Gait Analysis Using Wearable Sensors

Gait analysis using wearable sensors is an inexpensive, convenient, and efficient manner of providing useful information for multiple health-related applications. As a clinical tool applied in the rehabilitation and diagnosis of medical conditions and sport activities, gait analysis using wearable sensors shows great prospects. The current paper reviews available wearable sensors and ambulatory gait analysis methods based on the various wearable sensors. After an introduction of the gait phases, the principles and features of wearable sensors used in gait analysis are provided. The gait analysis methods based on wearable sensors is divided into gait kinematics, gait kinetics, and electromyography. Studies on the current methods are reviewed, and applications in sports, rehabilitation, and clinical diagnosis are summarized separately. With the development of sensor technology and the analysis method, gait analysis using wearable sensors is expected to play an increasingly important role in clinical applications

Medical robots for MRI guided diagnosis and therapy

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides the capability of imaging tissue with fine resolution and superior soft tissue contrast, when compared with conventional ultrasound and CT imaging, which makes it an important tool for clinicians to perform more accurate diagnosis and image guided therapy. Medical robotic devices combining the high resolution anatomical images with real-time navigation, are ideal for precise and repeatable interventions. Despite these advantages, the MR environment imposes constraints on mechatronic devices operating within it. This thesis presents a study on the design and development of robotic systems for particular MR interventions, in which the issue of testing the MR compatibility of mechatronic components, actuation control, kinematics and workspace analysis, and mechanical and electrical design of the robot have been investigated. Two types of robotic systems have therefore been developed and evaluated along the above aspects. (i) A device for MR guided transrectal prostate biopsy: The system was designed from components which are proven to be MR compatible, actuated by pneumatic motors and ultrasonic motors, and tracked by optical position sensors and ducial markers. Clinical trials have been performed with the device on three patients, and the results reported have demonstrated its capability to perform needle positioning under MR guidance, with a procedure time of around 40mins and with no compromised image quality, which achieved our system speci cations. (ii) Limb positioning devices to facilitate the magic angle effect for diagnosis of tendinous injuries: Two systems were designed particularly for lower and upper limb positioning, which are actuated and tracked by the similar methods as the first device. A group of volunteers were recruited to conduct tests to verify the functionality of the systems. The results demonstrate the clear enhancement of the image quality with an increase in signal intensity up to 24 times in the tendon tissue caused by the magic angle effect, showing the feasibility of the proposed devices to be applied in clinical diagnosis

Evaluation of postural stability using sensory organization test

Poor postural stability of the elderly and other patients has been a major concern.The cost of treating injuries due to poor stability is expected to rise to $32.4 Billion by 2020. Many interventions have been proposed and used to improve stability. In order to determine the efficacy of these interventions, an objective evaluation of postural stability before and after intervention is important. The aim of this thesis was to scientifically analyze the ambiguities in the equilibrium score (ES) given by the Neurocom Smart Equitest (NSE) machine, and compare it to a new measure of stability that has been proposed by Chaudhry et al., (2003) the postural stability index (PSI). This was done by determining the correlation of PSI and ES between the average sway angle, the ankle stiffness, and the SF-36 summary scores. Another aim was to investigate a method of validating mathematical models of the postural system, with the help of Ascension\u27s Flock of Birds (FOB). This was done by testing the position output of the FOB in the NSE environment. It was found that the average sway angle and ankle stiffness correlates better with the PSI. However, the SF-36 summary scores correlates better with the ES although both have poor correlation. It was also found that the FOB had a maximum error of 2.5 inches over a height range of 15.5 to 40.5 inches

Design of a Wearable Sensor System for the Estimation of Lower Limb Joint Loading

The estimation of bone loading is crucial for understanding how physical activity improves bone health. Current methods to estimate bone loading utilize force plates and motion capture systems in a laboratory setting. This method is inefficient due to limited laboratory space and the inability to test real-world activities. This project aimed to develop a portable wearable sensor system to collect data necessary for the estimation of lower limb joint loading during daily activity. This proof of concept prototype serves as an initial sensor system to estimate bone loading outside the laboratory setting to bridge the gap in technology and overcome laboratory limitations

Human motion analysis and measurement techniques: current application and developing trend

Human motion analysis and measurement technology have been widely used in the fields of medical treatment, sports science, and rehabilitation. In clinical practice, motion analysis has been applied in the diagnosis and individualized treatment planning of various musculoskeletal diseases, and it is also an important objective scientific method to evaluate the therapeutic effect and the effectiveness of medical equipment. This study aimed to introduce the common modern motion capture measurement technology and equipment, the clinical application and limitations of motion analysis, and the possible development trend of motion analysis measuring techniques in the future. Motion analysis and measurement systems and medical image measurement and analysis technology have made landmark improvements over the past few decades in terms of orthopaedical biomechanics. Nevertheless, limitations still exist, both subjective and objective. All these drawbacks have promoted the exploration of the integrated methods that have now been widely used in motion analysis. The results of the case study about the subject-specific finite element modeling of the foot and sports shoe complex have also shown great consistency. Nevertheless, several possible future directions for motion analysis measuring techniques still exist. In the future, the progress of motion analysis and measurement methods will simultaneously drive the progress of orthopedics, rehabilitation, precision personalized medicine, and medical engineering

Accuracy and repeatability of wrist joint angles in boxing using an electromagnetic tracking system

© 2019, The Author(s). The hand-wrist region is reported as the most common injury site in boxing. Boxers are at risk due to the amount of wrist motions when impacting training equipment or their opponents, yet we know relatively little about these motions. This paper describes a new method for quantifying wrist motion in boxing using an electromagnetic tracking system. Surrogate testing procedure utilising a polyamide hand and forearm shape, and in vivo testing procedure utilising 29 elite boxers, were used to assess the accuracy and repeatability of the system. 2D kinematic analysis was used to calculate wrist angles using photogrammetry, whilst the data from the electromagnetic tracking system was processed with visual 3D software. The electromagnetic tracking system agreed with the video-based system (paired t tests) in both the surrogate ( 0.9). In the punch testing, for both repeated jab and hook shots, the electromagnetic tracking system showed good reliability (ICCs > 0.8) and substantial reliability (ICCs > 0.6) for flexion–extension and radial-ulnar deviation angles, respectively. The results indicate that wrist kinematics during punching activities can be measured using an electromagnetic tracking system