KineAssist: Design and Development of a Robotic Overground Gait and Balance Therapy Device
By Patton, James; Brown, David A.; Peshkin, Michael; Santos-Munne, Julio J.; Makhlin, Alex; Lewis, Ela; Colgate, Edward J.; Schwandt, Doug; Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, Vol 15, No. 2, pp. 131-139Publication Date: March-April 2008
Paper outlines the design and development of KineAssist, a robotic device for gait and balance training in persons at high risk for falls. As part of the design process, a user-needs analysis was undertaken which included observing therapeutic tasks by patients with both orthopedic and neurological diagnoses such as joint replacement, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. This analysis led to a focus on increasing the level of challenge to a patient’s ability to maintain balance during gait training, combined with maintaining direct involvement of a physical therapist. The KineAssist is composed of a robotic omni-directional mobile base system and a brace system of pelvic and torso harnesses. The harnesses serve as the interface between the machine and the patient, provide the means of applying desired forces to the body as well as acting as a fall-arrest device, and leave the patient’s legs accessible to a physical therapist’s manipulation during walking. The system is able to produce unweighting of the user up to 150 pounds of vertical force, and is designed for individuals up to 350 pounds. A prototype KineAssist has received US Food and Drug Administration classification and institutional review board clearance for initial human studies.
Published by: Thomas Land Publishers, Inc. (Website:http://www.thomasland.com)
National Stroke Association (Web Site: http://www.stroke.org )
Link to text: http://www.smpp.northwestern.edu/~smpp_pub/PattonEtAl(2008)TopicsInStrokeRehabilitation15(2)131-139.htm
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J54329
