Abstract
Movement problems of the upper limb are a common consequence of many diseases and can drastically affect the daily life impairing normal activities. To regain motor function and muscle power is necessary to treat these diseases with an intense physical therapy.
The smart orthosis is an effective and modern method used in the process of muscle rehabilitation. We propose a design of motorized orthosis subsystems for the upper limbs.
The orthosis is a motor assist robotic system that, with the help of actuators, will allow the movement of selected parts of the upper limb. The main point is to offer a reliable low weighted exoskeleton with selected sensors to move and control the upper limbs covering 6 motions: shoulder adduction and abduction, shoulder flexion and extension and elbow flexion and extension.
The device is a junction of a hard orthosis with a soft orthosis in order to perform passive physical therapist exercises in clinical practice. The actuation is made by Bowden cables connected in one end to the limb and another to a stepper motor located at a backpack carried by the patient decreasing the apparatus weight substantially.
The project also includes a selection of sensors comprising accelerometers, strain gages, thermostats, oximeters, that can provide the necessary information to move the limbs quantifying the muscle activity and physical condition through time. Also, a cooling subsystem based on Peltier thermoelectric modules was implemented to control the muscle temperature in case of an inflammatory reaction.
The design was certified by kinematic and structural strength simulation using SolidWorks software.