Evaluation of Plantarflexion Torque of the Ankle-Foot Orthosis Using the Artificial Pneumatic Muscle

인공공압근육 엑츄에이터를 이용한 족관절 보조기의 족저굴곡 토크 평가

  • Kim, Kyung (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chonbuk Univ.) ;
  • Kwon, Tae-Kyu (Devision of Biomedical Engineering, Chonbuk Univ.) ;
  • Kang, Seung-Rok (Department of healthcare Engineering, Chonbuk Univ.) ;
  • Piao, Yong-Jun (Chonbuk National University Automobile-parts & Mold Technology Innovation Center) ;
  • Jeong, Gu-Young (Center for Healthcare Technology Development, Chonbuk Univ.)
  • 김경 (전북대학교 의용생체공학과) ;
  • 권대규 (전북대학교 바이오메디컬공학부) ;
  • 강승록 (전북대학교 헬스케어공학과) ;
  • 박용군 (전북대학교 자동차부품.금형기술센터) ;
  • 정구영 (전북대학교 헬스케어기술개발사업단)
  • Received : 2009.08.31
  • Accepted : 2010.04.08
  • Published : 2010.06.01

Abstract

Ankle-foot orthosis with an artificial pneumatic muscle which is intended for the assistance of plantarfelxion torque was developed. In this study, power pattern of the device in the various pneumatics and the effectiveness of the system were investigated. The pneumatic power was provided by ankle-foot orthosis controlled by user‘s physiological signal, that is, muscular stiffness in soleus muscle. This pneumatic power can assist plantarflexion torque of ankle joint. The subjects performed maximal voluntary isokinetic plantarflexion motion on a biodexdynamometer in different pneumatics, and they completed three conditions: 1) without wearing the orthosis, 2) wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, 3) wearing the orthosis activated under muscular stiffness control. Through these experiments, we confirmed the effectiveness of the orthosis and muscular stiffness control using the analyzing isokinetic plantarflexion torque. The experimental results showed that isokinetic torques of plantarflexion motion of the ankle joints gradually increased in incremental pneumatic. The effectiveness of the orthosis was -7.26% and the effectiveness of the muscular stiffness control was 17.83% in normalized isokinetic plantarflexion torque. Subjects generated the less isokinetic torques of the ankle joints in wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, but isokinetic torques were appropriately reinforced in condition of wearing the orthosis activated under muscular stiffness control(17.83%) compared to wearing the orthosis(-7.26%). Therefore, we respect that developed powered orthosis is applied in the elderly that has weak muscular power as the rehabilitation equipment.

Keywords

References

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