In Vitro Measurement of Ankle Joint Biomechanics Using the Robot-Based Testing System

• Main Authors: Sheng-Han Wang, 王聖翰
• Other Authors: 呂東武
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/14597214622739578993

碩士 === 臺灣大學 === 醫學工程學研究所 === 95 === Biomechanical studies of human joints often aim at determining the joint stiffness and the contribution of the soft tissues in terms of load and strain. Many methodologies have been applied to measure the mechanical properties of those tissues, e.g. implanted transducer, arthrometer, computer modelling. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to simulate the loading conditions applied to the joints since joint motion is multi-degree-of-freedom and joint is geometrically and materially nonlinear. The purpose of this study is to develop a Robot-based Joint Testing System（RJTS）and integrate motion analysis system. Prior to the testing of human joints, computer simulation and animal experiment were executed to facilitate the development of the RJTS.The robotic manipulator can control the joint motion accurately and combine a 6-axis load cell mounted on the end effector of robot to measure loads. In order to integrate the RJTS, an interface coded in Visual Basic was developed to perform the 6-DOF position/force-moment control. Moreover, it was integrated into the RJTS interface for in vitro experiment. To measure the path of joint motion under specific loads and to reproduce a path combining the measurement of simultaneous loads are the two mainly functions of RJTS. Since RJTS is capable of measuring the kinematic and kinetic data of joints accurately and the in situ forces of soft tissues by the principle of superposition, which is helpful to measure the joint stiffness and understand the function and mechanical contribution of soft tissues.