Robotic Biomedical Device for Recovering Cardiovascular Efficiency in Paraplegic Patients

This thesis is studying on the Design and development of a biomechanical robotize IPC device to accomplish a therapeutic methodology for recovery of cardio-circulatory functions, which may be seriously impaired in paraplegic patients. This impairment is caused by the reduction of venous return, due to the missing muscular contraction in zones without innervations. Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) is a well-known technique, which can be used for several therapeutic treatments like sports recovery, lymphoedema drainage, and deep vein thrombosis prevention. An IPC device produces a definite massaging action on the limb by inflating and deflating a given number of bladders according to particular time laws. The designed IPC device in this thesis is proposed for the lower limb to recover the venous return and preventing the Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in the patients. The experimental tests on the volunteer persons showed the significant improvements on the important parameters of the cardiovascular, like the stroke volume (SV), the cardiac output (CO), and the end diastolic volume of left ventricle (LVEDV). To understand the dynamic behaviour of the IPC device and to optimize its performances, the device is characterized based on the mechanical and physiological aspects and its mathematical model is simulated in Simulink-Matlab. The validation of the mathematical model is done by comparing results with the experimental one. In addition, to apply the desired pressure pattern on the limb, two control strategies based on the PID algorithm and regulating inflating time are implemented on the model. The results of the controlled model, shows about 60% improving in performances of the device as concerns the bladder pressure control. In this case the experimental test has been done and it verified the control results of the simulation