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Imatz-Ojanguren E, Keller T. Evoked sensations with transcutaneous electrical stimulation with different frequencies, waveforms, and electrode configurations. Artif Organs 2023; 47:117-128. [PMID: 36102414 DOI: 10.1111/aor.14400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current Perception Threshold (CPT) is a technique used for diagnostic purposes that applies sinusoidal currents transcutaneously at 5 Hz, 250 Hz, and 2KHz to preferentially excite C, Aδ, and Aβ afferent nerve fibers correspondingly. This fact may be interesting for evoking different electrotactile sensations for a wide variety of applications. METHODS Sensations evoked by 5 Hz, 250 Hz, and 2KHz frequencies; sinusoidal, square, and 250 μs-pulsed waveforms; and conventional and concentric electrode configurations were analyzed in 19 healthy volunteers. Stimuli were applied in the dorsum of the hand in a double-blind manner and CPTs were defined based on participants' verbal feedback. After each stimulus participants filled in a form with sensation modality, irradiation, intensity, and emotion descriptors. RESULTS The frequency showed a significant effect on the four domains of evoked sensations and the waveform showed a significant effect on the modality domain. For most waveform and electrode configuration combinations, 5 Hz evoked mostly a low-intensity prickling sensation; 250 Hz mostly evoked an uncomfortable medium-intensity tingling sensation; and 2KHz mostly evoked a low-intensity tingling sensation. No thermal or noxious sensations were evoked. A significant interaction effect was only found between the frequency and the waveform factors. The electrode configuration did not show either a significant effect on the evoked sensations or an interaction effect with the frequency or waveform type. CONCLUSIONS Transcutaneous electrical stimulation may evoke different sensations at different frequencies due to the preferential activation of different fiber types. The results of these analysis could be used to enhance human-machine/computer-interaction systems based on electrotactile feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thierry Keller
- TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
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2
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Zhou Z, Yang Y, Liu J, Zeng J, Wang X, Liu H. Electrotactile Perception Properties and Its Applications: A Review. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON HAPTICS 2022; 15:464-478. [PMID: 35476571 DOI: 10.1109/toh.2022.3170723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
With the increased demands of human-machine interaction, haptic feedback is becoming increasingly critical. However, the high cost, large size and low efficiency of current haptic systems severely hinder further development. As a portable and efficient technology, cutaneous electrotactile stimulation has shown promising potential for these issues. This paper presents a review on and insight into cutaneous electrotactile perception and its applications. Research results on perceptual properties and evaluation methods have been summarized and discussed to understand the effects of electrotactile stimulation on humans. Electrotactile applications are presented in categories to understand the methods and progress in various fields such as prostheses control, sensory substitution, sensory restoration and sensorimotor restoration. State of the art has demonstrated the superiority of electrotactile feedback, its efficiency and its flexibility. However, the complex factors and the limitations of evaluation methods made it challenging for precise electrotactile control. Groundbreaking innovation in electrotactile theory is expected to overcome challenges such as precise perception control, information capacity increasing, comprehension burden reducing and implementation costs.
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Kourtesis P, Argelaguet F, Vizcay S, Marchal M, Pacchierotti C. Electrotactile Feedback Applications for Hand and Arm Interactions: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Future Directions. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON HAPTICS 2022; 15:479-496. [PMID: 35816531 DOI: 10.1109/toh.2022.3189866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Haptic feedback is critical in a broad range of human-machine/computer-interaction applications. However, the high cost and low portability/wearability of haptic devices remain unresolved issues, severely limiting the adoption of this otherwise promising technology. Electrotactile interfaces have the advantage of being more portable and wearable due to their reduced actuators' size, as well as their lower power consumption and manufacturing cost. The applications of electrotactile feedback have been explored in human-computer interaction and human-machine-interaction for facilitating hand-based interactions in applications, such as prosthetics, virtual reality, robotic teleoperation, surface haptics, portable devices, and rehabilitation. This article presents a technological overview of electrotactile feedback, as well a systematic review and meta-analysis of its applications for hand-based interactions. We discuss the different electrotactile systems according to the type of application. We also discuss over a quantitative congregation of the findings, to offer a high-level overview into the state-of-art and suggest future directions. Electrotactile feedback systems showed increased portability/wearability, and they were successful in rendering and/or augmenting most tactile sensations, eliciting perceptual processes, and improving performance in many scenarios. However, knowledge gaps (e.g., embodiment), technical (e.g., recurrent calibration, electrodes' durability) and methodological (e.g., sample size) drawbacks were detected, which should be addressed in future studies.
