title: Supinator Extender (SUE): a pneumatically actuated robot for forearm/wrist rehabilitation after stroke.
abstract: The robot described in this paper, SUE (Supinator Extender), adds forearm/wrist rehabilitation functionality to the UCI BONES exoskeleton robot and to the ArmeoSpring rehabilitation device. SUE is a 2-DOF serial chain that can measure and assist forearm supination-pronation and wrist flexion-extension. The large power to weight ratio of pneumatic actuators allows SUE to achieve the forces needed for rehabilitation therapy while remaining lightweight enough to be carried by BONES and ArmeoSpring. Each degree of freedom has a range of 90 degrees, and a nominal torque of 2 ft-lbs. The cylinders are mounted away from the patient's body on the lateral aspect of the arm. This is to prevent the danger of a collision and maximize the workspace of the arm robot. The rotation axis used for supination-pronation is a small bearing just below the subject's wrist. The flexion-extension motion is actuated by a cantilevered pneumatic cylinder, which allows the palm of the hand to remain open. Data are presented that demonstrate the ability of SUE to measure and cancel forearm/wrist passive tone, thereby extending the active range of motion for people with stroke.
authors.affiliation: University of California Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allington
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buell
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Reinkensmeyer
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bobrow
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D015915:Motion Therapy, Continuous Passive / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010291:Paresis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014953:Wrist