Design of Customized Rehabilitation Devices and Bench Testing System

Off-the-shelf rehabilitation devices are currently prescribed to assist patients with stroke. Current fabrication processes of custom-made rehabilitation devices are time consuming and laborious. The process could be only performed by skilled therapists. In addition, quantitative assessment of mechanical properties is crucial in the design of customized rehabilitation devices. By the design and the real time implementation of a 3D printed hand exoskeleton and a biomimetic testbed for AnkleFoot Orthoses (AFOs), the improved digitalized methodologies of design and bench testing systems for customized rehabilitation devices were presented in this study. A customized 3D printed hand exoskeleton (the EXCELSIOR) was developed and prototyped to assist stroke patients for finger extension exercises. 3D printing was combined with 3D scanning to create a custom-fit clamp. Compliant finger elements were designed and optimized utilizing Finite Element Analysis. Embedded strain gauges were applied to measure angular positions of the finger joints. In addition, a novel biomimetic testbed was designed to perform stiffness measurement and functional analysis for AFOs. A biomimetic footplate was designed to adjust pivot centers for the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint and the ankle joint according to the patient specific anatomy. Feedback control systems were developed and real time implemented to perform AFO stiffness measurement. An impedance control system was developed and real time implemented to simulate the kinematics of the human ankle for further functional analysis in gait. Real time implementation of the hand exoskeleton and AFO testbed proved the concepts of the design and the testing for customized rehabilitation devices.