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Luo Q, Bai M, Chen S, Gao K, Yin L, Du R. Enhancing Force Control of Prosthetic Controller for Hand Prosthesis by Mimicking Biological Properties. IEEE JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL ENGINEERING IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE 2023; 12:66-75. [PMID: 38088991 PMCID: PMC10712672 DOI: 10.1109/jtehm.2023.3320715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Prosthetic hands are frequently rejected due to frustrations in daily uses. By adopting principles of human neuromuscular control, it could potentially achieve human-like compliance in hand functions, thereby improving functionality in prosthetic hand. Previous studies have confirmed the feasibility of real-time emulation of neuromuscular reflex for prosthetic control. This study further to explore the effect of feedforward electromyograph (EMG) decoding and proprioception on the biomimetic controller. The biomimetic controller included a feedforward Bayesian model for decoding alpha motor commands from stump EMG, a muscle model, and a closed-loop component with a model of muscle spindle modified with spiking afferents. Real-time control was enabled by neuromorphic hardware to accelerate evaluation of biologically inspired models. This allows us to investigate which aspects in the controller could benefit from biological properties for improvements on force control performance. 3 non-disabled and 3 amputee subjects were recruited to conduct a "press-without-break" task, subjects were required to press a transducer till the pressure stabilized in an expected range without breaking the virtual object. We tested whether introducing more complex but biomimetic models could enhance the task performance. Data showed that when replacing proportional feedback with the neuromorphic spindle, success rates of amputees increased by 12.2% and failures due to breakage decreased by 26.3%. More prominently, success rates increased by 55.5% and failures decreased by 79.3% when replacing a linear model of EMG with the Bayesian model in the feedforward EMG processing. Results suggest that mimicking biological properties in feedback and feedforward control may improve the manipulation of objects by amputees using prosthetic hands. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: This control approach may eventually assist amputees to perform fine force control when using prosthetic hands, thereby improving the motor performance of amputees. It highlights the promising potential of the biomimetic controller integrating biological properties implemented on neuromorphic models as a viable approach for clinical application in prosthetic hands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Luo
- School of Automotive and Mechanical EngineeringChangsha University of Science and TechnologyChangsha410114China
| | - Minglei Bai
- School of Biomedical SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong999077China
| | - Shuhan Chen
- School of Automotive and Mechanical EngineeringChangsha University of Science and TechnologyChangsha410114China
| | - Kai Gao
- School of Automotive and Mechanical EngineeringChangsha University of Science and TechnologyChangsha410114China
| | - Lairong Yin
- School of Automotive and Mechanical EngineeringChangsha University of Science and TechnologyChangsha410114China
| | - Ronghua Du
- School of Automotive and Mechanical EngineeringChangsha University of Science and TechnologyChangsha410114China
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Atkinson EW, Kuliasha CA, Kasper M, Furniturewalla A, Lim AS, Jiracek-Sapieha L, Brake A, Gormaley A, Rivera-Llabres V, Singh I, Spearman B, Rinaldi-Ramos CM, Schmidt CE, Judy JW, Otto KJ. Examining the in vivo functionality of the Magnetically Aligned Regenerative Tissue-Engineered Electronic Nerve Interface (MARTEENI). J Neural Eng 2022; 19. [PMID: 35998559 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac8bfe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although neural-enabled prostheses have been used to restore some lost functionality in clinical trials, they have faced difficulty in achieving high degree of freedom, natural use compared to healthy limbs. This study investigated the in vivo functionality of a flexible and scalable regenerative peripheral-nerve interface suspended within a microchannel-embedded, tissue-engineered hydrogel (the Magnetically Aligned Regenerative Tissue-Engineered Electronic Nerve Interface, MARTEENI) as a potential approach to improving current issues in peripheral nerve interfaces. APPROACH Assembled MARTEENI devices were implanted in the gaps of severed sciatic nerves in Lewis rats. Both acute and chronic electrophysiology were recorded, and channel-isolated activity was examined. In terminal experiments, evoked activity during paw compression and stimulus response curves generated from proximal nerve stimulation were examined. