Implementación de un prototipo de sistema modular electrónico para rehabilitación de personas con paraplejía controlado mediante dispositivo móvil.

Abstract

The objective of this graduate research project was to develop a prototype for a modular electronic system controlled by a mobile device for use in paraplegia rehabilitation. The methodology for the design and selection of elements was comparative, whereby the functionality, reliability and costs were evaluated. The system has a general consolidation based on electronic, mechanical and software design. In the electronic design stage, the power supply consisted of a 12V source that fed the motor drivers and another 5V source to power the microcontrollers and the system was fed to the network with a voltage of 110V. The control stage was integrated via an Arduino Uno microcontroller that controls the oximeter sensor and the entire system is controlled through two modes of Bluetooth communication. The prototype supports passive movement therapy, consisting of three “time” routines previously established and validated by experts in the area. Data from the routines and the patient's heart rate and oxygen saturation data are sent to the Thingspeak website. The prototype consists of two modes of operation, the first manual mode allows for the speed to be varied using buttons. The second automatic mode consists of a mobile application that manages the established routines. Based on the tests carried out, it was concluded that the prototype can be controlled by a mobile device up to a distance of 7.5m. The installed sensor proved to be very reliable, obtaining a maximum error of 1 point in the collected samples. According to experts an error at this level does not affect therapy, and hence the prototype is deemed reliable. Further research is recommended, focusing on a prototype that allows for more muscle sensors to be incorporated with the goal of monitoring the transmitted signals and thus support the rehabilitation prototype to be more competitive in the market.