Low cost electromyogram and electrical muscle stimulator

Muscular system function could be ffected by neurological disorders such as cerebral strokes, injuries and neurological disorders. Healthcare experts usually relay on their experience to diagnose and recommend a specific treatment. However, there exist technological devices capable to measure the electrical activity in the muscle improving the diagnostic; also there exist devices capable to aid on the rehabilitation of the muscle known as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators. Nevertheless, these devices are only available on laboratories or well-equipped clinics due mainly to the relatively expensive cost. This manuscript presents a low-cost device capable not only to measure the electromyographic activity but also is capable to stimulate the muscles in order to improve the rehabilitation of the muscle. Data could be visualized on a generic computer using the sound card as a data acquisition. This paper presents the development of such devices and preliminary results

Prototype of a Plasma Generator for Electrosurgery

Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter and consists of highly ionized particles, it means, particles highly energized. Typically, plasma can be seen in neon lights or sudden electric discharges such as lightning or sparks. These ionized particles have sufficient energy (3 - 6 eV) to break organic molecular bonds within tissue. This property has been found useful for the application of plasma in surgeries as a cutting tool. Plasma has some advantages compared with other techniques for ablation (removal of tissue by cutting, vaporization, etc.), such as scalpel or electrocautery (cutting by vaporizating tissue applying an electric current), etcThis document presents the design and construction of a plasma generator for electrosurgical applications. The generator is comprised of four main parts: DC power supply, topology push-pull, controller unit and plasma probe. First results generating plasma by repetitively-pulsed electrical discharges in sodium chloride saline solution are reported

User-Centered Design and Evaluation of an Upper Limb Rehabilitation System with a Virtual Environment

Virtual environments (VEs) and haptic devices increase patients’ motivation. Furthermore, they observe their performance during rehabilitation. However, some of these technologies present disadvantages because they do not consider therapists’ needs and experience. This research presents the development and usability evaluation of an upper limb rehabilitation system based on a user-centered design approach for patients with moderate or mild stroke that can perform active rehabilitation. The system consists of a virtual environment with four virtual scenarios and a developed haptic device with vibrotactile feedback, and it can be visualized using a monitor or a Head-Mounted Display (HMD). Two evaluations were carried out; in the first one, five therapists evaluated the system’s usability using a monitor through the System Usability Scale, the user experience with the AttrakDiff questionnaire, and the functionality with customized items. As a result of these tests, improvements were made to the system. The second evaluation was carried out by ten volunteers who evaluated the usability, user experience, and performance with a monitor and HMD. A comparison of the therapist and volunteer scores has shown an increase in the usability evaluation (from 78 to >85), the hedonic score rose from 0.6 to 2.23, the pragmatic qualities from 1.25 to 2.20, and the attractiveness from 1.3 to 2.95. Additionally, the haptic device and the VE showed no relevant difference between their performance when using a monitor or HMD. The results show that the proposed system has the characteristics to be a helpful tool for therapists and upper limb rehabilitation

Artificial Vision Algorithms for Socially Assistive Robot Applications: A Review of the Literature

Today, computer vision algorithms are very important for different fields and applications, such as closed-circuit television security, health status monitoring, and recognizing a specific person or object and robotics. Regarding this topic, the present paper deals with a recent review of the literature on computer vision algorithms (recognition and tracking of faces, bodies, and objects) oriented towards socially assistive robot applications. The performance, frames per second (FPS) processing speed, and hardware implemented to run the algorithms are highlighted by comparing the available solutions. Moreover, this paper provides general information for researchers interested in knowing which vision algorithms are available, enabling them to select the one that is most suitable to include in their robotic system applicationsBeca Conacyt Doctorado No de CVU: 64683

Robots Modulares para Cirugía Mínimamente Invasiva

Este artículo se enfoca en las consideraciones que se deben tomar en cuenta sobre el diseño de robots modulares que permitan auxiliar al médico en intervenciones de CMI (Cirugía Mínimamente Invasiva). Se presenta el estado del arte de los sistemas robóticos modulares tanto re-configurables como auto re-configurables, así como los dispositivos y materiales quirúrgicos usados en cirugía de mínima invasión con el fin de tomarlos como referencia en las propuestas de diseño, considerando la normatividad para dispositivos médicos y con un enfoque de diseño para dispositivos de ablación durante laparoscopías abdominales

Sistema electrónico para reeducación postural estática en tiempo real

En este trabajo se presenta un sistema electrónico, basado en la medición de la distribución del peso en los pies, cuyo objetivo es coadyuvar en la evaluación postural. La evaluación postural utilizada por los fisioterapeutas para corregir problemas musculo-esqueléticos derivados por la edad, accidentes, enfermedades, etc. El sistema electrónico construido se validó preliminarmente utilizando videocámaras para corroborar la postura en un sujeto. Con los datos obtenidos se pudo confirmar que el sistema propuesto es capaz de ayudar en la corrección de la postura en tiempo real. La limitación principal de este trabajo es el reducido número de pruebas, por lo que sólo se presentan resultados preliminares. La originalidad de este trabajo reside principalmente en la solución propuesta para evaluar y corregir la postura por medio de un sistema electrónico, novedoso por el método empleado y su portabilidad. Derivado de los resultados presentados se puede concluir que sistema propuesto es capaz de ayudar a corregir la postura en tiempo real