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4
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Guémann M, Halgand C, Bastier A, Lansade C, Borrini L, Lapeyre É, Cattaert D, de Rugy A. Sensory substitution of elbow proprioception to improve myoelectric control of upper limb prosthesis: experiment on healthy subjects and amputees. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2022; 19:59. [PMID: 35690860 PMCID: PMC9188052 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-022-01038-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current myoelectric prostheses lack proprioceptive information and rely on vision for their control. Sensory substitution is increasingly developed with non-invasive vibrotactile or electrotactile feedback, but most systems are designed for grasping or object discriminations, and few were tested for online control in amputees. The objective of this work was evaluate the effect of a novel vibrotactile feedback on the accuracy of myoelectric control of a virtual elbow by healthy subjects and participants with an upper-limb amputation at humeral level. METHODS Sixteen, healthy participants and 7 transhumeral amputees performed myoelectric control of a virtual arm under different feedback conditions: vision alone (VIS), vibration alone (VIB), vision plus vibration (VIS + VIB), or no feedback at all (NO). Reach accuracy was evaluated by angular errors during discrete as well as back and forth movements. Healthy participants' workloads were assessed with the NASA-TLX questionnaire, and feedback conditions were ranked according to preference at the end of the experiment. RESULTS Reach errors were higher in NO than in VIB, indicating that our vibrotactile feedback improved performance as compared to no feedback. Conditions VIS and VIS+VIB display similar levels of performance and produced lower errors than in VIB. Vision remains therefore critical to maintain good performance, which is not ameliorated nor deteriorated by the addition of vibrotactile feedback. The workload associated with VIB was higher than for VIS and VIS+VIB, which did not differ from each other. 62.5% of healthy subjects preferred the VIS+VIB condition, and ranked VIS and VIB second and third, respectively. CONCLUSION Our novel vibrotactile feedback improved myoelectric control of a virtual elbow as compared to no feedback. Although vision remained critical, the addition of vibrotactile feedback did not improve nor deteriorate the control and was preferred by participants. Longer training should improve performances with VIB alone and reduce the need of vision for close-loop prosthesis control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Guémann
- HYBRID Team, INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France. .,Unité de Physiologie de l'Exercice et des Activités en Conditions Extrêmes,Département Environnements Opérationnels, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny, France.
| | | | | | | | - Léo Borrini
- Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Percy Military Hospital, Clamart, France
| | - Éric Lapeyre
- Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Percy Military Hospital, Clamart, France
| | | | - Aymar de Rugy
- HYBRID Team, INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
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5
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Borkowska VR, McConnell A, Vijayakumar S, Stokes A, Roche AD. A Haptic Sleeve as a Method of Mechanotactile Feedback Restoration for Myoelectric Hand Prosthesis Users. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2022; 3:806479. [PMID: 36188923 PMCID: PMC9397846 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2022.806479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Current myoelectric upper limb prostheses do not restore sensory feedback, impairing fine motor control. Mechanotactile feedback restoration with a haptic sleeve may rectify this problem. This randomised crossover within-participant controlled study aimed to assess a prototype haptic sleeve's effect on routine grasping tasks performed by eight able-bodied participants. Each participant completed 15 repetitions of the three tasks: Task 1—normal grasp, Task 2—strong grasp and Task 3—weak grasp, using visual, haptic, or combined feedback All data were collected in April 2021 in the Scottish Microelectronics Centre, Edinburgh, UK. Combined feedback correlated with significantly higher grasp success rates compared to the vision alone in Task 1 (p < 0.0001), Task 2 (p = 0.0057), and Task 3 (p = 0.0170). Similarly, haptic feedback was associated with significantly higher grasp success rates compared to vision in Task 1 (p < 0.0001) and Task 2 (p = 0.0015). Combined feedback correlated with significantly lower energy expenditure compared to visual feedback in Task 1 (p < 0.0001) and Task 3 (p = 0.0003). Likewise, haptic feedback was associated with significantly lower energy expenditure compared to the visual feedback in Task 1 (p < 0.0001), Task 2 (p < 0.0001), and Task 3 (p < 0.0001). These results suggest that mechanotactile feedback provided by the haptic sleeve effectively augments grasping and reduces its energy expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violet R. Borkowska
- Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair McConnell
- Scottish Microelectronics Centre, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sethu Vijayakumar
- School of Informatics, Bayes Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Stokes
- Scottish Microelectronics Centre, Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Aidan D. Roche
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Plastic Surgery, National Healthcare System Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Aidan D. Roche
