![]() We included these blocks in a custom Simulink blockset. While the hardware engineers designed the electronics, the software developers divided the UECU’s capabilities into building blocks that researchers can use to assemble FES applications. The proof-of-concept system demonstrated that we could get real-time control of stimulation pulses from a Simulink model.įrom there, we developed and refined the software. We created a simple FES controller in Simulink and generate code from the model with Real-Time Workshop. As a proof of concept, we connected a Freescale microcontroller evaluation board to a prototype implant control module and wrote S-functions to control this hardware. We used Simulink from the very start of the project. Third, the UECU had to work effectively in the laboratory, in the clinic, and in the patient’s home. Second, the design environment had to enable researchers and rehabilitation engineers-not expert programmers-to develop rapid prototypes and quickly translate basic research into actual clinical systems. First, we wanted the UECU hardware and software to be modular and flexible enough to be used for a wide variety of FES applications. In developing the UECU, we had three primary goals. With UECU, engineers in the clinic can change an FES controller and immediately see the results, enabling them to make improvements up to ten times faster than they could do before. While a great deal is known about how electrical stimulation affects paralyzed nerves and muscles, until now a challenge has been the need to customize each device for the individual patient’s abilities and disabilities.Īt Case Western Reserve University we developed the Universal External Control Unit (UECU), a flexible, configurable system technology platform for FES applications. Depending on the location and severity of the disability, FES can significantly improve quality of life by enabling the individual to regain capabilities such as walking, grasping objects, or maintaining bladder control.įES devices send electrical impulses to electrodes-implanted in the body, worn on the skin, or operating through the skin-to produce and control movement. For individuals with neurological impairments, functional electrical stimulation (FES) can help make real what was once only imagined: the restoration of movement to paralyzed arms and legs.
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