The “Beam-Me-In Strategy” – remote haptic therapist-patient interaction with two exoskeletons for stroke therapy

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2019 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-019-0547-3 · Published: June 5, 2019

Assistive Technology Neurorehabilitation Telehealth & Digital Health

Simple Explanation

This study introduces a telerehabilitation system using two arm therapy robots, enabling therapists to remotely experience a patient's arm limitations through haptic feedback. Fifteen therapists tested this "Beam-Me-In" strategy, assessing simulated arm movements and quantifying impairments like reduced range of motion and resistance to passive movement. The therapists rated the strategy as useful for evaluating patient progress, with good accuracy in assessing range of motion and high reliability in identifying resistance to passive movement and muscle synergies.

Study Duration

July to August 2015

Participants

15 physical and occupational therapists

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Therapists found the “Beam-Me-In” strategy to be a useful medium for evaluating a patient’s progress over time.
2
The assessment of passive and active range of motion of the elbow joint showed a mean absolute error of 4.9 degrees.
3
Inter-rater reliability for assessing resistance to passive movement and the ability to fractionate movement was high, at 0.930 and 0.948, respectively.

Research Summary

The study presents a robot-assisted telerehabilitation system that allows therapists to feel the patient’s limitations over a distance using two arm therapy robots. Fifteen therapists tested the "Beam-Me-In" strategy, assessing the level of impairment of recorded and simulated arm movements related to stroke patients. The results suggest that the “Beam-Me-In” strategy is a promising approach to complement robot-assisted movement training and can serve as a platform to assess abnormal movement patterns.

Practical Implications

Remote Assessment

The "Beam-Me-In" strategy enables therapists to remotely assess patient impairments, potentially overcoming geographical barriers to specialized care.

Enhanced Therapist Training

The system can be used as a training tool for therapists and students, providing a hands-on experience of various patient conditions and movement abnormalities.

Personalized Therapy

By providing haptic feedback, the "Beam-Me-In" strategy can facilitate a more intuitive and personalized approach to robot-assisted therapy, allowing therapists to tailor treatment based on the patient's specific needs.

Study Limitations

1
Small sample size
2
The generalizability of the positive ratings by the therapists in the end-of-study questionnaire may be limited.
3
The simulated impairments were not validated or compared to recorded impairments.

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