Recovery of therapeutic or functional ambulatory capacity in patients with rotator cuff injury is a primary goal of rehabilitation. Wearable powered exoskeletons allow patients to perform repetitive practice with large movements to maximize recovery, even immediately after the acute event. The aim of this paper is to describe the usability, acceptability and acceptance of a hybrid exoskeleton for upper-limb passive rehabilitation using the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. This equipment, called ExoFlex, is defined as a hybrid exoskeleton since it is made up of rigid and soft components. The exoskeleton mechanical description is presented along with its control system and the way motion is structured in rehabilitation sessions. Seven patients (six women and one man) have participated in the evaluation of this equipment, which are in the range of 50 to 79 years old. Preliminary evidence of the acceptance and usability by both patients and clinicians are very promising, obtaining an average score of 80.71 in the SUS test, as well as good results in a questionnaire that evaluates the clinicians’ perceived usability of ExoFlex.
Los exoesqueletos son robots que circunscriben la anatomía humana para asistir su locomoción. Entre las distintas categorías, los exoesqueletos flexibles o exotrajes (del término anglosajón exosuit) se caracterizan por su ligereza y bajas restricciones al movimiento. Los exotrajes emplean principalmente elementos flexibles, como tela, por lo que carecen de una estructura rígida autoportante. Por el contrario, estos robots se apoyan en el sistema musculo-esquelético al que transfieren fuerzas asistenciales. Este artículo describe el sistema para flexar el codo del exoesqueleto LUXBIT. El proyecto LUXBIT busca crear un exoesqueleto portable para asistencia de tareas bimanuales. Para ello emplea un sistema textil de agarre y transferencia de fuerzas al usuario basado en un esquema de polea móvil. El uso de métodos de costura ha proporcionado una solución compacta, fácil de mantener y versátil. Este diseño reduce la presión aplicada sobre la piel. Los últimos apartados muestran los resultados de aplicar el sistema en cuatro sujetos.
The last decades have witnessed a rapid and vast development of robots for physical rehabilitation that allow efficient planning of the rehabilitation process in terms of cost, duration of sessions and availability of the therapist. This project aims to qualitatively evaluate an exoskeleton for upper body rehabilitation. The device presents an approach to the development of a device with the end-effector anchored to the ground that performs the actuation on an exoskeleton coupled to the body of the subject by cables. Experimentation with patients suffering from the supraspinatus tendon is documented by performing a series of movements dictated by a doctor.
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