Initial strategy of an assistive technology for rehabilitation and monitoring of elderly patients

Abstract

This article presents an initial assistive technology strategy for the rehabilitation and monitoring of elderly patients, focused on lower limb muscle recovery, from a condition of low gait stability to recovery without the use of crutches. The project is in progress, and its first module, the recovery one, measures the flexion and extension of the lower limbs in degrees and sends the data to a database for analysis by the physiotherapist. The second module consists of the design of support for a telephone integrated to the crutch, to facilitate the integration with existing applications, also containing an embedded system for integration with the first module. When the patient is already on crutches, the cell phone and an embedded system coupled to the patient are used, which send signals in case the patient falls. The results are still partial and from isolated parts of the project, so that, after the completion of the modules, it will be possible to integrate and quantitatively analyze the results. The voltage source showed a current output that was maintained despite the load and without a voltage drop. The movement monitoring system through the camera recognized the knee flexion movement. The initial architecture of the system managed to include a system involving computer graphics, and screens that concern the human-computer interface. The crutch and the telephone support underwent usability tests that proved basic mechanical resistance to not present elementary difficulties in sustaining a person and a cellular device.