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Implantation and Control of Wireless, Battery-free Systems for Peripheral Nerve Interfacing
Published on: October 20, 2021
Wireless distributed architecture for therapeutic functional electrical stimulation: a technology to design
Mickael Toussaint1, David Andreuy, Philippe Fraisse
1LIRMM-CNRS, University of Montpellier 2, France. mickeal.toussaint@lirmn.fr
Summary
This study introduces a wireless Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) architecture for patient rehabilitation. The system enables dynamic control for developing closed-loop therapeutic strategies, addressing network delays for stability.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Technology
- Control Systems
Background:
- Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is crucial for therapeutic training in disabled patients.
- Existing FES systems often lack the flexibility for dynamic parameter adjustment and closed-loop control.
- Wireless architectures offer potential for more adaptable and less intrusive rehabilitation solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel distributed Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) architecture utilizing a wireless network.
- To enable dynamic control of stimulation and acquisition parameters for advanced rehabilitation strategies.
- To provide a tool for researchers and therapists to develop and test closed-loop FES control algorithms in a clinical setting.
Main Methods:
- Development of a distributed FES architecture with a central controller and wireless stimulation/acquisition units.
- Implementation of dynamic parameter modification capabilities for stimulation and acquisition.
- Performance characterization of the wireless network, including measurements of stack-crossing and round-trip time.
- Analysis of network-induced variable delays to ensure closed-loop stability.
Main Results:
- Successful demonstration of a distributed FES architecture controllable via a wireless network.
- Validation of dynamic parameter adjustment for stimulation and acquisition units.
- Accurate characterization of wireless network performance metrics relevant to control system stability.
- Identification of network delay as a critical factor for closed-loop FES control.
Conclusions:
- The proposed wireless distributed FES architecture is a viable tool for developing advanced closed-loop rehabilitation strategies.
- Understanding and accounting for network delay is essential for ensuring the stability of wireless FES control systems.
- This technology facilitates research and clinical application of external FES for patient therapy.
