Wireless Electrical Stimulators and Sensors Network for Closed Loop Control in Rehabilitation
David Andreu1, Benoît Sijobert1, Mickael Toussaint1,2
1CAMIN, INRIA, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|March 7, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a wireless distributed Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) system for rehabilitation. The architecture ensures reliable performance for both open-loop and closed-loop control in wearable devices.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Technology
- Wearable Systems
Background:
- Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is crucial for rehabilitation.
- Existing FES systems often lack wireless flexibility and distributed control.
- Wearable systems require robust and adaptable control architectures for daily use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel wireless distributed Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) architecture.
- To assess the performance of this architecture for open-loop and closed-loop control.
- To provide a tool for developing advanced rehabilitation strategies.
Main Methods:
- Developed a wireless distributed FES architecture with heterogeneous stimulation/measurement units.
- Managed units via a wearable controller.
- Conducted a proof-of-concept study monitoring knee joint angle to control quadriceps and hamstrings stimulation.
Main Results:
- Characterized wireless network performance, confirming its adequacy for control requirements.
- Demonstrated guaranteed time performance over the network.
- Successfully controlled FES parameters based on real-time joint angle feedback.
Conclusions:
- The proposed wireless distributed FES architecture is suitable for rehabilitation applications.
- It supports the development of closed-loop control algorithms for wearable systems.
- Enables practical, daily-use rehabilitation solutions.
