Clinic-based Robotic Prosthesis Emulator for Amputee Gait Capacity Assessment

描述（由申请人提供）：机器人截肢者步态能力评估系统机器人假肢可以改善截肢者的活动能力，但对每个人的评估和处方是困难的，错误是昂贵的。我们建议确定一种产品的可行性，该产品可以在临床环境中快速、客观地评估各种传统和机器人踝足假体的功能益处。我们的第一个目标是演示一个能够动态仿真假肢的系统。我们最近开发了一个试验性的机器人试验台，大大提高了机电一体化性能。在这个项目中，我们将测试其对三类假肢的高级仿真的适用性：常规（例如SACH），动态弹性（例如FlexFoot）和机器人（例如BiOM），根据在一个步骤中吸收或产生的机械功来区分。我们的第二个目标是为这些设备的潜在用户开发客观和可重复的功能效益测量，专门用于与机器人假肢模拟器协调使用。最后，我们的目标是证明这样的系统可以区分哪些患者会从先进的机器人假肢中受益，哪些不会。我们建议进行一项实验，模拟不同类别的假肢，并评估四名具有不同活动水平和病因的截肢者的功能结果。这些实验结果将有助于确定哪些人群有望从机器人脚踝假肢提供的机械工作中受益，并为系统区分潜在受益者和非候选人的措施提供见解。这项研究是开发一种诊断产品的第一步，矫形和假肢诊所可以用它来评估高级机器人假肢的候选人，并根据客观的功能效益来证明保险公司的报销。最终的集成产品将包括机器人假肢模拟器硬件和软件，以及可选的实验工具。这种临床工具的价格将与单个自主机器人设备相比具有竞争力，与机器人步态训练器处于同一级别。更先进的平台最终将能够在设备建造和购买之前对设备参数（如龙骨长度或刚度）进行动态优化，甚至可能导致改进的自主设计的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Robotic Amputee Gait Capacity Assessment System Robotic prostheses can improve mobility for individuals with amputation, but assessment and prescription for each individual is difficult and errors are costly. We propose to determine the feasibility of a product that allows rapid, objective assessment of the functional benefits of various conventional and robotic ankle-foot prostheses in a clinical setting. Our first aim is to demonstrate a system capable of dynamic prosthesis emulation. We have recently developed an experimental robotic test bed with significantly enhanced mechatronic performance. In this project, we will test its suitability for high-level emulation of three classes of prosthesis: conventional (e.g. SACH), dynamic-elastic (e.g. FlexFoot), and robotic (e.g. BiOM), differentiated by the mechanical work absorbed or produced during a step. Our second aim is to develop objective and repeatable measures of the functional benefits to potential users of these devices, specialized for use in coordination with the robotic prosthesis emulator. Finally, we aim to demonstrate that such a system can differentiate between patients who would benefit from advanced robotic prostheses and those who would not. We propose to perform an experiment in which different classes of prosthesis are emulated and functional outcomes are assessed in four amputee subjects with different activity levels and etiologies. These experimental results will help determine which population groups can be expected to benefit from the mechanical work provided by robotic foot-ankle prostheses, and provide insight into measures that systematically differentiate between potential beneficiaries and non-candidates. This research is the first step toward developing a diagnostic product that Orthotics and Prosthetics clinics can use to assess candidates for advanced robotic prostheses and justify reimbursement from insurance carriers on the basis of objective functional benefits. The eventual integrated product will consist of robotic prosthesis emulator hardware and software, with optional experimental tools. This clinical tool will be priced competitively with single autonomous robotic devices, in te same class as robotic gait trainers. More advanced platforms will eventually enable dynamic optimization of device parameters, such as keel length or stiffness, prior to device construction and purchase, and may even lead to the development of improved autonomous designs.