Tactile Biofeedback for Hemiplegic Walking via Sole Pressure Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biofeedback apparatuses for stroke patients, such as visual and auditory sensation biofeedback devices, face limitations in providing accurate and understandable somatic sensation feedback during walking rehabilitation, particularly for hemiplegic patients, as they require continuous monitoring or complex sound conversions, which can be unsafe and difficult to interpret.
Innovation Solution
A sensation detection and presentation apparatus that uses mechanical stimuli to provide touch-pressure, vibratory, and movement sensations on a body surface different from the foot sole, allowing for direct feedback of sole pressure information without the need for visual or auditory cues, enabling more intuitive and detailed somatic sensation feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual sensation biofeedback apparatus is used to display sole pressure distribution on a monitor, then the patient can recognize proper state using visual sensation, but the patient must continuously watch the monitor making wide-range walking training impossible due to safety concerns and system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual feedback (optical system requiring monitor viewing) with mechanical/tactile feedback through a stimulus imparting device that directly contacts the patient's skin. The device converts sole pressure information into mechanical stimuli applied to the forearm, eliminating the need for visual monitoring while maintaining accurate pressure distribution recognition.
2Measurement precision
If auditory sensation biofeedback apparatus is used to convert sole pressure changes into sound, then the patient can recognize proper state using auditory sensation, but the information conversion requires high computational load and patients find it difficult to accurately understand the state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces auditory feedback (acoustic system requiring complex sound conversion and processing) with mechanical feedback. The stimulus imparting device directly translates sole pressure data into mechanical stimuli with intensity proportional to pressure magnitude, eliminating complex information conversion while improving patient comprehension through intuitive tactile sensation.
3Loss of information
If mechanical stimulus is applied to the foot sole itself for sensation feedback, then the feedback is direct, but the foot sole has poor sensation in hemiplegic patients making the feedback ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary body part (forearm or arm) with intact sensation as a mediator. The stimulus imparting device applies mechanical stimuli to this intermediary location rather than directly to the insensate foot sole. This intermediary acts as a proxy that receives and transmits the pressure information to the patient's nervous system through a functional sensory pathway.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution simplifies the biofeedback process, making it more understandable and portable, allowing hemiplegic patients to perform self-rehabilitation without relying on visual or auditory feedback, thereby improving walking stability and reducing the risk of falling by providing tactile awareness of foot sole pressure.
Implementation Method 1
a stimulus imparting device for mechanically imparting stimulus to skin so that the user receives touch-pressure sensation, vibratory sensation and/or movement sensation
Data Source
AI summary
It is intended to feed back any somatic sensation information on given body surface portion in easily understandable form without the use of special sensations, such as visual and auditory sensations. Walking rehabilitation supporting apparatus (10) comprises sensation detection unit (11) for detecting the sole pressure of patient (H); sensation presentation unit (13) for imparting given stimuli to the patient (H); and control unit (15) for controlling the behavior of the sensation presentation unit (13) so as to impart stimuli corresponding to the sole pressure detected by the sensation detection unit (11). The sensation detection unit (11) is disposed so as to be capable of detecting the sole pressure on a paralyzed side, and the sensation presentation unit (13) is fitted to a body surface portion of sensation superior to that of the sole.