ITMO: Prosthetic simulator for rehabilitation in cerebral palsy and after stroke

The main articles are:

• Rehabilitation of disabled people in Russia
• Rehabilitation equipment
• Brain stroke

2023: Simulator Development

A graduate student ITMO has developed a prosthetic simulator that allows you to restore muscle activity in cerebral palsy and after a stroke. Unlike its counterparts, it can be used even at home: it is more compact and convenient to use. The first prototype was created for training the muscles and joints of the hands, but in the future the development can be adapted for other parts of the body. ITMO Corporation announced this on February 3, 2023.

Survivors stroke often experience muscle atrophy (thinning of fibers and decreased total muscle volume). In the initial stages, sedentary parts of the body can be restored using special exercises and massages. Another group exposed to motor deficits are people with cerebral palsy (cerebral palsy). They need regular training throughout their lives. One of the difficulties that arises on the path of rehabilitation in cerebral palsy and after a stroke is the lack of convenient and affordable simulators. Existing models are bulky, expensive and, as a rule, have limited functionality.

An ITMO graduate student has proposed technology that will facilitate muscle and joint repair. This is a programmable portable prosthetic simulator for the development of muscle activity of the hands.

I know firsthand the difficulties people with impaired motor activity face. As a child, I had to do a lot of exercise to get my muscles and joints back working properly because of cerebral palsy. At the university, I have already studied this question in more detail what tools are on the market, and I came up with the idea to develop a technology that will take on part of the functions of a rehabilitologist. As a result, including thanks to consultations with doctors, it was possible to create a prosthetic simulator that allows you to train even at home, "said Artyom Meinov, author of the project, graduate student of the Faculty of Software Engineering and Computer Engineering ITMO.

The prosthesis consists of special fixators (they can be made taking into account the anatomical features of a particular person), which are attached to the shoulder and forearm, and the electronic part: a controller, a screen with a keyboard for adjusting the necessary parameters and a servomotor (it drives the prosthesis). To start training, you need to fix the prosthesis on the arm, then set the initial position. After that, the end point is established, that is, the maximum angle of movement of the hand, which does not harm the patient. The angle and speed increase gradually - just as the force increases in strength exercises. All these parameters are set and adjusted by a rehabilitologist. One full charge of the simulator is enough for 30-40 minutes, that is, for one full-fledged lesson.

The prosthetic simulator has every chance of entering the market. Moreover, some medical practitioners and medical device manufacturers have already expressed interest in development. In the future, the technology can be adapted for the muscles and joints of the legs, as well as equipped with a remote monitoring system that will help the doctor control the rehabilitation process. It is still difficult to say what the price of the prosthesis will be, since Artyom still plans to experiment with spare parts and materials, but it will definitely be several times lower than that of analogues, "said Igor Bessmertny, scientific director of a graduate student, professor at the Faculty of Software Engineering and Computer Engineering ITMO.