Wearable Textile Platform for Assessing Stroke Patient Treatment in Daily Life Conditions.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Wearable Sensors

Background:

• Post-stroke rehabilitation requires continuous monitoring of physical activities for program optimization.
• Existing methods may lack the granularity or practicality for daily life monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a modular wearable sensing platform for monitoring motor capabilities in stroke patients during rehabilitation.
• To assess the platform's effectiveness in reconstructing movements and interactions relevant to recovery.

Main Methods:

• Sensor fusion of inertial measurement units (IMUs), knitted piezoresistive sensors, and textile EMG electrodes.
• Modular design including shirt, trousers, glove, and shoe components.
• Development of specific models for shoulder (including scapulo-thoracic joint) and leg movement reconstruction, and a sensing glove for hand-environment interaction.

Main Results:

• The sensor fusion approach improved hand position estimation during reaching activities by incorporating scapulo-thoracic joint data.
• A minimal sensor set (single IMU and textile goniometer) effectively reconstructed leg segment orientation for gait monitoring.
• The sensing glove demonstrated capability in reconstructing grasping activities and evaluating hand-environment interaction.

Conclusions:

• The developed wearable sensing platform offers a comprehensive solution for monitoring physical activities in post-stroke rehabilitation.
• The modular design and novel sensor fusion techniques enhance the accuracy and utility of movement analysis for tailored rehabilitation strategies.