Abstract: This paper discusses the development of our rehabilitation system for improving the gait of those with paralyzed or weakened lower limbs. Gait training is one form of training that is essential in the early rehabilitation recovery stage. Parallel bar training is usually used for this purpose. However, this method is difficult with regards to setting suitable training loads. This is due, in part, to a lack of quantitative information about the patient's ability to move. Moreover, a device that can adjust and maintain a suitable load based on the assessment is needed. Our Gait Training System can be adjusted to simulate gait training in a swimming pool, in which the gravitational effect is reduced. The trainee is supported by a sling system that dynamically controls the sling force. The trainee walks on top of aligned force plates, which then measure feedback gait properties for controlling sling power. This system provides effective support for the trainee, while the data is recorded and processed for evaluating the degree of recovery of the trainee.

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Abstract A new detection method using words related with mood state is presented, which can detect individuals having mental troubles from healthy individuals. The word was displayed visually in very short durations for a subject. From five words, the subject chose one word that was felt displayed. For the subject, 42 words were displayed. The 42 words consisted of seven categories, depression, hostility, fatigue, affection, active pleasantness, comfort, and neutrality. And then the subject answered a mentality test MINI that was the reduced edition of MMPI(Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). We implemented this test to 42 female university students. We conducted analysis of the MINI results and obtained the correct answer rate regarding the displayed words. The results showed that the discriminant function extracted subjects having mental troubles successfully in 81% and the correlation ratio was 0.10, especially those having depression-troubles successfully in 85% and the correlation ratio was 0.36.

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Abstract We have been developing a transcutaneous energy transmission system(TETS)for a completely implantable device. As for the conventional TETS, the AC current through the internal coil of transcutaneous transformer has needed to be rectified by the internal circuit in order to drive the implanted actuator. An important problem is how to reduce the volume and the heat dissipation in the internal circuit. This paper proposes a new TETS that can supply AC electrical current directly to the implanted actuator without an internal circuit. First, the transcutaneous transformer is redesigned in order to expand the operating frequency range from tens of hertz to hundreds of kilohertz. Second, in vitro experiments with an improved TETS are conducted with an induction motor and an ultrasonic motor for the implantable actuator. As a result, a maximum energy transmission efficiency of 92% is obtained. And, the rotation-speed can be controlled by the input frequency. Moreover, the new type of TETS reduces the volume of the internal device by 65%. It is proved that the newly developed system is very simple and has the potential to provide better quality of life for patients compared with the conventional TETS.

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Abstract EEGs of 18 electrodes were measured for several minutes from three Parkinson's disease patients and two senile dementia patients and 14 healthy individuals at rest on eye. One of the three Parkinson's disease patients was not in the symptomatic. Variances in positive peaks of θ-, α-, and β-waves of every electrode were calculated for every individual. The variances of two Parkinson's disease patients in the symptomatic were larger than those of other individuals. One of the two Parkinson's disease patients had the larger variances of α-wave measured from right frontal electrodes. When the right frontal electrodes of this patient had higher peaks, the patient's frontal and parietal electrodes had higher voltages than other electrodes, and Dipole Tracing Analysis suggested that the part near the cerebellum and the midbrain was activated. The other Parkinson's disease patient had the larger variances of β-wave measured from occipital electrodes. Dipole Tracing Analysis suggested that, in this case, the patient's posterior thalamus was often highly activated. These results showed that the peak-variance could be useful indicator when considering the difference in clinical types of Parkinsonism.

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