Development of a portable microcomputer-controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) system for the paralyzed upper extermities

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A prograble multi-channel FES system was developed in order to restore the motor dunction of the paralyzed upper extermities in stroke and spinal cord injury patients. The system consisted of a 8 bit microcomputer and 3 channels of A/D and 16 channels of D/A converters. In addition, a stimulation data crteating system (SDC system) consisting of a personal computer (NEC LT-50) was also developed. Standard stimulation data for controlling the paralyzed upper or lower extrmities were created from integrated EMG data during motion for activities of daily living in normal subjects and were stored in the memory of SDC system. Stimulation data for each patient were automatically created by inputting the maximum and threshold stimulating voltages of indevidual muscles to the standard stimulation data through a key board of SDV system and were sent to the memoty of the portable FES system. This method realized versatile usage of the portable FES system for restoration of motor function in various types of paralysis of the extremities. Furthermore, a very complicated multi-joint system with many degress of feedom such as the paralyzed upper extermities 14 C4 quadriplegics could be easily controlled biwh high reliability by this system.This portable FES system was applied to the paralyzed upper extremities of two C4 quadriplegic patients. Inspiration and expiration of the patient were utilized as a volitional control command for selection and execution of stimulation data for controlling motions of the upper extremities. By using this system, patients could perform some kinds of activities of daily living by the upper extremities such as drinking a canned juice, brushing their teeth, make-up her face and so on. Thus, is was founs that this portable FES system which we developed was s powerfull means for restoring motor function of the paralyzed upper extremities induced by upper motor nueron disorders.