The development of Electric Equipment for Disable Upper Extremity -Electric Portable Spring Balancer and Clinical Effect-

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Quadriplegic patients need devices to help them perform their daily living activities by themselves. Occupational therapists have developed equipment that can optimize smooth movements of the upper extremity of disabled patients. In 1986, we developed a Portable Spring Balancer (PSB) to help quadriplegic patients to eat despite immovable arms. This equipment has a spring to lift the affected arm.The present project attempted to make an Electric Portable Spring Balancer (EPSB) using a small electric motor to manipulate the tension of the spring of the PSB, and a control system for the tension sensor by using the remainder of their function, the movement of face, neck or foot. As the result, the tension of the EPSB spring can easily be adjusted to patients or a caregiver.We made the three dimensional equipment to estimate the movement of the arm when patients use the EPSB. The equipment shows us detail data of the trace of quadriplegic patient's arm. In the future, new equipment based on these data will help to make the daily lives of quadriplegic patients more comfortable.