NSF Convergence Accelerator Track H: Appropriate Rehabilitation Technology via Passive Tactile Stimulation

在美国，中风是导致严重长期残疾的主要原因，导致数百万美国人患有运动障碍。最近的研究发现，55%-74%的中风幸存者在中风后无法重返工作岗位。来自传统医疗服务不足社区的中风幸存者的中风康复结果甚至更差。目前旨在帮助中风后残疾人康复的康复技术昂贵、以诊所为基础、耗时，而且医疗服务不足的社区通常无法获得。在最近的临床试验中，我们证明了一种低成本、便携、可带回家的可穿戴技术在恢复运动方面的有效性：被动触觉刺激。我们的目标是进行以使用为灵感的融合研究，将这项变革性的技术带来商业、社会和经济上的成功，以提高中风后行动不便的人的生活质量和就业机会。我们将通过参加一个课程来实现这一点，该课程加强了团队的融合，并加速了公平、适当的中风恢复技术的发展。在项目的第一阶段，我们将最终确定我们的跨学科和跨机构团队(包括大学、医院、社区组织和一家新公司)；生成政府、行业和社会的使用案例；并制定一个全面的研究计划，以初始原型开发、定性研究和参与性设计研究为支撑。在该项目的第二阶段，我们将创建一种商业上可行的、有效的低成本中风康复技术和传播模式，以便在项目结束后产生长期可持续的社会影响。我们将实施中风技术的参与式设计流程，反复开发、测试和传播该技术，重点放在可获得性、可用性、依从性和经济性上(临床试验已经显示出有效性)。这项技术的修复效果将在全国范围内使用，并最终在世界范围内使用。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States, resulting in millions of Americans with motor impairments. Recent studies have found that 55-74% of stroke survivors are not able to return to work after their stroke. Stroke survivors from traditionally medically underserved communities have even worse stroke recovery outcomes. Current rehabilitation technologies that aim to help persons with disability recover after stroke are expensive, clinic-based, time-consuming, and generally inaccessible to medically underserved communities. In recent clinical trials, we demonstrated the effectiveness of a low-cost, portable, take-home wearable technology for recovery of movement: passive tactile stimulation. Our goal is to perform use-inspired convergence research that brings this transformative technology to commercial, social, and economic success in order to enhance quality of life as well as employment opportunities for persons with movement disability after stroke. We will accomplish this by participating in a curriculum that strengthens team convergence and accelerates the development of equitable, appropriate stroke recovery technology. In the first phase of the project, we will finalize our interdisciplinary and cross institutional team (including universities, hospitals, community organizations, and a new company; generate use cases for government, industry, and society; and develop a comprehensive research plan bolstered by initial prototype development, qualitative research, and participatory design studies. In the second phase of the project, we wi¬ll create a commercially viable, effective low-cost stroke rehabilitation technology and dissemination model for long-term sustainable societal impact after the end of the project. We will implement a participatory design process for stroke technology to iteratively develop, test, and disseminate the technology, focusing on access, usability, adherence, and economics (effectiveness has already been shown through clinical trials). The rehabilitative effects of this technology would be used nationwide and eventually worldwide.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.