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was performed to assess the complex impedance of recording sites during chronic data collection. Features of the foreign-body response in non-functional implants were examined using immunohistological methods. MAIN RESULTS Channel-isolated activity was observed in acute, chronic, and terminal experiments and showed a typically biphasic morphology with peak-to-peak amplitudes varying between 50 to 500 µV. For chronic experiments, electrophysiology was observed for 77 days post-implant. Within the templated hydrogel, regenerating axons formed minifascicles that varied in both size and axon count and were also found to surround device threads. No axons were found to penetrate the foreign-body response. Together these results suggest the MARTEENI is a promising approach for interfacing with peripheral nerves. SIGNIFICANCE Findings demonstrate a high likelihood that observed electrophysiological activity recorded from implanted MARTEENIs originated from neural tissue. The variation in minifascicle size seen histologically suggests that amplitude distributions observed in functional MARTEENIs may be due to a combination of individual axon and mini-compound action potentials. This study provided an assessment of a functional MARTEENI in an in vivo animal model for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric W Atkinson
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1064 Center Dr., New Engineering Building, Gainesville, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Cary A Kuliasha
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, 968 Center Dr., New Engineering Building, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Mary Kasper
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Abbas Furniturewalla
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, 968 Center Dr., New Engineering Building, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Alexander S Lim
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr., P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Ladan Jiracek-Sapieha
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, 968 Center Dr., Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Alexis Brake
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1064 Center Dr., New Engineering Building, Gainesville, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Anne Gormaley
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1064 Center Dr., New Engineering Building, Gainesville, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Victor Rivera-Llabres
- Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Ishita Singh
- Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, 1030 Center Drive, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Benjamin Spearman
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1064 Center Dr., New Engineering Building, Gainesville, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
| | - Carlos M Rinaldi-Ramos
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, UNITED STATES
| | - Christine E Schmidt
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville , Florida, 32611, UNITED STATES
| | - Jack W Judy
- NIMET, University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, 1041 Center Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-6550, UNITED STATES
| | - Kevin J Otto
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1064 Center Dr., Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7011, UNITED STATES
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Marchand C, De Graaf JB, Jarrassé N. Measuring mental workload in assistive wearable devices: a review. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2021; 18:160. [PMID: 34743700 PMCID: PMC8573948 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-021-00953-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As wearable assistive devices, such as prostheses and exoskeletons, become increasingly sophisticated and effective, the mental workload associated with their use remains high and becomes a major challenge to their ecological use and long-term adoption. Numerous methods of measuring mental workload co-exist, making analysis of this research topic difficult. The aim of this review is to examine how mental workload resulting from the use of wearable assistive devices has been measured, in order to gain insight into the specific possibilities and limitations of this field. Literature searches were conducted in the main scientific databases and 60 articles measuring the mental workload induced by the use of a wearable assistive device were included in this study. Three main families of methods were identified, the most common being 'dual task' and 'subjective assessment' methods, followed by those based on 'physiological measures', which included a wide variety of methods. The variability of the measurements was particularly high, making comparison difficult. There is as yet no evidence that any particular method of measuring mental workload is more appropriate to the field of wearable assistive devices. Each method has intrinsic limitations such as subjectivity, imprecision, robustness or complexity of implementation or interpretation. A promising metric seems to be the measurement of brain activity, as it is the only method that is directly related to mental workload. Finally, regardless of the measurement method chosen, special attention should be paid to the measurement of mental workload in the context of wearable assistive devices. In particular, certain practical considerations, such as ecological situations and environments or the level of expertise of the participants tested, may be essential to ensure the validity of the mental workload assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Marchand
