Exoskeleton Variability Optimization

University of Nebraska

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Peripheral Arterial Disease

Treatments: Other: Endurance Evaluation; Other: Exoskeleton Optimization

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04338815

P20GM109090 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

0376-19-FB

Details and patient eligibility

About

Exoskeletons, wearable devices that assist with walking, can improve mobility in clinical populations. With exoskeletons, it is crucial to optimize the assistance profile. Recent studies describe algorithms (i.e., human-in-the-loop) to optimize the assistance profile with real-time metabolic measurements. The needed duration of current human-in-the-loop (HITL) algorithms range from 20 minutes to 1 hour which is longer than the average duration that most patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) can walk. Because of this limited walking duration, it is often not possible for patients with PAD to reach steady-state metabolic cost, which makes these measurements are not useful for optimizing exoskeletons. In this study, investigators intend to develop and evaluate HITL optimization methods for exoskeletons and use the information to design and evaluate a portable hip exoskeleton. Shorter and more clinically feasible HITL optimization strategies based on experiments in healthy adults might allow utilizing these optimization strategies to become available for patient populations such as patients with PAD.

Full description

Exoskeletons, wearable devices that assist with walking, can improve mobility in clinical populations. With exoskeletons, it is crucial to optimize the assistance profile. Recent studies describe algorithms (i.e., human-in-the-loop) to optimize the assistance profile with real-time metabolic measurements. The needed duration of current human-in-the-loop (HITL) algorithms range from 20 minutes to 1 hour which is longer than the average duration that most patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) can walk. Because of this limited walking duration, it is often not possible for patients with PAD to reach steady-state metabolic cost, which makes these measurements are not useful for optimizing exoskeletons. Shorter and more clinically feasible HITL optimization strategies based on experiments in healthy adults might allow utilizing these optimization strategies to become available for patient populations such as patients with PAD.

This study will test different methods for optimizing exoskeletons. It will consist of an habituation session to the hip exoskeleton, an optimization session to find the optimal actuation settings using an algorithm that converges toward the optimum based on real-time measurements (human-in-the-loop algorithm) and a post-test at the end of optimization session to compare different conditions. The outcomes will be evaluated by surface electromyography, exoskeleton sensors, ground reaction force, walking speed, indirect calorimetry, and motion capture (Vicon).

Enrollment: 9 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 19 to 85 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Ability to provide written consent

• Chronic claudication history

• Ankle-brachial index < 0.90 at rest

• Stable blood pressure, lipids, and diabetes for > 6 weeks

• Ability to walk on a treadmill for multiple five-minute spans

• Ability to fit in exoskeleton

  • Waist circumference 78 to 92 centimeters (31 to 36 inches)
  • Thigh circumference 48 to 60 centimeters (19 to 24 inches)
  • Minimal thigh length 28 centimeters (11 inches)

Exclusion criteria

• Resting pain or tissue loss due to peripheral artery disease (PAD, Fontaine stage III and IV)

• Foot ulceration

• Acute lower extremity event secondary to thromboembolic disease or acute trauma

• Walking capacity limited by diseases unrelated to PAD, such as:

  • Neurological disorders
  • Musculoskeletal disorders (arthritis, scoliosis, stroke, spinal injury, etc.)
  • History of ankle instability
  • Knee injury
  • Diagnosed joint laxity
  • Lower limb injury
  • Surgery within the past 12 months
  • Joint replacement
  • Pulmonary disease or breathing disorders
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Vestibular disorder

• Acute injury or pain in lower extremity

• Current illness

• Inability to follow visual cues due to blindness

• Inability to follow auditory cues due to deafness

• Pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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9 participants in 2 patient groups

Optimal Assistance Pattern

Experimental group

Description:

An optimization algorithm will change the assistance pattern on the hip exoskeleton during walking sessions and the optimal assistance pattern will be determined when gait variability is minimized.

Treatment:

Other: Exoskeleton Optimization

Endurance Effectds

Experimental group

Description:

Endurance of participants using ground reaction force (Bertec treadmill), walking speed (Bertec treadmill), indirect calorimetry (Cosmed), and motion capture (Vicon) will be determined.

Treatment:

Other: Endurance Evaluation