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Zangrandi A, D'Alonzo M, Cipriani C, Di Pino G. Neurophysiology of slip sensation and grip reaction: insights for hand prosthesis control of slippage. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:477-492. [PMID: 34232750 PMCID: PMC7613203 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00087.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory feedback is pivotal for a proficient dexterity of the hand. By modulating the grip force in function of the quick and not completely predictable change of the load force, grabbed objects are prevented to slip from the hand. Slippage control is an enabling achievement to all manipulation abilities. However, in hand prosthetics, the performance of even the most innovative research solutions proposed so far to control slippage remain distant from the human physiology. Indeed, slippage control involves parallel and compensatory activation of multiple mechanoceptors, spinal and supraspinal reflexes, and higher-order voluntary behavioral adjustments. In this work, we reviewed the literature on physiological correlates of slippage to propose a three-phases model for the slip sensation and reaction. Furthermore, we discuss the main strategies employed so far in the research studies that tried to restore slippage control in amputees. In the light of the proposed three-phase slippage model and from the weaknesses of already implemented solutions, we proposed several physiology-inspired solutions for slippage control to be implemented in the future hand prostheses. Understanding the physiological basis of slip detection and perception and implementing them in novel hand feedback system would make prosthesis manipulation more efficient and would boost its perceived naturalness, fostering the sense of agency for the hand movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zangrandi
- Research Unit of Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction (NeXTlab), Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco D'Alonzo
- Research Unit of Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction (NeXTlab), Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Cipriani
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Excellence in Robotics & A.I., Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Pino
- Research Unit of Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human-Technology Interaction (NeXTlab), Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
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Garenfeld MA, Jorgovanovic N, Ilic V, Strbac M, Isakovic M, Dideriksen JL, Dosen S. A compact system for simultaneous stimulation and recording for closed-loop myoelectric control. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2021; 18:87. [PMID: 34034762 PMCID: PMC8146235 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-021-00877-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite important advancements in control and mechatronics of myoelectric prostheses, the communication between the user and his/her bionic limb is still unidirectional, as these systems do not provide somatosensory feedback. Electrotactile stimulation is an attractive technology to close the control loop since it allows flexible modulation of multiple parameters and compact interface design via multi-pad electrodes. However, the stimulation interferes with the recording of myoelectric signals and this can be detrimental to control. Methods We present a novel compact solution for simultaneous recording and stimulation through dynamic blanking of stimulation artefacts. To test the system, a feedback coding scheme communicating wrist rotation and hand aperture was developed specifically to stress the myoelectric control while still providing meaningful information to the subjects. Ten subjects participated in an experiment, where the quality of closed-loop myoelectric control was assessed by controlling a cursor in a two degrees of freedom target-reaching task. The benchmark performance with visual feedback was compared to that achieved by combining visual feedback and electrotactile stimulation as well as by using electrotactile feedback only. Results There was no significant difference in performance between visual and combined feedback condition with regards to successfully reached targets, time to reach a target, path efficiency and the number of overshoots. Therefore, the quality of myoelectric control was preserved in spite of the stimulation. As expected, the tactile condition was significantly poorer in completion rate (100/4% and 78/25% for combined and tactile condition, respectively) and time to reach a target (9/2 s and 13/4 s for combined and tactile condition, respectively). However, the performance in the tactile condition was still good, with no significant difference in path efficiency (38/8%) and the number of overshoots (0.5/0.4 overshoots), indicating that the stimulation was meaningful for the subjects and useful for closed-loop control. Conclusions Overall, the results demonstrated that the developed system can provide robust closed-loop control using electrotactile stimulation. The system supports different encoding schemes and allows placing the recording and stimulation electrodes next to each other. This is an important step towards an integrated solution where the developed unit will be embedded into a prosthetic socket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Garenfeld
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7D, 9220, Aalborg Ø, Denmark.
| | - Nikola Jorgovanovic
- Department of Computing and Control Engineering, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Vojin Ilic
- Department of Computing and Control Engineering, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Matija Strbac
- Tecnalia Serbia Ltd., Deligradska 9/39, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milica Isakovic
- Tecnalia Serbia Ltd., Deligradska 9/39, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jakob L Dideriksen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7D, 9220, Aalborg Ø, Denmark
| | - Strahinja Dosen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7D, 9220, Aalborg Ø, Denmark.
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Abstract
SUMMARYInteraction between a robot and its environment requires perception about the environment, which helps the robot in making a clear decision about the object type and its location. After that, the end effector will be brought to the object’s location for grasping. There are many research studies on the reaching and grasping of objects using different techniques and mechanisms for increasing accuracy and robustness during grasping and reaching tasks. Thus, this paper presents an extensive review of research directions and topics of different approaches such as sensing, learning and gripping, which have been implemented within the current five years.
