Evaluation of a wireless in-shoe sensor based on ZigBee used for drop foot stimulation

External stimulation of the Tibialis anterior muscle is a technique employed to improve mobility for patients with some neurological disabilities causing drop foot. This is achieved by electrically stimulating the motor nerve which causes contraction of the muscle. For functional use the stimulation is applied during periods when the foot needs to be lifted. This period is detected using a sensor usually placed in the shoe of the patient. The stimulation unit is placed distal from the sensor which requires a robust link to ensure a safe and reliable function. A wireless link is a convenient choice especially for users with limited mobility. However, a wireless link is subject to interference that could cause reliability issues and affect latency of transmissions. This paper investigates a wireless link based on ZigBee and estimates the reliability and latency in laboratory conditions with different interference sources. Results are encouraging and showed acceptable performances for such an application. Clinical trials of this system are being undertaken at present.