Robotically-Aided Hand Rehabilitation

描述（由申请人提供）：提出了一种康复机器人的开发，以向由于中风和创伤性脑损伤而具有手功能缺陷的患者提供治疗。机器人将以如下方式提供手的手指的指状物的重复打开和闭合：1）感觉反馈，其类似于手在抓握物体时将经历的感觉反馈，2）与患者的功能水平相称的所施加的力的调制，以及3）使治疗师免于手动移动肢体/关节通过其周期的需要。机器人机制将被设计为允许患者以复制正常抓取运动学的方式抓取和释放物体。机器人可以提供被动的运动范围，但将使用反馈（用于非常弱的手的康复的早期阶段的肌肉EMG，一旦检测到主动运动则使用力反馈）来调整它为患者尝试发起或执行抓握动作提供的辅助。 第一阶段将启动拟议机器人的开发，包括计算机控制机器人系统原型的设计、建造和台架测试。在完成实验室测试后，该系统将由罗切斯特的马约诊所的研究人员和临床医生进行评估。在第二阶段，将在马约诊所对该设备进行随机对照临床评价，评估更完整的机器人原型的效用，并根据力和EMG反馈为患者提供帮助。这项评估将涉及患有神经性手部损伤的患者，并将设计用于将机器人辅助治疗与最佳传统护理进行比较。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Development of a rehabilitation robot to provide therapy to patients with hand function deficits, due to stroke and traumatic brain injury, is proposed. The robot will provide repetitive opening and closing of the digits of the fingers of the hand in a manner that provides 1) sensory feedback similar to that a hand would experience when grasping an object, 2) modulation of applied forces commensurate with the patient's level of function, and 3) frees the therapist from the need to manually move the limb/joint through its cycle. The robotic mechanism will be designed to permit the patient to grasp and release an object in a manner that replicates the normal kinematics of grasping. The robot can provide passive range of motion but will use feedback (muscle EMG for the early stages of rehabilitation of a very weak hand, force feedback once active motion is detected) to adjust the assistance it provides to the patient's attempts to initiate or carry out a grasping maneuver. Phase I will initiate development of the proposed robot, including design, construction, and bench testing of a computer-controlled robotic system prototype. Upon completion of bench testing, the system will be evaluated by researchers and clinicians at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. In Phase II, the utility of a more complete robot prototype, with assistance to the patient based on force and EMG feedback, will be assessed in a randomized, controlled clinical evaluation of the device at the Mayo Clinic. This evaluation would involve patients who have neurological hand impairments and would be designed to compare robotic assisted therapy against the best conventional care.