deliverables are: a minimal viable prototype of a wearable, adaptive antigravity support to the upper limb that can be used in the home; estimation and control algorithms using wearable sensors for remote assessment and individualized assistance; a software app enabling independent use by patients and therapists and a gap analysis to determine research and development goals in Phase II to enable eventual translation. Phase II work will entail optimizing the technology based on feedback from stakeholders and at-home pilots in Phase I and running a larger remote telerehabilitation study to generate evidence of improved outcomes and enable integration of remote rehabilitation into the new insurance landscape. RAFAS brings to this effort a combination of skills and expertise spanning: (1) the ability to create lightweight and flexible soft wearable robots that can apply significant assistance without adding restrictions; (2) the understanding of how to extract important clinic metrics from noisy, raw wearable sensor data; (3) the foundational knowledge of rehabilitation science and the most effective arm movements to encourage and support occupational therapy/physical therapy; and (4) the capability to establish an integrated experimental framework with human subjects to guide ongoing technical development.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.

该项目名为Convergence Accelerator Track H：Restoring Arm Function After Stroke（RAFAS），将开发和翻译一个云连接的、柔软的、可穿戴的康复和辅助平台，以恢复中风幸存者、退伍军人和其他上肢残疾者的手臂功能和独立性。发展过程的核心是中风幸存者、照顾者、职业治疗师、物理治疗师、神经学家和临床医生。通过新的可穿戴技术恢复中风后手臂功能的愿景远远超出了单一研究者提案的范围。这些社区通过焦点小组、开发测试、正式协议和临床可行性测试参与进来，以最大限度地发挥这项技术的转化潜力。RAFAS将使上肢残疾人从目前的“诊所内”康复模式转变为远程身体康复模式。RAFAS扩大参与的目标是吸引、培训和指导下一代康复和辅助技术创新者，专注于使用启发式研究，同时加速知识整合和跨越传统界限的交流。主要关注将放在学生和教师谁确定为种族/少数民族，或女性，退伍军人或残疾人。RAFAS通过患者咨询委员会、研究网络研讨会系列以及将工程专业学生与残疾人聚集在一起讨论技术发展挑战和机遇的研讨会和小组讨论会，让残疾人参与进来。RAFAS支持黑客松，行业小组专注于通过研究经验和指导将辅助技术推向市场以及本科生和研究生。最后，针对女高中生并以职业治疗为重点的外联活动将鼓励更广泛地参与辅助和康复技术领域。第一阶段的主要交付成果是：可在家中使用的上肢可穿戴、自适应反重力支撑的最小可行原型;使用可穿戴传感器进行远程评估和个性化援助的估计和控制算法;使患者和治疗师能够独立使用的软件应用程序，以及确定第二阶段研究和开发目标的差距分析，以最终实现翻译。第二阶段的工作将需要根据第一阶段利益相关者和在家试点的反馈优化技术，并进行更大规模的远程远程康复研究，以产生改善结果的证据，并将远程康复纳入新的保险领域。RAFAS为这一努力带来了技能和专业知识的结合：（1）创建轻量级且灵活的软可穿戴机器人的能力，这些机器人可以在不增加限制的情况下提供重要的帮助;（2）了解如何从嘈杂的原始可穿戴传感器中提取重要的临床指标数据;（3）康复科学的基础知识和最有效的手臂运动，以鼓励和支持职业治疗/物理治疗;和（4）建立一个与人类受试者的综合实验框架以指导正在进行的技术发展的能力。该奖项反映了NSF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。