Computer controlled measurement of spasticity

Author

Hershler, Cecil ; Colotla, Ian ; Romilly, Douglas P.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Rehabilitation Sci., British Columbia Univ., Vancouver, BC, Canada

fYear

1993

fDate

14-17 Sep 1993

Firstpage

1299

Abstract

A portable device to quantitatively measure the degree of spasticity in the ankle of patients was developed using a computer-controlled system consisting of a pedal which is rotated through the desired range by a mechanical system driven by a d.c. stepper motor. The resistive torque from the spastic ankle is measured with a sensor system consisting of strain gauges placed in a transducer shaft which rotates the pedal. The data are retrieved by a software triggered A/D board, and the results are graphed. This device, which is yet to be clinically tested, will enable therapists to quantitatively measure the degree of spasticity in patients and record small changes in their performance

Keywords

biomechanics; biomedical measurement; medical diagnostic computing; muscle; torque measurement; DC stepper motor; computer-controlled system; mechanical system; pedal rotation; sensor system; software triggered A/D board; strain gauges; transducer shaft; Capacitive sensors; Mechanical systems; Mechanical variables measurement; Portable computers; Rotation measurement; Sensor systems; Shafts; Strain measurement; Torque measurement; Transducers;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1993. Canadian Conference on

Conference_Location

Vancouver, BC

Print_ISBN

0-7803-2416-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CCECE.1993.332495

Filename

332495