• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.171-180
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to install a system that compensated for the respiration motion using an articulated robotic manipulator couch which enables a wide range of motions that a Stewart platform cannot provide and to evaluate the performance of various prediction algorithms including proposed algorithm. For that purpose, we built a miniature couch tracking system comprising an articulated robotic manipulator, 3D optical tracking system, a phantom that mimicked respiratory motion, and control software. We performed simulations and experiments using respiratory data of 12 patients to investigate the feasibility of the system and various prediction algorithms, namely linear extrapolation (LE) and double exponential smoothing (ES2) with averaging methods. We confirmed that prediction algorithms worked well during simulation and experiment, with the ES2-averaging algorithm showing the best results. The simulation study showed 43% average and 49% maximum improvement ratios with the ES2-averaging algorithm, and the experimental study with the $QUASAR^{TM}$ phantom showed 51% average and 56% maximum improvement ratios with this algorithm. Our results suggest that the articulated robotic manipulator couch system with the ES2-averaging prediction algorithm can be widely used in the field of radiation therapy, providing a highly efficient and utilizable technology that can enhance the therapeutic effect and improve safety through a noninvasive approach.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the simultaneous abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) on the muscle activity of the ipsilateral trunk and leg during proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) leg flexion, adduction, and external rotation with knee flexion (D1) patterns. Methods: The participants were 20 healthy adult males and females (18 males and 2 females). The maneuvers were performed by a physical therapist who fully understands the PNF leg patterns (D1) and their application in clinical practice. The participants were trained and allowed to practice for 15 minutes prior to applying ADIM, to ensure adequate learning as evidenced by the pressure biofeedback unit. In this study, we measured the muscle activity of the trunk and leg when the PNF leg pattern (D1) was performed by the physical therapist either sustaining or releasing the ADIM. Muscle activity was measured on the right transverse abdominis muscle (TRA), the external abdominal oblique muscle (EO), the internal abdominal oblique muscle (IO), the erector spinae muscle (ES), the vastus medialis oblique muscle (VMO), the vastus lateralis oblique muscle (VLO), and the tibialis anterior muscle (TA) and compared using the mean values from averaging three repeated measurements. Results: The muscle activity of the transversus abdominis, the external abdominal oblique, the internal abdominal oblique, the vastus medialis oblique, and the vastus lateralis oblique was significantly greater (p < 0.05), and the muscle activity of the erector spinae was significantly less (p < 0.05) during PNF leg pattern (D1) when the ADIM contraction was sustained compared to when it was not. Conclusion: These results suggest that sustaining ADIM during PNF leg pattern (D1) training increases the trunk and leg muscle activity, resulting in more effective training.