Authors:
Bocciolone Marco
1
;
Comolli Lorenzo
1
and
Molteni Franco
2
Affiliations:
1
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
;
2
Valduce Hospital, Italy
Keyword(s):
Cycle-ergometer, wireless data transmission, mechanical measurements, data analysis, rehabilitation.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Biomedical Engineering
;
Biomedical Instruments and Devices
;
Biomedical Metrology
;
Biomedical Sensors
;
Wireless Systems
Abstract:
A cycle-ergometer has been instrumented with suitable strain gauges to obtain metrological qualified measurements of the left and right leg torque. A wireless device has been used to transmit in real-time the gathered signals to the acquisition PC. Advantages are to give to doctors and physiotherapists a diagnostic tool, to analyze the cycling pattern of the patients and to monitor the improvements during rehabilitation. The real-time measures are also suitable input data for the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). All the analysis was conducted with a particular attention to spinal cord injured patients, who are characterized by highly asymmetric cycling: yet, this measurement setup, by independent measurement of right and left torques, can be used successfully also in this particular situation. An explanation of the measuring principles and a set of first results are given, that show the potentiality of the setup.