Browsing by Author "Pylatiuk, Christian"

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    CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING CONCEPTS FOR A MULTIFUNCTIONAL HAND PROSTHESIS
    (2002) Reischl, Markus; Mikut, Raif; Pylatiuk, Christian; Schulz, Stefan
    The loss of an arm means drastic reduction of live quality for affected people. To compensate the lost live quality myoelectric hand prostheses have been developed, that can be controlled by muscle contractions in the patients stump. Besides cosmetical aspects the acceptance of these hand prostheses depends on functionality, weight and user-friendliness. Concerning these items, international studies demonstrated, that about 30% of the users of functional prostheses are not using them regularly [1, 2]. Recently, the FZK (Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe) presented a light-weight artificial hand, that is able to move all finger joints independently [3]. To control this large variety of movement possibilities the principal task is to establish a control that has an extended functionality but is easy to handle. This paper presents: • a control concept that is able to perform various grip types using the same sensor configuration like commercial products and • a software platform to individually adapt necessary parameters to the users needs.
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    DESIGN AND PRELIMINARY EXPERIENCE WITH FLUIDHAND MK III
    (2008) Schulz, Stefan; Pylatiuk, Christian; Kargov, Artem; Werner, Tino; Gaiser, Immanuel; Reischl, Markus; Oberle, Reinhold
    The third generation of the fluidic hand currently is in the process of clinical trial. The new hand combines functionality and cosmesis. It has the natural shape of a human hand and multiple new functions. The grasping operation is built in an adaptive way according to the biological example. This means that objects are enclosed with positive locking. The big contact area and soft passive elements considerably reduce the grasping force required to hold an object securely. Starting from a natural basic hand position, all actuators can be controlled individually by two myoelectrodes in the socket. The software allows for a quick selection of the most important grasping patterns. Besides the multifunctional control, features of the new hand like the force feedback system which gives the patient a sense of feeling and operation of a (computer) keyboard with the index will be depicted.
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    PRELIMINARY EXPERIENCE WITH HYDRAULICALLY DRIVEN HAND PROSTHESES
    (2005) Pylatiuk, Christian; Kargov, Artem; Oberle, Reinhold; Klosek, Heinrich; Schulz, Stefan
    The need for further development of prosthetic hands with enhanced functionalities and better cosmetic appearance than conventional prosthetic hands became evident in many investigations of this topic [1-3]. Consequently, a new generation of multi-articulated hands for prosthetic application were designed in the past decade. Some of these hands are characterized by a multitude of miniature DC gear motors integrated into the hand [4-8], or by an underactuated mechanism driven by a single DC motor [4,9]. However, the transition from an experimental hand to a clinically viable hand is a crucial test for any new development. Different approaches using fluidic actuators were chosen by [10] and by our research group [11]. Unlike [10], we do not use a pneumatic drive system powered by pressurized CO2 from disposable cartridges, but a compact electro-hydraulic system. Its components are micropump(s), microvalve(s), a reservoir, a controller, and small flexible fluidic actuators integrated into the finger joints. The flexible fluidic actuators expand during inflation, generating the flexion movement of the digits, whereas the extension movement is achieved by elastic elements [11]. Publications on standards for prosthetic hands and criteria to meet user requirements [1-3, 12] were analyzed and taken into consideration in designing new experimental hands. The results obtained in the first year with three hydraulically driven experimental hands are displayed and test experiences are presented.
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    USING THE INTERNET FOR AN ANONYMOUS SURVEY OF MYOELECTRICAL PROSTHESIS WEARERS
    (2005) Pylatiuk, Christian; Schulz, Stefan
    in the last decades, a multitude of surveys were carried out to investigate broadly different fields associated with prosthesis acceptance, reasons for non-use or user preferences for artificial hand improvements [1-9]. Typically, interviews were made by telephone [1,2] or during maintenance work on the prosthesis [3-5], or questionnaires were sent to potential users [6-9]. In most surveys, the persons to be questioned were pre-selected by the interviewer using different inclusion criteria, e.g. level of amputation, age, and contact with the limb fitting centre in a certain period or residence in a certain area [6]. Therefore, little is known about non-users that broke tie with the facility that supplied the device. Return rates of completed postal questionnaires typically range from 38% [7], to 49% [9] to 69% [6]. For the first time now, an anonymous internet survey has been performed using a questionnaire that can be answered on a homepage. By this method, it is intended to enable prosthetic hand users and non-users as well to provide information on the acceptance, usage, and wishes for the development of new and improved hand prosthese