Louis N Awad1,2,3, Pawel Kudzia3, Dheepak Arumukhom Revi1,2,3, Terry D Ellis1, Conor J Walsh2,3. 1. College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, Boston University, Boston, MA. 2. Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. 3. Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Soft robotic exosuits can improve the mechanics and energetics of walking after stroke. Building on this prior work, we evaluated the effects of the first prototype of a portable soft robotic exosuit. METHODS: Exosuit-induced changes in the overground walking speed, distance, and energy expenditure of individuals post-stroke were evaluated statistically with alpha set to 0.05 and compared to minimal clinically important difference scores. RESULTS: Compared to baseline walking without the exosuit worn, the <5kg exosuit did not substantially modify walking speed, distance, or energy expenditure when worn unpowered. In contrast, when the exosuit was powered on to provide an average 22.87±0.58 %bodyweight of plantarflexor force assistance during the paretic limb's stance phase and assist the paretic dorsiflexors during swing phase to reduce drop-foot, study participants walked a median 0.14±0.06 m/s faster during the 10-meter walk test and traveled 32±8 m farther during the six minute walk test. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals post-stroke can leverage the paretic plantarflexor and dorsiflexor assistance provided by soft robotic exosuits to achieve clinically-meaningful increases in speed and distance.
OBJECTIVE: Soft robotic exosuits can improve the mechanics and energetics of walking after stroke. Building on this prior work, we evaluated the effects of the first prototype of a portable soft robotic exosuit. METHODS: Exosuit-induced changes in the overground walking speed, distance, and energy expenditure of individuals post-stroke were evaluated statistically with alpha set to 0.05 and compared to minimal clinically important difference scores. RESULTS: Compared to baseline walking without the exosuit worn, the <5kg exosuit did not substantially modify walking speed, distance, or energy expenditure when worn unpowered. In contrast, when the exosuit was powered on to provide an average 22.87±0.58 %bodyweight of plantarflexor force assistance during the paretic limb's stance phase and assist the paretic dorsiflexors during swing phase to reduce drop-foot, study participants walked a median 0.14±0.06 m/s faster during the 10-meter walk test and traveled 32±8 m farther during the six minute walk test. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals post-stroke can leverage the paretic plantarflexor and dorsiflexor assistance provided by soft robotic exosuits to achieve clinically-meaningful increases in speed and distance.
Authors: Louis N Awad; Jaehyun Bae; Kathleen O'Donnell; Stefano M M De Rossi; Kathryn Hendron; Lizeth H Sloot; Pawel Kudzia; Stephen Allen; Kenneth G Holt; Terry D Ellis; Conor J Walsh Journal: Sci Transl Med Date: 2017-07-26 Impact factor: 17.956
Authors: Kai Schmidt; Jaime E Duarte; Martin Grimmer; Alejandro Sancho-Puchades; Haiqi Wei; Chris S Easthope; Robert Riener Journal: Front Neurorobot Date: 2017-10-27 Impact factor: 2.650
Authors: Jacob A George; Andrew J Gunnell; Dante Archangeli; Grace Hunt; Marshall Ishmael; K Bo Foreman; Tommaso Lenzi Journal: Front Neurorobot Date: 2021-11-03 Impact factor: 2.650