SINGLE CHANNEL HYBRID FES GAIT SYSTEM

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of this research is to develop a mobility aid for persons with paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury that combines functional electrical stimulation (FES) with a unique, energy storing orthosis (ESO). The ESO captures energy from the stimulated quadriceps and pipes the energy to other joints for controlled mobility. The main innovation of the ESO approach over prior hybrid FES systems is that it uses only a single channel of stimulation which should positively impact ease of use and acceptance by users. Restoration of even primitive gait is important to many individuals with paraplegia. While wheelchairs provide functional, daily mobility, there remains a need for assistive aids that enable people to stand and walk in the vicinity of a wheelchair. FES for mobility has been researched for over 40 years yet still is not a feasible option for most because of limitations of fatigue, control and ease of use. The ESO is a new approach designed to address all three limitations by using a single channel of surface stimulation on each side to drive multiple joints and an orthosis that can be controlled and can provide anti-gravity support to reduce stimulated muscle fatigue. Because the ESO approach is new, technical feasibility must be demonstrated before undertaking a demonstration of clinical efficacy. Therefore, the objective of this project is to prove feasibility with two aims. Aim 1 is to design and prototype the ESO hardware, software and control system and to conduct bench tests to evaluate its engineering specifications. Aim 1 is design driven and its successful outcome will be marked by demonstrating a working prototype. Aim 2 is to evaluate the prototype in the research laboratory using two human subjects with paraplegia. The hypothesis driving Aim 2 is that the two ESO users will achieve gait that is the same or better than gait with existing FES-aided gait solutions, including existing hybrid FES gait system that combine FES with an orthosis. Comparisons will be done by comparing walking metrics for the two subjects to published metrics for prior art systems. Many people who are paralyzed because of spinal cord injury have a desire to stand and walk under their own volition, even if the resulting mobility is primitive and within the vicinity of a wheelchair. The proposed approach for FES-aided gait is new and may provide choices for a wider pool of people with SCI than current solutions.