Introduction: Repeated use of functional electrical stimulation can promote functional recovery in individuals with neurological paralysis. We designed garments able to deliver functional electrical stimulation.
Methods: Shirts and pants containing electrodes knitted with a conductive yarn were produced. Electrodes were moistened with water before use. Stimulation intensity at four thresholds levels (sensory, movement, full range of motion, and maximal), stimulation comfort, and electrical properties of the interface were tested in one able-bodied subject with garment electrodes and size-matched conventional gel electrodes. The pants and shirt were then used to explore usability and design limitations.
Results: Compared to gel electrodes, fabric electrodes had a lower sensory threshold (on forearm muscles) but they had a higher maximal stimulation threshold (for all tested muscles). The stimulation delivery was comfortable when the garment electrodes were recently moistened; however, as the electrodes dried (within 9 to 18 min) stimulation became unpleasant. Inconsistent water content in the fabric electrodes caused inconsistent intensity thresholds and inconsistent voltage necessary to apply a desired stimulation current. Garments' tightness and impracticality of electrode lead necessitate further design improvement.
Conclusions: Fabric electrodes offer a promising alternative to gel electrodes. Further work involving people with paralysis is required to overcome the identified challenges.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8855467 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2055668319854340 | DOI Listing |
Adv Mater
January 2025
Liquid Crystals and Photonics Group, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 126, Ghent, 9052, Belgium.
In liquid crystal (LC) cells, the surface patterning directs the self-assembly of the uniaxial building blocks in the bulk, enabling the design of stimuli-response optical devices with various functionalities. The combination of different anchoring patterns at both substrates can lead to surface induced frustration, preventing a purely planar and defect-free configuration. In cells with crossed assembly of rotating anchoring patterns, elastic deformations allow to obtain a defect-free bulk configuration, but an electrical stimulus can induce disclination lines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Electrical and Information Engineering (DEI), Polytechnic University of Bari, Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.
Abnormal locomotor patterns may occur in case of either motor damages or neurological conditions, thus potentially jeopardizing an individual's safety. Pathological gait recognition (PGR) is a research field that aims to discriminate among different walking patterns. A PGR-oriented system may benefit from the simulation of gait disorders by healthy subjects, since the acquisition of actual pathological gaits would require either a higher experimental time or a larger sample size.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
December 2024
School of Cyber Science and Engineering, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining significant attention as an environmentally friendly transportation solution. However, limitations in battery technology continue to restrict EV range and charging speed, resulting in range anxiety, which hampers widespread adoption. While there has been increasing research on EV route optimization, personalized path planning that caters to individual user needs remains underexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
December 2024
Institute of Robotics, Autonomous System and Sensing, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Knee joint disorders pose a significant and growing challenge to global healthcare systems. Recent advancements in robotics, sensing technologies, and artificial intelligence have driven the development of robot-assisted therapies, reducing the physical burden on therapists and improving rehabilitation outcomes. This study presents a novel knee exoskeleton designed for safe and adaptive rehabilitation, specifically targeting bed-bound stroke patients to enable early intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
December 2024
Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 3 Lavrentiev Pr., 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia.
This paper presents the results of quantum-chemical modeling performed by the Density Functional-Based Tight Binding (DFTB) method to investigate the change in the band structure of hybrid materials based on carbon nanotubes and unsubstituted, tetra-, or octa-halogen-substituted zinc phthalocyanines upon the adsorption of ammonia molecules. The study showed that the electrical conductivity of these materials and its changes in the case of interaction with ammonia molecules depend on the position of the impurity band formed by the orbitals of macrocycle atoms relative to the forbidden energy gap of the hybrids. The sensor response of the hybrids containing halogenated phthalocyanines was lower by one or two orders of magnitude, depending on the number of substituents, compared to the hybrid with unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!