- CNRS, UMR 7222, ISIR / INSERM, U1150 Agathe-ISIR, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - Nathanaël Jarrassé
- CNRS, UMR 7222, ISIR / INSERM, U1150 Agathe-ISIR, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
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Niu CM, Luo Q, Chou CH, Liu J, Hao M, Lan N. Neuromorphic Model of Reflex for Realtime Human-Like Compliant Control of Prosthetic Hand. Ann Biomed Eng 2020; 49:673-688. [PMID: 32816166 PMCID: PMC7851042 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02596-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Current control of prosthetic hands is ineffective when grasping deformable, irregular, or heavy objects. In humans, grasping is achieved under spinal reflexive control of the musculotendon skeletal structure, which produces a hand stiffness commensurate with the task. We hypothesize that mimicking reflex on a prosthetic hand may improve grasping performance and safety when interacting with human. Here, we present a design of compliant controller for prosthetic hand with a neuromorphic model of human reflex. The model includes 6 motoneuron pools containing 768 spiking neurons, 1 muscle spindle with 128 spiking afferents, and 1 modified Hill-type muscle. Models are implemented using neuromorphic hardware with 1 kHz real-time computing. Experimental tests showed that the prosthetic hand could sustain a 40 N load compared to 95 N for an adult. Stiffness range was adjustable from 60 to 640 N/m, about 46.6% of that of human hand. The grasping velocity could be ramped up to 14.4 cm/s, or 24% of the human peak velocity. The complaint control could switch between free movement and contact force when pressing a deformable beam. The amputee can achieve a 47% information throughput of healthy humans. Overall, the reflex-enabled prosthetic hand demonstrated the attributes of human compliant grasping with the neuromorphic model of spinal neuromuscular reflex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanxin M Niu
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Med-X Research Institute, Rm 405 (South), Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Luo
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Med-X Research Institute, Rm 405 (South), Shanghai, China
| | - Chih-Hong Chou
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Med-X Research Institute, Rm 405 (South), Shanghai, China
- Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayue Liu
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Med-X Research Institute, Rm 405 (South), Shanghai, China
| | - Manzhao Hao
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Med-X Research Institute, Rm 405 (South), Shanghai, China
- Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Lan
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Med-X Research Institute, Rm 405 (South), Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Wolf EJ, Cruz TH, Emondi AA, Langhals NB, Naufel S, Peng GCY, Schulz BW, Wolfson M. Advanced technologies for intuitive control and sensation of prosthetics. Biomed Eng Lett 2020; 10:119-128. [PMID: 32175133 PMCID: PMC7046895 DOI: 10.1007/s13534-019-00127-7] [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: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health have invested significantly in advancing prosthetic technologies over the past 25 years, with the overall intent to improve the function, participation and quality of life of Service Members, Veterans, and all United States Citizens living with limb loss. These investments have contributed to substantial advancements in the control and sensory perception of prosthetic devices over the past decade. While control of motorized prosthetic devices through the use of electromyography has been widely available since the 1980s, this technology is not intuitive. Additionally, these systems do not provide stimulation for sensory perception. Recent research has made significant advancement not only in the intuitive use of electromyography for control but also in the ability to provide relevant meaningful perceptions through various stimulation approaches. While much of this previous work has traditionally focused on those with upper extremity amputation, new developments include advanced bidirectional neuroprostheses that are applicable to both the upper and lower limb amputation. The goal of this review is to examine the state-of-the-science in the areas of intuitive control and sensation of prosthetic devices and to discuss areas of exploration for the future. Current research and development efforts in external systems, implanted systems, surgical approaches, and regenerative approaches will be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J. Wolf
- Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program, US Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Theresa H. Cruz
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20817 USA
| | - Alfred A. Emondi
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, VA 22203 USA
| | - Nicholas B. Langhals
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | | | - Grace C. Y. Peng
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20817 USA
| | - Brian W. Schulz
- VA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC 20002 USA
| | - Michael Wolfson
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20817 USA
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