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9
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Li K, Zhou Y, Zhou D, Zeng J, Fang Y, Yang J, Liu H. Electrotactile Feedback-Based Muscle Fatigue Alleviation for Hand Manipulation. INT J HUM ROBOT 2020. [DOI: 10.1142/s0219843620500243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Tactile feedback is beneficial to improve the hand prosthesis performance, alleviate phantom pain, reduce muscle fatigue, etc. During the manipulation process, muscle fatigue not only causes discomfort to prosthesis users but also disturbs the surface electromyographic (sEMG)-based motion recognition, which significantly deteriorates the prosthesis functional performance. Efforts have been made to explore appropriate signal processing algorithms which could be less influenced by muscle fatigue. However, few studies concern how to alleviate muscle fatigue directly. Thus, this study proposes a novel method to avoid excessive muscle fatigue based on electrotactile feedback. A potable electrotactile stimulator is developed with adjustable parameters, multiple channels and wireless communication. It is implemented in a virtual hand grasping platform driven by sEMG signals to investigate the impact of tactile feedback on muscle fatigue. Experimental results show a higher success rate of grasping with electrotactile feedback than that with no feedback. Moreover, compared with grasp in the no feedback condition, there is an observable decrease of sEMG intensity when grasping a heavy object with electrotactile feedback, despite a comparable performance on the light and medium objects in both feedback conditions. It indicates that tactile feedback helps to alleviate muscle fatigue caused by excessive muscle contraction, especially when large strength is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kairu Li
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang 110870, P. R. China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Dalin Zhou
- School of Computing, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3HE, UK
| | - Jia Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Yinfeng Fang
- School of Communication Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
| | - Junyou Yang
- School of Electrical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang 110870, P. R. China
| | - Honghai Liu
- School of Computing, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3HE, UK
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10
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Masteller A, Sankar S, Kim HB, Ding K, Liu X, All AH. Recent Developments in Prosthesis Sensors, Texture Recognition, and Sensory Stimulation for Upper Limb Prostheses. Ann Biomed Eng 2020; 49:57-74. [PMID: 33140242 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02678-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Current developments being made in upper limb prostheses are focused on replacing lost sensory information to the amputees. Providing sensory stimulation from the prosthesis can directly improve control over the prosthetic and provide a sense of body ownership. The focus of this review article is on recent developments while including foundational knowledge for some of the critical concepts in neural prostheses. Reported concepts follow the flow of information from sensors to signal processing, with emphasis on texture recognition, and then to sensory stimulation strategies that reestablish the lost sensory feedback loop. Prosthetic sensors are used to detect the physical environment, converting pressure, force, and position into electrical signals. The electrical signals can then be processed in an effort to identify the surrounding environment using distinctive characteristics such as stiffness and texture. In order for the amputee to use this information in a natural manner, there must be real-time sensory stimulation, perception, and motor control of the prosthesis. Although truly complete sensory replacement has not yet been realized, some basic percepts can be partially restored, allowing progress towards a more realistic prosthesis with natural sensations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Masteller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Traylor Building, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sriramana Sankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Traylor Building, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Han Biehn Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Traylor Building, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Keqin Ding
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Traylor Building, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Xiaogang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Building 3 Science Drive 3, 117543, Singapore, Singapore. .,The N. 1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Angelo H All
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, # 844, RRS Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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11
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Nataletti S, Leo F, Seminara L, Trompetto C, Valle M, Dosen S, Brayda L. Temporal Asynchrony but Not Total Energy Nor Duration Improves the Judgment of Numerosity in Electrotactile Stimulation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:555. [PMID: 32656190 PMCID: PMC7325877 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke patients suffer from impairments of both motor and somatosensory functions. The functional recovery of upper extremities is one of the primary goals of rehabilitation programs. Additional somatosensory deficits limit sensorimotor function and significantly affect its recovery after the neuromotor injury. Sensory substitution systems, providing tactile feedback, might facilitate manipulation capability, and improve patient's dexterity during grasping movements. As a first step toward this aim, we evaluated the ability of healthy subjects in exploiting electrotactile feedback on the shoulder to determine the number of perceived stimuli in numerosity judgment tasks. During the experiment, we compared four different stimulation patterns (two simultaneous: short and long, intermittent and sequential) differing in total duration, total energy, or temporal synchrony. The experiment confirmed that the subject ability to enumerate electrotactile stimuli decreased with increasing the number of active electrodes. Furthermore, we found that, in electrotactile stimulation, the temporal coding schemes, and not total energy or duration modulated the accuracy in numerosity judgment. More precisely, the sequential condition resulted in significantly better numerosity discrimination than intermittent and simultaneous stimulation. These findings, together with the fact that the shoulder appeared to be a feasible stimulation site to communicate tactile information via electrotactile feedback, can serve as a guide to deliver tactile feedback to proximal areas in stroke survivors who lack sensory integrity in distal areas of their affected arm, but retain motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Nataletti
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Science Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Informatics Bioengineering Robotics, and System Engineering, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Leo
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Science Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lucia Seminara
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carlo Trompetto
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Valle
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Strahinja Dosen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Luca Brayda
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Science Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.,Acoesis Inc., Genoa, Italy
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12
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Wilke MA, Hartmann C, Schimpf F, Farina D, Dosen S. The Interaction Between Feedback Type and Learning in Routine Grasping With Myoelectric Prostheses. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON HAPTICS 2020; 13:645-654. [PMID: 31870991 DOI: 10.1109/toh.2019.2961652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
While prosthetic fitting after upper-limb loss allows for restoration of motor functions, it deprives the amputee of tactile sensations that are essential for grasp control in able-bodied subjects. Therefore, it is commonly assumed that restoring the force feedback would improve the control of prosthesis grasping force. However, the literature regarding the benefit of feedback is controversial. Here, we investigated how the type of feedback affects learning and steady-state performance of routine grasping with a prosthesis. The experimental task was to grasp an object using a prosthesis and generate a low or high target-force range (TFR), both initially unknown, in three feedback conditions: basic auditory feedback on task outcome, and additional visual or vibratory feedback on the force magnitude. The results demonstrated that the performance was rather good and stable for the low TFR, whereas it was substantially worse for the high TFR with a pronounced training effect. Surprisingly, learning curve and steady-state performance did not depend on the feedback condition. Hence, in the specific context of routing grasping with a prosthesis controlled via surface EMG, the basic feedback on task outcome was not outperformed by force-related end-of-trial feedback and hence seemed to be sufficient for accomplishing the task.This conclusion applies to the context of routine grasping using a myoelectric prosthesis with surface EMG electrodes, which means that the control signals are variable and the feedback is perceived and processed at the end of the trial (motor adaption).
