Design of Visual-IMU-Treadmill Aids and its Application for Stroke Patient Gait Training

• Main Author: 林銘達
• Other Authors: Lin, Sheng-Fuu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/92874135780557599550

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 電控工程研究所 === 99 === As a result of medical advances in recent years, stroke mortality rates have been decreasing. Nevertheless, there has been a gradual increase in the number of stroke patients due to the problems of population aging. During the process of stroke therapy, rehabilitation is one of the most essential parts for stroke patients, and recovery of gait has always been considered the main goal of stroke treatment. In both the Divisions of Rehabilitation and rehabilitation clinics, treadmill training is the most common gait therapy. When a patient is put on a treadmill for training, nonetheless, he would not know how he walks unless a physical therapist helps correct his gait by his side. Therefore, this essay proposes a new method of gait training. It begins with measurement of angle changes in patient’s hip and knee joints by utilizing IMU. Moreover, it helps the patient understand his physical status as he is given visual feedback, and he may thus help himself to correct his error. This method may not only mitigate the burden of human resource, but it may also provide additional data for rehabilitation assessment. To prove the effect of IMU-treadmill training in stroke patients, twenty subjects with stroke were included in the study. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. Subjects in the experimental group received “IMU-treadmill training,” while those in the control group were given “traditional treadmill training.” After completing the clinical trial, it is proven that the “IMU-treadmill training” is more effective than the “traditional treadmill training” for stroke patients.