The gait assist devices are used for rehabilitation in the field with purpose of the reduced human body strain and the efficiency of rehabilitation. However, the gait rehabilitation assist device is intricate in mechanism and system. Therefore, the gait rehabilitation assist device is required of simple structure and system for body weight support, auxiliary function and assists function. The purpose of this study is to develop and basic design a gait rehabilitation assist device system with simple link mechanism. This system consists of three parts, equipment of gait assist unit, body weight support and self-propelled equipment. The gait assist unit is based on simple link mechanism, such as 4-bar link mechanism, and has performed a leg exercise, such as a hip and a knee joint. In this study, we determined development concept of gait rehabilitation assist device with 4-bar link mechanism. And, we examined each link parameter of 4-bar link mechanism using error and correlation coefficient between motion capture analysis and mechanical analysis. The trial gait rehabilitation assist device with determined link parameters could reproduce walking motion.

The Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) can evaluate the specific treatment outcomes of patients with back pain-related diseases in terms of physical functioning, social ability, and mental health. This study was to construct the regression models between the answers to JOABPEQ and physical findings. We reviewed 301 patients with back pain-related diseases. We measured the degrees of ①low back pain, ②leg pain, and ③leg numbness using a visual analog scale and also measured ④flexion, ⑤external rotation, ⑥internal rotation angles (range of motion; ROM) of the hip joint, and ⑦the straight leg-raising angle. Relationship between all answers from JOABPEQ and physical function data were analyzed by partial least squares regression analyses. ①, ②, ③, and ⑦ were admitted the construction of the regression model from answers to JOABPEQ. However, other variables couldn't admit the construction of the regression model from them. From this study's result, the degree of pain and numbness of back pain-related diseases can be estimated from JOABPEQ's question. In addition, because JOABPEQ doesn't cover all of the physical evaluation, we think that it's important to add a physical evaluation, such as hip joint angle

We propose a novel supporting device to help patients with Parkinson's disease to turn over and to take a sitting position on a bed. Patients with Parkinson's disease have difficulty with turning motion, which causes disability to achieve the sitting up position. Nevertheless, they can walk unaided by a caregiver in the case that the condition is not so serious. The device prototype is a vest on which air actuators are attached. We devised three kinds of air actuators comprising piled plastic sheets: bellows-type, fan-type and split-type. The air actuators push the patient body up as they are expanded by an air compressor. We estimated the necessary air actuator forces and ascertained their position on the vest through simulations. We conducted experiments to verify the prototype device with healthy participants. The obtained results indicate that the performance of the device suffices to help the user to complete the sitting up motion on a bed.

A flow rate regulation mechanism is essential for a total artificial heart (TAH), for balancing the blood volume of the pulmonary circulation with that of the systemic circulation. We consider the pump characteristic of the centrifugal pump is a crucial function for balancing the flow rate of the TAH because the centrifugal pump has a significant variation in flow rate to pressure head. In this study, the adequate design of the right pump was investigated using computer fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to achieve higher variation to pressure head related to a change in preload. Effects on the pump characteristics on changing the vane height, the vane diameter, and the volute path design were investigated. The significant improvement of the pump characteristics was obtained with a pump with a vane height of 4.5 mm, a vane diameter of 27 mm and a wider volute path design. The variation in flow rate to the pressure head improved dramatically to 0.5 L/min/mmHg with a developed pump from 0.18 L/min/mmHg with the conventional pump design.