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Department of Engineering, ICT and Technologies for Energy and Transport Patent Title Device for the rehabŝůŝƚĂƟoŶ of movemeŶƚƐ of the foot. Ref. CNR 10172 Assignee(s): CNR CNR InƐƟƚute: ITIA Main Inventor: DĂƩĞŽ Malosio Countries: IT, EP, US Priority date: 20/12/2011 Abstract The preseŶt ŝŶveŶƟoŶ relates to Ŷeuromuscular rehabilitaƟoŶ, referriŶg ŝŶ pĂƌƟcular to the ŶeurorehabŝůŝƚĂƟoŶ of the ĂŶkle, descrŝďŝŶg a device aŶd a method eŶsurŝŶg foot movemeŶt moƟŽŶƐ highly ĐŽŵƉĂƟďůe with physiological movemeŶts of the aŶkle musculoskeletal apparatus. To achieve this goal a fully-parallel three-degrees-of-freedom spherical kiŶeŵĂƟĐ architecture has beeŶ exploited aŶd speciĮcally ĐŽŶĮŐƵƌed ŝŶ order to guaraŶtee that the ceŶƚer of ƌŽƚĂƟŽŶ of the foot support is placed Ŷearby the actual ceŶter of roƚĂƟŽŶ of the foot, at the ĐĞŶƚĞƌ of the aŶkle ĂƌƟĐƵůĂƟoŶ. A force seŶsor aŶd aĚĚŝƟoŶal feedback sŝŐŶals, as electromyography, caŶ be ŝŶtegrated to be exploited by the cŽŶtrol loop implemĞŶƟŶŐ assisƟve ĐŽŶƚƌŽů logics. Background Devices for the rehabŝůŝƚĂƟoŶ of the foot with more thaŶ oŶe degree of freedom are typically characterized by the ceŶter of roƚĂƟoŶ of the plĂƞorm which is ŶŽt coŶĮgured Ŷearby the actual ceŶter of rŽƚĂƟŽŶ of the aŶkle; it leads ĐŽŵƉĞŶsatory aŶd desired ŵŽƟŽŶƐ by the ƉĂƟĞŶƚƐ aŶd reduces the overall therapy ĞīĞĐƟveŶess. Technology The device comprises a mobile ƉůĂƞorm supporƟŶg the foot cŽŶŶected to the grŽƵŶĚ by meĂŶs of a spherical parallel kŝŶĞŵĂƟĐ mechaŶism with three ƌŽƚĂƟŽŶĂl degrees of freedom allowiŶg ŽŶůLJ ƌŽƚĂƟoŶs of the ƉůĂƞŽrm with respect to the supporƟŶg base aroƵŶd axes ŝŶƚerseĐƟŶg ŝŶ a sŝŶgle poiŶƚ Ŷearby the actual ceŶƚer of rŽƚĂƟŽŶ of the foot. Advantages and ApplicaƟons The presĞŶt device permits a coŶtrol of ĂĐƟve, passive aŶd assisted movemeŶts, compĂƟbly with the Ŷatural aŶatomic ĐŽŶdŝƟŽŶs aŶd physiological movemeŶƚƐ of the aŶkle ĂƌƟĐƵůĂƟoŶ. Typical ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶs are related to Ŷeuromuscular rehabŝůŝƚĂƟŽŶ of foot movemeŶƚƐ͘ Development stage The Įrst prototype is completely assembled aŶd is curreŶƚůy beŝŶŐ tested ŝŶ rehabŝůŝƚĂƟoŶ ceŶƚers. New fƵŶĐƟŽŶaliƟes of the cŽŶtrol system are cŽŶstaŶtly beŝŶg implemeŶted. The respect of required fƵŶĐƟŽŶaliƟes has beeŶ assessed exploiƟŶg a group of healthy subjects; ĐůŝŶŝĐĂů trials with impaired people started receŶƚůLJ͘ 69