The Redesign of a Recumbent Tricycle Using a Crank Rocker Mechanism to Increase Power Throughput in FES Cycling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony L. Bazler ◽  
David H. Myszka ◽  
Andrew P. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Muscle Stimulation ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
Power Models ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
A Performance

Abstract This paper presents an investigation of a mechanism to improve the power throughput of persons with tetra- or paraplegia pedaling via functional electrical stimulation (FES). FES stimulates muscle contraction with small electrical currents and has proven useful in building muscle in patients while relieving soreness and promoting cardiovascular health. An FES-stimulated cyclist produces power that is an order of magnitude less than an able-bodied cyclist. At these reduced power levels, many difficulties associated with FES cycling become apparent, namely inactive zones. Inactive zones are defined by the leg being in a position where muscle stimulation is unable to produce power to propel the tricycle forward. A possibility for reducing inactive zones and increasing the power throughput of the cyclist is to alter the motion of a cyclist’s legs. Bicycles have recently been marketed that feature pedaling mechanisms that employ alternate leg motions. This work considers using a four-bar and ratchet-and-pawl linkage in the redesign of a performance tricycle piloted by an FES-stimulated rider. Quasi-static and power models have been optimized for this cycling architecture yielding a design that suggests a 79% increase in throughput power for some FES cyclists. Multiple sets of dimensions are compared against design criteria to identify an ideal design.

scholarly journals Probability-Based Prediction of Activity in Multiple Arm Muscles: Implications for Functional Electrical Stimulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 482-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad V. Anderson ◽  
Andrew J. Fuglevand
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Probabilistic Methods ◽  
Muscle Stimulation ◽  
Implanted Electrodes ◽  
Motor Behaviors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Arm Muscles

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) involves artificial activation of muscles with implanted electrodes to restore motor function in paralyzed individuals. The range of motor behaviors that can be generated by FES, however, is limited to a small set of preprogrammed movements such as hand grasp and release. A broader range of movements has not been implemented because of the substantial difficulty associated with identifying the patterns of muscle stimulation needed to elicit specified movements. To overcome this limitation in controlling FES systems, we used probabilistic methods to estimate the levels of muscle activity in the human arm during a wide range of free movements based on kinematic information of the upper limb. Conditional probability distributions were generated based on hand kinematics and associated surface electromyographic (EMG) signals from 12 arm muscles recorded during a training task involving random movements of the arm in one subject. These distributions were then used to predict in four other subjects the patterns of muscle activity associated with eight different movement tasks. On average, about 40% of the variance in the actual EMG signals could be accounted for in the predicted EMG signals. These results suggest that probabilistic methods ultimately might be used to predict the patterns of muscle stimulation needed to produce a wide array of desired movements in paralyzed individuals with FES.

scholarly journals Reporting for Duty: The duty cycle in Functional Electrical Stimulation research. Part I: Critical commentaries of the literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Taylor ◽  
Ché Fornusek ◽  
Andrew J. Ruys
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Duty Cycle ◽  
Cycle Time ◽  
Pulse Width ◽  
External Work ◽  
Stimulation Experiments ◽  
Frequency Pulse

There are several parameters that can be modulated during electrical stimulation-induced muscle contraction to obtain external work, i.e., Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). The literature has several reports of the relationships of parameters such as frequency, pulse width, amplitude and physiological or biomechanical outcomes (i.e., torque) when these parameters are changed. While these relationships are well-described, lesser known across the literature is how changing the duty cycle (time ON and time OFF) of stimulation affects the outcomes. This review provides an analysis of the literature pertaining to the duty cycle in electrical stimulation experiments. There are two distinct sections of this review – an introduction to the duty cycle and definitions from literature (part I); and contentions from the literature and proposed frameworks upon which duty cycle can be interpreted (part II). It is envisaged that the two reviews will highlight the importance of modulating the duty cycle in terms of muscle fatigue in mimicking physiological activities. The frameworks provided will ideally assist in unifying how researchers consider the duty cycle in electrical stimulation (ES) of muscles.

