Exploration of a novel soft robotic assistive device for arm and hand function for people living with Motor Neuron Disease.

探索一种新型软机器人辅助装置，用于运动神经元疾病患者的手臂和手部功能。

• 批准号: 2615175
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2615175
• 关键词: Exploration; novel; soft; robotic; assistive

This PhD project is collaborative across two leading institutions, with primary engineering supervision from Professor Rossiter at the University of Bristol Soft Robotics Lab and secondary clinical and neuroscience supervision from Dame Professor Shaw at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) at the University of Sheffield. The core goal is to develop a real-world, working soft robotic device that could be used to improve the upper limb function of people living with motor neurone disease and presenting with upper limb weakness.Motor neurone disease (MND) is an umbrella term for a group of incurable diseases leading to the degeneration and eventual death of motor neurones and resulting in voluntary muscle wasting, partial or total paralysis, and eventual death. A major aspect of disability and distress in MND is the development of bilateral upper limb weakness. Available upper limb orthoses for people living with MND are prohibitively expensive and poorly matched to complex user needs, leading to low uptake. Their application for users with MND and other degenerative conditions is usually secondary to their role as rehabilitation devices e.g.for stroke victims. Effective devices for upper limb weakness could reduce the care burden on relatives and carers, preserve joint mobility, and decrease pain.Orthosis design is at a threshold of a new age where rigid, lifeless, restrictive mechanisms associated with traditional robotics will be replaced by biologically realistic systems enabled by the development of muscle mimetic actuator technologies. Soft robotics inspired by, and matched to, biomechanics have the potential to be applied to modular devices with adaptive morphology that can cope with muscle degeneration. Development of enabling technologies is key to translating the existing and arising academic effort into clinically useful devices particularly in terms of actuator size, actuating efficiency, life, and control interface. Additionally, a more holistic synergistic hybridisation of soft robotic technologies may help to overcome their respective disadvantages. By 'tearing up the rule book' and working directly on pioneering soft robotic technology this project aims to produce a clinically ready device that will disrupt the standard of stroke survivor rehabilitation devices being giving to people living with MND. This project could lead to future collaborative projects to tackle the orthoses needs of people living with a range of neuromuscular disorders.The project has secured ethical approval from the University of Bristol Research Ethics Committee for a compassionate co-design process (starting imminently). The use of function-based design processes to produce orthoses has led to a market dominated by iterations of existing solutions which inherit the failings of their predecessors. The project will use a compassionate, human-centred, co-design process with intentional consideration of the user's empowerment, dignity, and security. Consultations with healthcare professionals and people living with MND as 'co-designers' will be established at all project phases to input and critique project outputs as well as test prototypes. Co-design sessions will be semi-structured sessions held virtually and in person with small groups or individuals. The co-design process is being funded by the SITraN NIHR.The project has also received funding from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) 2022 Summer Scholarship to work on an initial MND specific glove at the Suzumori-Endo Lab at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.This project falls within the EPSRC Assistive technology, rehabilitation and musculoskeletal biomechanics research area as well as Artificial intelligence and robotics theme.

这个博士项目是在两个领先的机构合作，与布里斯托大学软机器人实验室的罗西特教授的主要工程监督和二级临床和神经科学监督从夫人教授肖在谢菲尔德大学的谢菲尔德研究所转化神经科学（SITraN）。核心目标是开发一种真实世界的工作软机器人设备，可用于改善患有运动神经元疾病和上肢无力的人的上肢功能。运动神经元疾病（MND）是一组无法治愈的疾病的总称，这些疾病导致运动神经元变性和最终死亡，并导致随意肌肉萎缩，部分或全部瘫痪，最终死亡MND的残疾和痛苦的一个主要方面是双侧上肢无力的发展。可用于患有MND的人的上肢矫形器昂贵得令人望而却步，并且与复杂的用户需求不匹配，导致低吸收。他们的应用程序与MND和其他退行性疾病的用户通常是次要的，他们的角色作为康复设备，如中风受害者。有效的上肢无力的设备可以减轻亲属和护理人员的护理负担，保持关节的灵活性，并减少pains.Orthosis设计是在一个新时代的门槛，刚性，无生命，限制机制与传统的机器人将被取代的生物逼真的系统，使肌肉模拟驱动器技术的发展。受生物力学启发并与之相匹配的软机器人技术有可能应用于具有自适应形态的模块化设备，以科普肌肉退化。使能技术的发展是将现有的和正在出现的学术成果转化为临床有用设备的关键，特别是在致动器尺寸、致动效率、寿命和控制界面方面。此外，软机器人技术的更全面的协同混合可能有助于克服其各自的缺点。通过“撕毁规则手册”并直接致力于开创性的软机器人技术，该项目旨在生产一种临床就绪的设备，该设备将破坏为MND患者提供的中风幸存者康复设备的标准。这个项目可能会导致未来的合作项目，以解决矫形器的需求与一系列的神经肌肉疾病的生活。该项目已获得伦理批准，从布里斯托研究伦理委员会的大学同情共同设计过程（即将开始）。使用基于功能的设计过程来生产矫形器已经导致了由现有解决方案的迭代所主导的市场，这些解决方案继承了其前任的失败。该项目将采用富有同情心、以人为本的共同设计流程，并有意考虑用户的赋权、尊严和安全。在所有项目阶段，将与医疗保健专业人员和MND患者进行协商，作为“共同设计者”，以输入和评价项目输出以及测试原型。共同设计会议将是半结构化的会议，以虚拟方式举行，并与小团体或个人面对面。共同设计过程由SITraN NIHR资助。该项目还获得了日本科学促进协会（JSPS）2022年夏季奖学金的资助，在东京工业大学的Suzumori-Endo实验室研究最初的MND专用手套。该项目福尔斯属于EPSRC辅助技术，康复和肌肉骨骼生物力学研究领域以及人工智能和机器人主题。