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13
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Pan L, Vargas L, Fleming A, Hu X, Zhu Y, Huang HH. Evoking haptic sensations in the foot through high-density transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulations. J Neural Eng 2020; 17:036020. [PMID: 32348977 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab8e8d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evoking haptic sensation on upper limb amputees via peripheral nerve stimulation has been investigated intensively in the past decade, but related studies involving lower limb amputees are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using non-invasive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to evoke haptic sensation along the phantom limb of the amputated foot of transtibial amputees. APPROACH A high-density electrode grid (4 × 4) was placed over the skin surface above the distal branching of the sciatic, tibial, and common peroneal nerves. We hypothesized that electrical stimulation delivered to distinct electrode pairs created unique electric fields, which can activate selective sets of sensory axons innervating different skin regions of the foot. Five transtibial amputee subjects (three unilateral and two bilateral) and one able-bodied subject were tested by scanning all possible electrode pair combinations. MAIN RESULTS All subjects reported various haptic percepts at distinct regions along the foot with each corresponding to specific electrode pairs. These results demonstrated the capability of our non-invasive nerve stimulation method to evoke haptic sensations in the foot of transtibial amputees and the able-bodied subject. SIGNIFICANCE The outcomes contribute important knowledge and evidence regarding missing tactile sensation in the foot of lower limb amputees and might also facilitate future development of strategies to manage phantom pain and enhance embodiment of prosthetic legs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhi Pan
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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14
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Yu X, Su JY, Guo JY, Zhang XH, Li RH, Chai XY, Chen Y, Zhang DG, Wang JG, Sui XH, Durand DM. Spatiotemporal characteristics of neural activity in tibial nerves with carbon nanotube yarn electrodes. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 328:108450. [PMID: 31577919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reliable interfacing with peripheral nervous system is essential to extract neural signals. Current implantable peripheral nerve electrodes cannot provide long-term reliable interfaces due to their mechanical mismatch with host nerves. Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns possess excellent mechanical flexibility and electrical conductivity. It is of great necessity to investigate the selectivity of implantable CNT yarn electrodes. NEW METHOD Neural interfaces were fabricated with CNT yarn electrodes insulated with Parylene-C. Acute recordings were carried out on tibial nerves of rats, and compound nerve action potentials (CNAPs) were electrically evoked by biphasic current stimulation of four toes. Spatiotemporal characteristics of neural activity and spatial selectivity of the electrodes, denoted by selectivity index (SI), were analyzed in detail. RESULTS Conduction velocities of sensory afferent fibers recorded by CNT yarn electrodes varied between 4.25 m/s and 37.56 m/s. The SI maxima for specific toes were between 0.55 and 0.99 across seven electrodes. SIs for different CNT yarn electrodes are significantly different among varied toes. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Most single CNT yarn electrode with a ∼ 500 μm exposed length can be sensitive to one or two specific toes in rodent animals. While, it is only possible to discriminate two non-adjacent toes by multisite TIME electrodes. CONCLUSION Single CNT yarn electrode exposed ∼ 500 μm showed SI values for different toes comparable to a multisite TIME electrode, and had high spatial selectivity for one or two specific toes. The electrodes with cross section exposed could intend to be more sensitive to one specific toe.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Yu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - J Y Su
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - J Y Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - X H Zhang
- Innovation Center for Textile Science and Technology, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
| | - R H Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - X Y Chai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Y Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - D G Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - J G Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Department of Hypertension, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - X H Sui
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - D M Durand
- Neural Engineering Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA.
