Experimental evaluation of a portable powered ankle-foot orthosis

Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) ameliorate the impact of impairments to the lower limb neuromuscular motor system that affect gait. Emerging technologies provide a vision for fully powered, untethered AFOs. The portable powered AFO (PPAFO) provides both plantarflexor and dorsiflexor torque assistance via...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:2011 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2011-01, Vol.2011, p.624-627
Main Authors: Shorter, Kenneth A., Li, Yifan, Morris, Emily A., Kogler, Geza F., Hsiao-Wecksler, Elizabeth T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Foot
Footwear
Force
Joints
Legged locomotion
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Summary:Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) ameliorate the impact of impairments to the lower limb neuromuscular motor system that affect gait. Emerging technologies provide a vision for fully powered, untethered AFOs. The portable powered AFO (PPAFO) provides both plantarflexor and dorsiflexor torque assistance via a bi-directional pneumatic rotary actuator. The system uses a portable pneumatic power source (bottle of compressed CO 2 ) and embedded electronics to control foot motion during level walking. Experimental data were collected to demonstrate functionality from two subjects with bilateral impairments to the lower legs. These data demonstrated the PPAFO's ability to provide functional assistance during gait. The stringent design requirements of light weight, small size, high efficiency and low noise make the creation of daily wear assist devices challenging; but once such devices appear, they will present new opportunities for clinical treatment of gait abnormalities.
ISSN:1094-687X
1558-4615
2694-0604
DOI:10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6090138