A Low-Cost, Practical Fitness Monitor of Socket-Suspension Systems for Lower Limb Amputees

一种低成本、易于使用的插座悬挂系统FIT监控器 截肢者 对于下肢截肢者来说，使用假肢对于保持活动和独立生活至关重要。接口 在残肢和假肢之间，通常是带有相关悬挂系统(SSS)的假肢插座， 只有在SSS合适的情况下才能很好地工作。为了保持适当的SSS适合度，来自 截肢者和临床医生都是必要的；否则，由于截肢者的波动，SSS适合性会恶化 由长期因素(如体重变化)和短期因素(如 在移动过程中发生碰撞。目前，所有的干预都是由截肢者的触觉来指导的，这不是一种 为调节SSS FIT提供可靠的信息源。在这个不准确的信息源的指引下， 干预往往不有效或不及时，而且SSS匹配的恶化往往被忽视，直到产生副作用 变得严厉起来。这些不利的副作用包括集中在残肢上的意外应力， 不正常的步态模式，增加继发性疾病的风险，如背部疼痛和皮肤擦伤 很痛苦，很难治愈。 该方案的目的是开发一种新型的SSS Fit监测器，以根据SSS Fit的运动学特征来跟踪SSS Fit 活塞，描述残肢和假肢承窝之间的相对运动。我们会 通过追求三个具体目标来实现我们的研究目标。 目的1：识别对SSS拟合度变化敏感的活塞运动相变特征 残肢上的多个位置；目标2：设计传感器阵列以跟踪三维空间中的活塞运动；以及 目标3：演示使用开发的SSS Fit监测截肢者行走过程中SSS Fit的能力 SSS Fit显示器。 所有这些努力将帮助我们实现我们的长期目标：帮助截肢者和临床医生提高他们的能力 管理残肢和假肢之间的界面。

A low-cost, easy-to-use fit monitor of socket-suspension systems for lower limb amputees For lower limb amputees, the use of prosthetic legs is critical to remain active and live independently. Interface between the residual limb and the prosthetic leg, usually a prosthetic socket with related suspension system (SSS), only works well if the SSS is fit appropriately. To maintain an appropriate SSS fit, repeated interventions from both amputees and clinicians are necessary; otherwise, the SSS fit deteriorates due to fluctuation of amputees’ residual limb volume caused by long term factors, such as body weight changes, and short-term factors, such as impact during locomotion. Currently, all interventions are guided by amputees’ haptic sensation, which is not a reliable information source for regulation of the SSS fit. Guided by this inaccurate information source, interventions are often not effectively or timely, and deterioration of the SSS fit is often ignored until side effects become severe. These unfavorable side effects include unexpected stress concentrated on the residual limb, abnormal gait patterns, increased risk of secondary conditions such as back pain, and skin abrasions that are painful and difficult to heal. Objective of the proposal is to develop a novel SSS fit monitor to track the SSS fit based on kinematic features of pistoning, which describes the relative motion between the residual limb and the prosthetic socket. We will accomplish our study objectives by pursuing three specific aims. Aim 1: Identify phase-dependent kinematic features of pistoning, which are sensitive to change of SSS fit, on multiple locations on the residual limb; Aim 2: Design a sensor array to track pistoning motions in 3D space; and Aim 3: demonstrate the capability to monitor SSS fit during walking on amputee subjects using the developed SSS fit monitor. All these efforts will help us to reach our long-term goal: help amputees and clinicians to improve their capability to manage the interface between the residual limb and their prosthetic legs.