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15
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D' Alonzo M, Engels LF, Controzzi M, Cipriani C. Electro-cutaneous stimulation on the palm elicits referred sensations on intact but not on amputated digits. J Neural Eng 2019; 15:016003. [PMID: 28741593 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa81e2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Grasping and manipulation control critically depends on tactile feedback. Without this feedback, the ability for fine control of a prosthesis is limited in upper limb amputees. Early studies have shown that non-invasive electro-cutaneous stimulation (ES) can induce referred sensations that are spread to a wider and/or more distant area, with respect to the electrodes. Building on this, we sought to exploit this effect to provide somatotopically matched sensory feedback to people with partial hand (digital) amputations. APPROACH For the first time, this work investigated the possibility of inducing referred sensations in the digits by activating the palmar nerves. Specifically, we electrically stimulated 18 sites on the palm of non-amputees to evaluate the effects of sites and stimulation parameters on modality, magnitude, and location of the evoked sensations. We performed similar tests with partial hand amputees by testing those sites that had most consistently elicited referred sensations in non-amputees. MAIN RESULTS We demonstrated referred sensations in non-amputees from all stimulation sites in one form or another. Specifically, the stimulation of 16 of the 18 sites gave rise to reliable referred sensations. Amputees experienced referred sensations to unimpaired digits, just like non-amputees, but we were unable to evoke referred sensations in their missing digits: none of them reported sensations that extended beyond the tip of the stump. SIGNIFICANCE The possibility of eliciting referred sensations on the digits may be exploited in haptic systems for providing touch sensations without obstructing the fingertips or their movements. The study also suggests that the phenomenon of referred sensations through ES may not be exploited for partial hand prostheses, and it invites researchers to explore alternative approaches. Finally, the results seem to confirm previous studies suggesting that the stumps in partial hand amputees partially acquire the role of the missing fingertips, physiologically and cognitively.
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16
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Abd MA, Gonzalez I, Ades C, Nojoumian M, Engeberg ED. Simulated robotic device malfunctions resembling malicious cyberattacks impact human perception of trust, satisfaction, and frustration. INT J ADV ROBOT SYST 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1729881419874962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Robot assistants and wearable devices are highly useful; however, these artificial systems are susceptible to hackers. In this article, two sets of experiments were conducted. The first part of this study simulated a malicious attack on a prosthetic arm system to adversely affect the operation of the prosthetic system, while the perception of 10 human subjects was surveyed. These 10 able-bodied subjects controlled the prosthetic arm and hand with electromyogram signals, while an artificial sensation of touch was conveyed to their arms as they operated the system, which enabled them to feel what the prosthetic hand was grasping as they were asked to transport an object from one location to another. This haptic feedback was provided in both the normal and abnormal operational modes but was disabled in the extremely abnormal mode. The electromyogram control signals for the arm were reversed in both the abnormal and extremely abnormal modes. Results from the simulated malicious attack on a prosthetic arm system showed that the subjects found the haptic feedback helpful in both the normal and abnormal modes of operation. Both the abnormal and extremely abnormal modes of operation negatively impacted the self-reported levels of trust, satisfaction, and frustration with the prosthetic system as the subjects grasped and transported an object. While these metrics were negatively impacted by system malfunctions resembling a malicious attack on the control functionality, it was possible to rebuild them to their former higher levels after the functionality of the prosthetic system was restored. A parallel study in this article involved simulating a malicious attack on a robot assistant to unfavorably affect the delivery operation modes, while the perception of 20 human subjects was surveyed. Results showed that the simulated malfunctions unfavorably impacted the perception of trust, satisfaction, and frustration, but it was possible to restore these metrics in two different ways as the device functionality was restored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moaed A Abd
- Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Iker Gonzalez
- Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Craig Ades
- Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Mehrdad Nojoumian
- Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Erik D Engeberg
- Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
- Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
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Comparison of vibrotactile and joint-torque feedback in a myoelectric upper-limb prosthesis. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2019; 16:70. [PMID: 31186005 PMCID: PMC6558922 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-019-0545-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the technological advancements in myoelectric prostheses, body-powered prostheses remain a popular choice for amputees, in part due to the natural sensory advantage they provide. Research on haptic feedback in myoelectric prostheses has delivered mixed results. Furthermore, there is limited research comparing various haptic feedback modalities in myoelectric prostheses. In this paper, we present a comparison of the feedback intrinsically present in body-powered prostheses (joint-torque feedback) to a commonly proposed feedback modality for myoelectric prostheses (vibrotactile feedback). In so doing, we seek to understand whether the advantages of kinesthetic feedback present in body-powered prostheses translate to myoelectric prostheses, and whether there are differences between kinesthetic and cutaneous feedback in prosthetic applications. METHODS We developed an experimental testbed that features a cable-driven, voluntary-closing 1-DoF prosthesis, a capstan-driven elbow exoskeleton, and a vibrotactile actuation unit. The system can present grip force to users as either a flexion moment about the elbow or vibration on the wrist. To provide an equal comparison of joint-torque and vibrotactile feedback, a stimulus intensity matching scheme was utilized. Non-amputee participants (n=12) were asked to discriminate objects of varying stiffness with the prosthesis in three conditions: no haptic feedback, vibrotactile feedback, and joint-torque feedback. RESULTS Results indicate that haptic feedback increased discrimination accuracy over no haptic feedback, but the difference between joint-torque feedback and vibrotactile feedback was not significant. In addition, our results highlight nuanced differences in performance depending on the objects' stiffness, and suggest that participants likely pay less attention to incidental cues with the addition of haptic feedback. CONCLUSION Even when haptic feedback is not modality matched to the task, such as in the case of vibrotactile feedback, performance with a myoelectric prosthesis can improve significantly. This implies it is possible to achieve the same benefits with vibrotactile feedback, which is cheaper and easier to implement than other forms of feedback.
