Intelligent suits are expected to significantly improve rehabilitation after severe spinal cord injury. This AI-assisted solution will be developed over the next three years by FAU researchers in collaboration with Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital. It combines electrical simulation of muscles with artificial tendon motion support to respond to the patient’s intended movements. The German Research Foundation has funded the “HIT-Reha” project with a total of around €1 million, of which €357,000 has been allocated to the FAU.
Spinal cord injuries from car accidents, sports accidents, tumor surgery, and infections have a dramatic impact on the lives of those affected. Activities of daily living such as eating, drinking, dressing, and personal hygiene are no longer possible or possible but only to a very limited extent. However, such injuries are not always irreversible. For example, when long nerve fibers are not completely separated from the brain, some remnants of motor control remain. “In such cases, there is a good chance that at least some degree of mobility will be regained,” explains Claudio Castellini, a professor in the FAU’s Department of Assisted Intelligence Robotics. “Regeneration is particularly likely in the first 12 months after injury, when new neurons are generated and new networks are formed.”
Standard treatment does not maximize potential
Rehabilitation of arm and hand function is primarily based on repeated performance of mobility exercises such as the patient grabbing a cylinder and moving it to a specific location. Patients are supported by qualified therapists and in some cases by robots. Techniques used include functional electrical simulation (FES), in which electrodes induce targeted muscle contractions and exoskeletons or suits. These are braces that use pulley mechanisms or inflatable air chambers to support and assist movement. “Despite great progress in recent years, currently available treatments do not address the principles of motor learning,” explains Castellini. “First, especially weak muscles are not adequately targeted, and second, patients are not actively encouraged to undertake useful exercise training. combined with the fact that current rehabilitation measures are not well-tailored to the individual needs and abilities of patients, this suggests that the therapeutic potential is not optimized.
Integrated suit recognizes intended movement
Over the next three years, Claudio Castellini aims to collaborate with the Heidelberg University Institute of Computer Science and the Heidelberg University Hospital Experimental Neurohabilitation Department to develop a suit that will significantly improve the success rate of treatment after spinal cord injury. increase. Consisting of a compression jacket, arm cuffs and gloves, the Exo-Suit combines previously available support systems such as FES and pulley mechanisms, but with the special addition of AI-assisted awareness of the patient’s intended movements. It has one function. “Integrated sensors measure muscle activity,” explains Marek Šerotović, a doctoral candidate working on the project. “Self-learning algorithms take this input and use it to calculate the patient’s intended movement and adjust the assistance system accordingly.” , is meant to dictate where a muscle contraction should be triggered or a pulley should be tensioned to support the intended movement.
Monitoring intent allows for targeted and gentle treatment
FAU is primarily responsible for developing methods for recognizing intended patient movements. For this to work, researchers must first build a complete virtual model of their muscular and skeletal anatomy and train accordingly. “We will conduct initial tests on people without disabilities to collect as much data as possible,” Sielotovic said. “The better we train the AI, the more reliably it will be able to recognize movement patterns, allowing our assistance systems to work more accurately in the future.” This is necessary to support precise movements. Not only that, but the intelligent interaction between the EFS and the robotic pulley system also ensures a gentler treatment. Experience has shown that using FES alone requires high-intensity simulation, which patients often find uncomfortable. The researchers believe their invention will lead to significant improvements in the success rate of rehabilitation after spinal cord injury.
FAU excels at AI in medicine
The project “HIT-Reha” (abbreviation for “Human Impedance Control for Customized Rehabilitation”) started on June 1, 2023. About €1 million was funded by the German Research Foundation, of which €357,000 was allocated to the FAU. This funding further demonstrates his FAU’s special expertise as a hub for innovation and artificial intelligence in medicine. A professorship led by Claudio Castellini was established in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (AIBE). AIBE was founded at the end of 2019 as part of his high-tech agenda He Bavaria, which takes an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach at the intersection of medicine and engineering.
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