Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ta b l e 2 .
Results of the assessment through the experimental device. All the parameters are given
for Right/Left hand. RA 1 to 3 are patients with RA whereas SSc 1 to 3 are patients with SSc. Data
expressed in sec represent the mean time interval between consecutive repetitions. (FT: Finger
Tapping, ICR: Isometric Clockwise Rotation, ICcR: Isometric Counterclockwise Rotation, DR:
Dynamic Rotation)
Exercise
RA 1
RA 2
RA 3
SSc 1
SSc 2
SSc3
Extension
[
cm
]
7.1/4.4
4.0/5.0
3.6/3.2
8.2/7.9
5.2/5.3
12.2/11.7
Extension
[
s
]
1.8/1.3
2.2/5.0
2.9/2.2
1.5/1.4
2.9/2.3
1/0.8
Extension speed
[
ppm
]
†
22.1/24.2
40/40
8.7/10.9
28.7/27.6
10.9/16
38.4/50.2
FT correct
[
]
20/20
11/18
20/13
20/20
3/9
2/20
FT wrong
[
]
0/4
19/12
2/7
10/10
27/21
28/9
FT speed
[
tps
]
††
2.4/2.8
1.4/1.7
1.8/1.6
2.6/3.1
0.8/1.4
0.4/2.5
ICR
[
Kg
]
2.0/2.5
3.8/3.3
2.4/3.3
2.6/5.0
3.9/3.6
1.2/3
ICR
[
s
]
1.1/1.3
1.1/1.1
1.5/0.8
0.9/1.2
2.0/2.3
1.1/0.8
ICR speed
[
ppm
]
†
28.3/23.0
26/19.0
21.3/35.0 34.0/21.9 12.1/21.0 26.3/32.0
ICcR
[
Kg
]
3.6/2.3
1.2/3.3
2.5/2.7
6.3/4.1
5.2/4.7
2.9/2.9
ICcR
[
s
]
1.3/1.3
1.4/1.1
1.1/0.8
1.1/1.2
1.5/1.1
0.8/0.8
ICcR speed
[
ppm
]
†
27.8/24.8 25.0/26.0 24.6/28.2 30.0/31.3 22.0/30.0 39.0/41.0
DR
[
deg
]
195/81
195/113
183/272 224.5/229 119/139
163/110
DR speed
[
deg/s
]
340/472
257/189
381/388
334/387
544/869
646/297
†
ppm = peaks per minute;
††
tps = touches per second
6
Conclusions
The device developed in this research is a valuable aid for the assessment of the hand
functionality in chronically ill subjects requiring a quantitative evaluation for the proper
set up of the personalized pharmacological and rehabilitation programs. Compared to
other devices at the state of the art, it embeds the sensorized aids necessary to execute
different kinds of exercises in a single low-cost framework, allowing the extraction of
the relevant parameters from the analysis of several repetitions of the same movement
performed in real rehabilitation exercises typically prescribed to RA and SSs patients.
In this way the noise given by fatigue and distraction can be better identified compared
to one-shot measurements, and also the temporal features of the acquired signals can
be accurately recorded in order to enable a more complete analysis. The device, eas-
ily controllable exploiting a stand-alone software interface on the physician PC, has
been preliminary evaluated in the outpatient clinic of the Chair of Rheumatology of the
University of Cagliari, Italy. All patients completed the assessment through the exper-
imental device without complaining of pain or discomfort. Furthermore, at this stage
of development, the prototypical system is easy to use and well perceived by both pa-
tients and physicians representing a promising new tool in a clinical field that apparently
lacks of devices allowing the real-time quantitative assessment of the hand functional-
ity. Further studies in larger population are needed to evaluate if such device might be
considered a reliable instrument to quantify the hand function in patients affected by
rheumatic diseases.
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