Development of Assistive device for lower limb disorder

Project Title

Development of Assistive device for lower limb disorder

Project Area of Specialization Biomedical EngineeringProject Summary

People with lower limb muscular disorder unable to move their leg which affects their quality of life due to long term limitations in function. Therefore, an assistive device is needed which helps in recovery of muscular disorder that enables the patient to move their leg. Sport accidents are popular as most physical activities involve running and footwork so athletes and every-other person inevitably get hit and get their knee or ankle joints injured and are unable to walk without physiotherapist's assistance which carries on for days and weeks or even months and also long waiting lines for turn. Therefore, an assisted device is developed that will help patients with knee and ankle mobility issues with flexion and extension therapy activity at consistent pace for specific time periods as recommended by physiotherapist. The assisted device with indigenous design will perform one Degree of Freedom (DOF) for knee and ankle joint. This DOF will be operated through a control panel which will provide the adjustment of time and speed with low, Medium and Fast modes. Further, this control panel also have separate Knee and ankle joint Degree of freedom modes. The following figure shows the block diagram of device.

Project Objectives

Persons who experience any difficulties when raising their knee or ankle will be supported by our device to easily move their knee and ankle by providing therapeutic workout movements. The objective of project includes;

1. The device will consider to support 1 Degree of freedom (DOF) for both Knee and Ankle joints.
2. Speed of device will be adjustable.
3. Time of exercise will be in users’ control.

Project Implementation Method

• Literature Review 
• Design of mechanical assembly.
• Selection of electronic components
  • Motors and drive circuits
  • Controller
• Design of electronic assembly.
• Fabrication of electro-mechanical assembly
• Testing

Benefits of the Project

 The project benefit includes the following.

1. This assistive device will help in recovery of disorder that enables the patients to move their lower limb.
2. Treatment of muscular disorders of knee and ankle joint.
3. Low cost and portable
4. Indigenous design.
5.  Benefit for Pakistan Health care Industry and society.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

In this project, assisted device is fabricated for the one DOF of knee and ankle joint. Control Speed along with time will make it easy for the patients to move their knee and ankle joint according to their requirements and controllability as per recommendations of Physiotherapists. The assisted device consists of mechanical assembly and circuitry. Mechanical assembly fabricated using aluminum and fiber with appropriate dimensions required for placement of leg. The device performs one DOF movements through DC motors and Arduino Mega microcontroller. The device design is provided by Graphical User Interface (GUI). GUI consists of time console and modes for speed along with selection modes for knee and ankle joint DOF.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry MedicalOther Industries Manufacturing , Health Core Technology Wearables and ImplantablesOther Technologies Robotics, NeuroTechSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	69880
fabrication of mechanical assembly	Equipment	1	35000	35000
Arduino	Equipment	2	1400	2800
Motors	Equipment	4	4500	18000
TFT display	Equipment	1	4000	4000
connecting wires roll	Equipment	1	400	400
Casing box	Equipment	1	1000	1000
Thesis printing and binding	Miscellaneous	5	1200	6000
Transportation	Miscellaneous	2	1200	2400
Resistors	Equipment	20	5	100
Capacitors	Equipment	6	30	180