Design of an active-passive device for human ankle movement during functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis has made major strides in recent years, both because of the development of new scanners and owing to magnetic resonance compatible systems that make it possible to stimulate parts of the human body during analysis. The significant gains in our knowledge of the brain that can thus be achieved justify efforts to construct machines with control circuits suitable for this purpose. This paper presents a magnetic resonance compatible mechatronic device with electropneumatic control that can be used to move one or both feet during functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of the cerebral motor zones.

A combined robotic and cognitive training for locomotor rehabilitation: evidences of cerebral functional reorganization in two chronic traumatic brain injured patients.

It has been demonstrated that automated locomotor training can improve walking capabilities in spinal cord-injured subjects but its effectiveness on brain damaged patients has not been well established. A possible explanation of the discordant results on the efficacy of robotic training in patients with cerebral lesions could be that these patients, besides stimulation of physiological motor patterns through passive leg movements, also need to train the cognitive aspects of motor control. Indeed, another way to stimulate cerebral motor areas in paretic patients is to use the cognitive function of motor imagery.

Pneumatic interactive gait rehabilitation orthosis: design and preliminary testing.

Motor rehabilitation techniques based on passive movement of the lower limbs have been developed over the past 15 years. Gait training automation is the latest innovation in these techniques. This paper describes the design and development of a pneumatic interactive gait rehabilitation orthosis (PIGRO), as well as the first experimental results obtained with healthy subjects.

Experimental comparison between a Staffieri and a New Prototype tracheo-oesophageal valve.

A tracheo-oesophageal valve is used for the rehabilitation of patients who have lost vocal function due to a total laryngectomy. The valve is positioned in a surgically created fistula between the airway and the upper oesophagus at the level of the post-laryngectomy stoma. It permits passage of air from the trachea to the pharynx to permit speech, while it blocks the flow of secretions and food materials from the digestive tract to the airway.

Staffieri tracheo-oesophageal prosthesis for voice rehabilitation after laryngectomy: an evaluation of characteristics.

Experimental results on voice prostheses used for the rehabilitation of patients that have lost their vocal function after total laryngectomy are presented. The purpose is to evaluate the difference in aerodynamic behaviour between Staffieri voice prosthesis and other commercial valves (Groningen standard, Groningen low pressure, Panje, Provox). Two different equipments for flow-rate measurement were designed and built to compare the performance of the valves.