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Description
The ability to provide iteratively consistent, resistive therapy has been proven to have a positive outcome on the degree of achievable rehabilitation for sufferers of neurological impairment. Furthermore, the thoroughness of recovery depends on several other critical factors, namely, the duration and frequency of therapy treatment. These factors are all subject to the availability and capability of the administering therapist. Any reductions in these factors minimize the potential for increased brain plasticity during treatment, and as a result, reduce the potential for recovery. It is evident from this data that where maximizing recovery is concerned, a means of providing the patient unrestricted access to quality treatment is the only means of optimizing recovery. Robots, by their very design and functionality can replicate movements more efficiently and consistently than the methods of conventional therapy while providing the added benefit of performance feedback and resistivity. Robots are also impervious to fatigue and strain over high volume training sessions. These properties make the use of robotics in rehabilitation therapy an obvious area of focus and avenue for progression in the field of physical therapy. In recent years, some clinics have utilized robots to aid in administering rehabilitation therapy to their patients. Currently, the majority of robotic devices offered for this purpose are heavy, bulky, and costly. These properties result in a lack of feasibility for in-home adoption. As a result, the patient is limited in the frequency and duration of treatment. There is an advantage in providing patients with the ability to perform assistive and resistive therapy as often and for as long as possible in the comfort of their own home for the purposes of maximizing recovery. Proposed in this thesis is a haptic upper-limb end effector neurorehabilitation device that was designed and developed specifically to address the lack of feasible home use options for upper-limb rehabilitation. The device accomplishes this without compromising functionality and benefit to the user. Costing and weighing far less than current offerings, while taking up significantly less space and highly transportable, this device provides the potential for patients to maximize recovery beyond their current available options. The appendices for this thesis will be stored on a digital disc and available in the media center at the San Diego State University library.