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Stephens-Fripp B, Sencadas V, Mutlu R, Alici G. Reusable Flexible Concentric Electrodes Coated With a Conductive Graphene Ink for Electrotactile Stimulation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:179. [PMID: 30560123 PMCID: PMC6286993 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrotactile stimulation is a highly promising technique for providing sensory feedback information for prosthetics. To this aim, disposable electrodes which are predominantly used result in a high environmental and financial cost when used over a long period of time. In addition, disposable electrodes are limited in their size and configurations. This paper presents an alternative approach based on a 3D printed reusable flexible concentric electrode coated with a conductive graphene ink. Here, we have characterized the electrode and demonstrated its effective performance in electrotactile stimulation and sensory feedback for robotic prosthetic hands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Stephens-Fripp
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Vitor Sencadas
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Rahim Mutlu
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Gursel Alici
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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19
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Fontana JM, O’Brien R, Laciar E, Maglione LS, Molisani L. Vibrotactile Stimulation in the Upper-Arm for Restoring Individual Finger Sensations in Hand Prosthesis. J Med Biol Eng 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40846-018-0374-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Myocontrol is closed-loop control: incidental feedback is sufficient for scaling the prosthesis force in routine grasping. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2018; 15:81. [PMID: 30176929 PMCID: PMC6122439 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-018-0422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensory feedback is critical for grasping in able-bodied subjects. Consequently, closing the loop in upper-limb prosthetics by providing artificial sensory feedback to the amputee is expected to improve the prosthesis utility. Nevertheless, even though amputees rate the prospect of sensory feedback high, its benefits in daily life are still very much debated. We argue that in order to measure the potential functional benefit of artificial sensory feedback, the baseline open-loop performance needs to be established. METHODS The myoelectric control of naïve able-bodied subjects was evaluated during modulation of electromyographic signals (EMG task), and grasping with a prosthesis (Prosthesis task). The subjects needed to activate the wrist flexor muscles and close the prosthesis to reach a randomly selected target level (routine grasping). To assess the baseline performance, the tasks were performed with a different extent of implicit feedback (proprioception, prosthesis motion and sound). Finally, the prosthesis task was repeated with explicit visual force feedback. The subjects' ability to scale the prosthesis command/force was assessed by testing for a statistically significant increase in the median of the generated commands/forces between neighboring levels. The quality of control was evaluated by computing the median absolute error (MAE) with respect to the target. RESULTS The subjects could successfully scale their motor commands and generated prosthesis forces across target levels in all tasks, even with the least amount of implicit feedback (only muscle proprioception, EMG task). In addition, the deviation of the generated commands/forces from the target levels decreased with additional feedback. However, the increase in implicit feedback, from proprioception to prosthesis motion and sound, seemed to have a more substantial effect than the final introduction of explicit feedback. Explicit feedback improved the performance mainly at the higher target-force levels. CONCLUSIONS The study establishes the baseline performance of myoelectric control and prosthesis grasping force. The results demonstrate that even without additional feedback, naïve subjects can effectively modulate force with good accuracy with respect to that achieved when increasing the amount of feedback information.