Effect of geniohyoid and sternohyoid muscle contraction on upper airway resistance in the cat

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1346-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Wiegand ◽  
B. Latz
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Airway Resistance ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Muscle Stimulation ◽  
Nasal Airflow ◽  
Airway Patency ◽  
Upper Airway Resistance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Consistent Change

Previous investigators (van Lunteren et al. J. Appl. Physiol. 62: 582–590, 1987) have suggested that the geniohyoid and sternohyoid muscles may act as upper airway dilators in the cat. To investigate the effect of geniohyoid and sternohyoid contraction on inspiratory upper airway resistance (UAR), we studied five adult male cats anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine during spontaneous room-air breathing. Inspiratory nasal airflow was measured by sealing the lips and constructing a nose mask. Supraglottic pressure was measured using a transpharyngeal catheter placed above the larynx. Mask pressure was measured using a separate catheter. Geniohyoid and sternohyoid lengths were determined by sonomicrometry. Geniohyoid and sternohyoid contraction was stimulated by direct muscle electrical stimulation with implanted wire electrodes. Mean inspiratory UAR was determined for spontaneous breaths under three conditions: 1) baseline (no muscle stimulation), 2) geniohyoid contraction alone, and 3) sternohyoid contraction alone. Geniohyoid contraction alone produced no significant reduction in inspiratory UAR [unstimulated, 17.75 +/- 0.86 (SE) cmH2O.l-1.s; geniohyoid contraction, 19.24 +/- 1.10]. Sternohyoid contraction alone also produced no significant reduction in inspiratory UAR (unstimulated, 15.74 +/- 0.92 cmH2O.l-1.s; sternohyoid contraction, 14.78 +/- 0.78). Simultaneous contraction of the geniohyoid and sternohyoid muscles over a wide range of muscle lengths produced no consistent change in inspiratory UAR. The geniohyoid and sternohyoid muscles do not appear to function consistently as upper airway dilator muscles when UAR is used as an index of upper airway patency in the cat.

Non-linear analysis of body responses to functional electrical stimulation on hemiplegic subjects

2009 ◽  
Vol 223 (6) ◽  
pp. 653-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
W-W Yu ◽  
U R Acharya ◽  
T-C Lim ◽  
H W Low
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Electrical Currents ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Linear Signal ◽  
Muscle Groups ◽  
Care Problems ◽  
Signal Processing Methods ◽  
Hemiplegic Gait

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a method of applying low-level electrical currents to restore or improve body functions lost through nervous system impairment. FES is applied to peripheral nerves that control specific muscles or muscle groups. Application of advanced signal computing techniques to the medical field has helped to achieve practical solutions to the health care problems accurately. The physiological signals are essentially non-stationary and may contain indicators of current disease, or even warnings about impending diseases. These indicators may be present at all times or may occur at random on the timescale. However, to study and pinpoint these subtle changes in the voluminous data collected over several hours is tedious. These signals, e.g. walking-related accelerometer signals, are not simply linear and involve non-linear contributions. Hence, non-linear signal-processing methods may be useful to extract the hidden complexities of the signal and to aid physicians in their diagnosis. In this work, a young female subject with major neuromuscular dysfunction of the left lower limb, which resulted in an asymmetric hemiplegic gait, participated in a series of FES-assisted walking experiments. Two three-axis accelerometers were attached to her left and right ankles and their corresponding signals were recorded during FES-assisted walking. The accelerometer signals were studied in three directions using the Hurst exponent H, the fractal dimension (FD), the phase space plot, and recurrence plots (RPs). The results showed that the H and FD values increase with increasing FES, indicating more synchronized variability due to FES for the left leg (paralysed leg). However, the variation in the normal right leg is more chaotic on FES.

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