Instrumented Crutch Tip for Monitoring Force and Crutch Pitch Angle

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Biomechanics
• Medical Instrumentation

Background:

• Gait monitoring is crucial in lower limb rehabilitation.
• Existing methods often rely on uncomfortable, invasive devices.
• There is a need for objective, non-invasive monitoring solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and detail an instrumented crutch tip for gait monitoring.
• To provide objective data on crutch motion and force exertion.
• To enable daily activity tracking and patient recovery assessment.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a two-axis inclinometer, tri-axial gyroscope, and force sensor into a crutch tip.
• Development of a novel algorithm for estimating crutch pitch angle.
• Experimental testing to validate the system's accuracy and performance.

Main Results:

• The instrumented tip successfully collected objective data on crutch motion and force.
• The developed algorithm accurately estimated the crutch's pitch angle.
• Experimental results demonstrated acceptable accuracies for the proposed system.

Conclusions:

• The developed instrumented crutch tip is a valid, lightweight, and portable solution for gait monitoring.
• This technology can enhance the assessment of patient recovery and daily activities in rehabilitation.
• The non-invasive nature of the device improves patient comfort and compliance.