• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2017

An important characteristic of people with partially impaired walking ability, such as incomplete paraplegics, is that they are able to generate voluntary motion of lower-limbs. Therefore, wearable robots for the incomplete paraplegic patients require a different assistance method compared to those of complete paraplegics. First, the wearable robot should be controlled to not resist wearer's motion. Second, it should be able to generate assistive torque accurately when needed. In this paper, a wearable robot, called EROWA, for the incomplete paraplegic patients is introduced. EROWA utilizes compact rotary series elastic actuators (cRSEAs) and a control method called the zero impedance control to reduce the mechanical resistance. An assistive torque trajectory is proposed to assist gait in this paper. The proposed method is verified by simulation and experimental studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.44-51
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• 2002

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.129-142
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• 1994

The purpose of this study determine and compare spinal cord injured(SCI) patients’ and nurses’ perceptions of SCI patients’ learning needs about altered elimination and then provide nursing data for more effective SCI patients’ learning process. Data collection was done from September 3 to October 2, 1993. For this study, 36 SCI Patients(12 paraplegia, 24 quadriplegia) and 20 nurses who were working neurosurgery or rehabilitation unit in 3 general hospitals in C and I city were selected. Data collection was accomplished by Questionnaire method and the instrument developed by the investigator, elicited information about learning needs about altered elimination of SCI patients from SCI patient, nurse, rehabilitation doctor, nursing professor, nursing graduate students. The questionnaire composed altered urinary elimination part with 10 categories and altered bowel elimination part with 10 categories. The results of this study were as follows : 1. There was no significant difference in learning needs about altered urinary elimination of the paraplegic SCI patients’ perceptions and nurses’ perceptions of the paraplegic SCI patients. But there was significant difference in learning needs about altered urinary elimination of the quadriplegic SCI patients and nurses’ perceptions of the quadriplegic patients(t=2.48, p=.017). 2. There was no significant difference in learning needs about altered bowel elimination of the paraplegic SCI patients’ perceptions and nurses’ perceptions of the paraplegic SCI patients. But there was significant difference in learning needs about altered bowel elimination of the quadriplegic SCI patients and nurses’ perceptions of the quadriplegic patients(t=-3.00. p=.005). 3. Degree of paraplegic SCI patients’ perceived learning needs about altered urinary elimination was 2.4083 and quadriplegic SCI patients’ perceptions were 2.0750. Degree of paraplegic SCI patients’ perceived learning needs about altered bowel elimination was 2.3972 and quadriplegic SCI patients' perceptions were 2.181.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.1385-1386
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• 2011

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.898-902
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to report the improvement after the Oriental medical treatment about a paraplegic patient caused by spinal cord injury. The paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury was the result of falling down. So we diagnosed it as Eohyeol(瘀血), Wei symptom(痿證), Urinary retention(癃閉) in Oriental medical system and applied herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, physical exercise to the patient for 42days. We evaluate the clinical effect of the treatment with VAS and motor/sensory function score of the body and lower extremities. After the Oriental medical treatment, we achieved the effective result on impairment in motor and sensory function of the paraplegic patient. And also we got the improvement of urinary disorder and pain. The more clinical study about paraplegic patient caused by spinal cord injury may be needed.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.429-438
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• 1994

An electrical stimulator was designed to induce locomotion for paraplegic patients caused by central nervous system injury. Optimal stimulus parameters, which can minimize muscle fatigue and can achieve effective muscle contraction were determined in slow and fast muscles in Sprague-Dawley rats. Stimulus patterns of our stimulator were designed to simulate eleclromyographic activity monitored during locomotion of normal subjects. Muscle types of the lower extremity were classified according to their mechanical property of contraction, which are slow muscle (msoleus m.) and fast muscle (medial gastrocnemius m., rectus femoris m., vastus lateralis m.). Optimal parameters of electrical stimulation for slow muscles were 20 Hz, 0.2 ms square pulse. For fast muscle, 40 Hz, 0.3 ms square pulse was optimal to produce repeated contraction. Higher'stimulus intensity was required when synergistic muscles were stimulated simultaneously than when they were stimulated individually. Electrical stimulation for each muscle was designed to generate bipedal locomotion, so that individual muscles alternate contraction and relaxation to simulate stance and swing phases. Portable electrical stimulator with 16 channels built in microprocessor was constructed and applied to paraplegic patients due to lumbar cord injury. The electrical slimulator restored partially gait function in paraplegic patients.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.109-111
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• 1989

