Tendon Actuators for Investigation of Foot Disorders

描述(由申请人提供)：建议开发一种肌腱致动器并进行临床评估，该致动器将匹配负责控制足部运动的肌肉的力和运动特征。肌腱致动器将附着在身体的足部肌腱上，并将允许生物力学研究人员操纵足部。最终，一个由8个肌腱致动器组成的肌腱致动器系统将使脚能够在所有自由度上进行控制，以便了解各种足部病理的病因。此外，肌腱致动器将被设计成与克利夫兰诊所基金会(CCF)的肌肉骨骼模拟器集成在一起，使模拟器能够精确地模拟步态运动学和脚底的应力分布。最终，该系统将适用于研究人体其他解剖区域的运动学和病理学，如腕、肩、脊柱和膝盖。 最初，该计划将专注于开发一种跟腱致动器，该致动器能够精确跟踪规定的苛刻的力分布，并伴随着潜在的苛刻的速度、加速度、行程和带宽要求。在福斯特-米勒完成肌腱致动器原型并进行测试后，它将被连接到一具身体上，并在CCF的生物力学实验室进行测试。通过将跟腱连接到肌腱执行器上，并将足部的胫骨和腓骨安装到MTS系统力执行器上，可以操纵身体脚。后续的第二阶段将包括将足部肌腱致动器系统(由8个肌腱致动器组成)与身体脚和肌肉骨骼模拟器相结合，以实现对身体脚的所有自由度的控制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The development and clinical evaluation of a tendon actuator is proposed that will match the force and motion characteristics of muscles responsible for controlling foot motion. The tendon actuator will attach to a cadaver foot tendon and will allow biomechanics researchers to manipulate the foot. Ultimately, a tendon actuator system, consisting of an array of eight tendon actuators, will enable the foot to be controlled in all degrees of freedom, in order to understand the etiology of a wide range of foot pathologies. In addition, the tendon actuator will be designed to integrate with the musculoskeletal simulator at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF), making it possible for the simulator to precisely mimic both gait kinematics and the stress distribution present on the underside of the foot. Eventually this system will be adapted to investigate human kinematics and pathologies in additional anatomic regions such as the wrist, shoulder, spine and knee. Initially, the program will focus on development of an Achilles tendon actuator capable of precisely tracking a prescribed demanding force profile accompanied by potentially demanding velocity, acceleration, travel and bandwidth requirements. After completion and test of a tendon actuator prototype at Foster-Miller, it will be attached to a cadaver and tested at the Biomechanics laboratory at CCF. The cadaver foot will be manipulated by attaching the Achilles tendon to the tendon actuator and mounting the tibia and fibula of the foot to an MTS system force actuator. A follow-on Phase II will include integration of a foot tendon actuator system (consisting of a full array of eight tendon actuators) with a cadaver foot and the musculoskeletal simulator to allow control of the cadaver foot in all degrees of freedom.