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21
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Aboseria M, Clemente F, Engels LF, Cipriani C. Discrete Vibro-Tactile Feedback Prevents Object Slippage in Hand Prostheses More Intuitively Than Other Modalities. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2018; 26:1577-1584. [DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2018.2851617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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22
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Svensson P, Wijk U, Björkman A, Antfolk C. A review of invasive and non-invasive sensory feedback in upper limb prostheses. Expert Rev Med Devices 2018; 14:439-447. [PMID: 28532184 DOI: 10.1080/17434440.2017.1332989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The constant challenge to restore sensory feedback in prosthetic hands has provided several research solutions, but virtually none has reached clinical fruition. A prosthetic hand with sensory feedback that closely imitates an intact hand and provides a natural feeling may induce the prosthetic hand to be included in the body image and also reinforces the control of the prosthesis. Areas covered: This review presents non-invasive sensory feedback systems such as mechanotactile, vibrotactile, electrotactile and combinational systems which combine the modalities; multi-haptic feedback. Invasive sensory feedback has been tried less, because of the inherent risk, but it has successfully shown to restore some afferent channels. In this review, invasive methods are also discussed, both extraneural and intraneural electrodes, such as cuff electrodes and transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrodes. The focus of the review is on non-invasive methods of providing sensory feedback to upper-limb amputees. Expert commentary: Invoking embodiment has shown to be of importance for the control of prosthesis and acceptance by the prosthetic wearers. It is a challenge to provide conscious feedback to cover the lost sensibility of a hand, not be overwhelming and confusing for the user, and to integrate technology within the constraint of a wearable prosthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Svensson
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Lund University , Lund , Sweden
| | - Ulrika Wijk
- b Department of Hand Surgery , Skåne University Hospital , Malmö , Sweden
| | - Anders Björkman
- b Department of Hand Surgery , Skåne University Hospital , Malmö , Sweden
| | - Christian Antfolk
- a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Lund University , Lund , Sweden
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Ghafoor U, Kim S, Hong KS. Selectivity and Longevity of Peripheral-Nerve and Machine Interfaces: A Review. Front Neurorobot 2017; 11:59. [PMID: 29163122 PMCID: PMC5671609 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2017.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
For those individuals with upper-extremity amputation, a daily normal living activity is no longer possible or it requires additional effort and time. With the aim of restoring their sensory and motor functions, theoretical and technological investigations have been carried out in the field of neuroprosthetic systems. For transmission of sensory feedback, several interfacing modalities including indirect (non-invasive), direct-to-peripheral-nerve (invasive), and cortical stimulation have been applied. Peripheral nerve interfaces demonstrate an edge over the cortical interfaces due to the sensitivity in attaining cortical brain signals. The peripheral nerve interfaces are highly dependent on interface designs and are required to be biocompatible with the nerves to achieve prolonged stability and longevity. Another criterion is the selection of nerves that allows minimal invasiveness and damages as well as high selectivity for a large number of nerve fascicles. In this paper, we review the nerve-machine interface modalities noted above with more focus on peripheral nerve interfaces, which are responsible for provision of sensory feedback. The invasive interfaces for recording and stimulation of electro-neurographic signals include intra-fascicular, regenerative-type interfaces that provide multiple contact channels to a group of axons inside the nerve and the extra-neural-cuff-type interfaces that enable interaction with many axons around the periphery of the nerve. Section Current Prosthetic Technology summarizes the advancements made to date in the field of neuroprosthetics toward the achievement of a bidirectional nerve-machine interface with more focus on sensory feedback. In the Discussion section, the authors propose a hybrid interface technique for achieving better selectivity and long-term stability using the available nerve interfacing techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Ghafoor
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Sohee Kim
- Department of Robotics Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Keum-Shik Hong
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea.,Department of Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
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Markovic M, Karnal H, Graimann B, Farina D, Dosen S. GLIMPSE: Google Glass interface for sensory feedback in myoelectric hand prostheses. J Neural Eng 2017; 14:036007. [PMID: 28355147 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa620a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Providing sensory feedback to the user of the prosthesis is an important challenge. The common approach is to use tactile stimulation, which is easy to implement but requires training and has limited information bandwidth. In this study, we propose an alternative approach based on augmented reality. APPROACH We have developed the GLIMPSE, a Google Glass application which connects to the prosthesis via a Bluetooth interface and renders the prosthesis states (EMG signals, aperture, force and contact) using augmented reality (see-through display) and sound (bone conduction transducer). The interface was tested in healthy subjects that used the prosthesis with (FB group) and without (NFB group) feedback during a modified clothespins test that allowed us to vary the difficulty of the task. The outcome measures were the number of unsuccessful trials, the time to accomplish the task, and the subjective ratings of the relevance of the feedback. MAIN RESULTS There was no difference in performance between FB and NFB groups in the case of a simple task (basic, same-color clothespins test), but the feedback significantly improved the performance in a more complex task (pins of different resistances). Importantly, the GLIMPSE feedback did not increase the time to accomplish the task. Therefore, the supplemental feedback might be useful in the tasks which are more demanding, and thereby less likely to benefit from learning and feedforward control. The subjects integrated the supplemental feedback with the intrinsic sources (vision and muscle proprioception), developing their own idiosyncratic strategies to accomplish the task. SIGNIFICANCE The present study demonstrates a novel self-contained, ready-to-deploy, wearable feedback interface. The interface was successfully tested and was proven to be feasible and functionally beneficial. The GLIMPSE can be used as a practical solution but also as a general and flexible instrument to investigate closed-loop prosthesis control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Markovic
- Institute of Neurorehabilitation Systems, Clinics for Trauma, Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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