An electrical stimulator was designed to induce locomotion for paraplegic patients caused by central nervous system injury. Optimal stimulus parameters, which can minimize muscle fatigue and can achieve effective muscle contraction were determined in slow and fast muscles in Sprague-Dawley rats. Stimulus patterns of our stimulator were designed to simulate electromyographic activity monitored during locomotion of normal subjects. Muscle types of the lower extremity were classified according to their mechanical property of contraction, which are slow muscle (msoleus m.) and fast muscle (medial gastrocneminus m., rectus femoris m., vastus lateralis m.). Optimal parameters of electrical stimulation for slow muscles were 20 Hz, 0.2 ms square pulse. For fast muscle, 40 Hz, 0.3 ms square pulse was optimal to produce repeated contraction. Higher stimulus intensity was required when synergistic muscles were stimulated simultaneously than when they were stimulated individually. Electrical stimulation for each muscle was designed to generate bipedal locomotion, so that individual muscles alternate contraction and relaxation to simulate stance and swing phases. Portable electrical stimulator with 16 channels built in microprocessor was constructed and applied to paraplegic patients due to lumbar cord injury. The electrical stimulator restored partially gait function in paraplegic patients.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Therapy Association
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• s.3
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• pp.27-37
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• 1981

The Sexual Function Study and Its Rehabilitation Of the Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries Park Ji Whan, R.P.T. Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine, nanyang University Hospital The patient with complete spinal cord injuries cannot expect normal intercourse. In spite of these ultimate limitations. coitus is practied with gratification by about a third of paraplegic men. and probably a higher percentage of paraplegic women. Th-is is possible since a significant percentage of paraplegic men can have erections .In patients with upper motor neurone lesions at any spinal level, reflex erections can be produced by local stimulation , in. patients with lesions at higher levels, the probability of success is greater. The ability to have erections, psychic or reflex or both, usually appears within six months after injury .

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.6 s.81
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• pp.523-531
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• 2003

We developed a PC-based 8-channel electrical stimulation system for transcutaneous functional electrical stimulation (FES), and applied it to FES exercise and paraplegic walking. The PC program consists of four parts: a database, a stimulation pattern generator, a stimulus parameter converter, and an exercise program. The stimulation pattern can be arbitrarily generated and edited by using the mouse on the PC screen, and the resulting stimulus parameters arc extracted from the recruitment curves, and transmitted to the 8-channel stimulator through the serial port. The stimulator has nine microprocessors: one master and eight slaves, Each channel is controlled by the slave microprocessor, and is operated independently. Clinical application of the system to a paraplegic patient showed significant increase in the knee extensor torque, the fatigue resistance, and the leg circumference, The patient can now walk about 50 meters for more than 2 minutes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.213-217
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• 2019

Five paraplegic dogs were diagnosed with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease with more than 50% compression of spinal cord. Because the lesions were determined to be disc extrusion on magnetic resonance imaging, a hemilaminectomy was initially performed, however, protruded discs were confirmed during surgery. To remove the protruded disc, modified partial lateral corpectomy (mini-PLC) was additionally performed. All dogs recovered to full ambulation within a median of 44 days without temporary deterioration or vertebral instability. Mini-PLC as described here enables successful removal of the protruded disc, while preserving vertebral stability in dogs for whom the use of hemilaminectomy is inevitable.