RoboPAL: Robotic Prosthesis Alignment

描述（由申请人提供）：接受腔相对于下肢假肢足部的定位对于残肢的舒适性、功能和健康以及完整的肌肉骨骼系统至关重要。实现适当的对准目前是一种耗时且不精确的技术，其需要修复师的相当大的技能和努力，并且不允许由患者直接控制。拟议项目将大大推进调整进程。所提出的工作的目的是完善的机器人假肢对齐系统（RoboPAL），使下肢假肢的对齐，以迅速调整机器人控制。在第一阶段开发的原型系统成功地允许假肢和假肢用户指定通过手持控制单元与集成有标准模块化组件的致动器单元进行无线通信的对准变化。该技术使假肢专家能够专注于“大局”（即消除手握扳手在地板上的时间），并通过直接控制调整使患者能够更充分地参与。此外，该系统将能够接受来自计算机化假体对线系统（ComPAS）的输入，这是一种单独的技术，可测量通过假体传递的载荷，计算错位的大小和方向，并输出建议的对线修改的方向和大小。当RoboPAL和ComPAS一起使用时，结果是自动对齐肢体。该系统还为远程医疗应用打开了大门 在没有适当修复护理的地区，由经验丰富的从业人员通过网络流视频观察患者直接控制调整。在拟议的工作中，我们将完善成功的第一阶段设计，然后构建和测试最终的RoboPAL系统，最后评估人类受试者的性能和功能结果。公共卫生相关性。该项目将推进下肢假肢组件对齐的重要过程。该技术将允许修复师快速，轻松地调整对齐，并且比目前可能的方式更好地控制。它还将允许假肢用户直接参与肢体对齐，将可用作自动对齐肢体的一部分，并将使通过远程医疗范例远程完成对齐成为可能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Positioning of the socket relative to the foot of a lower limb prosthesis is critical to comfort, function, and health of the residual limb and intact musculoskeletal system. Achieving proper alignment is currently a time-consuming and imprecise art that requires considerable skill and effort on the part of the prosthetist, and permits no direct control by the patient. The proposed project will significantly advance the alignment process. The objective of the proposed work is to refine a Robotic Prosthetic Alignment system (RoboPAL) that enables the alignment of lower limb prostheses to be rapidly adjusted by robotic control. A prototype system developed in Phase I successfully allowed both the prosthetist and the prosthesis user to specify alignment changes via a hand-held control unit communicating wirelessly with an actuator unit integrated with standard modular components. The technology permits the prosthetist to concentrate on "the big picture" (i.e. eliminate time on the floor with wrenches in hand), and will enable the patient to participate more fully by directly controlling adjustments. In addition, the system will be capable of accepting input from the Computerized Prosthetic Alignment System (ComPAS), a separate technology that measures loads transmitted through the prosthesis, calculates magnitude and direction of misalignment, and outputs direction and magnitude of advised alignment modifications. When RoboPAL and ComPAS are used together, the result is an auto-aligning limb. The system also opens the door for telemedicine applications adjustments directly controlled by experienced practitioners observing patients via web-streamed video in areas without adequate prosthetic care. In the proposed work, we will refine the successful Phase I design, then build and test the definitive RoboPAL system, and finally evaluate performance and functional outcomes with human subjects. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE. This project will advance the important process of aligning the components of lower limb prostheses. The technology will allow the prosthetist to adjust the alignment quickly, easily, and in a more well-controlled manner than is currently possible. It will also allow the prosthesis user to directly participate in aligning the limb, will be usable as part of an auto-aligning limb and will make it possible for alignment to be accomplished remotely through a telemedicine paradigm.