Exoskeleton Variability Optimization
Stopped early · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Peripheral Arterial Disease
In brief
Exoskeletons, wearable devices that assist with walking, can improve mobility in clinical populations. With exoskeletons, it is crucial to optimize the assistance profile. Recent studies describe algorithms (i.e., human-in-the-loop) to optimize the assistance profile with real-time metabolic measurements. The needed duration of current human-in-the-loop (HITL) algorithms range from 20 minutes to 1 hour which is longer than the average duration that most patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) can walk. Because of this limited walking duration, it is often not possible for patients with PAD to reach steady-state metabolic cost, which makes these measurements are not useful for optimizing exoskeletons. In this study, investigators intend to develop and evaluate HITL optimization methods for exoskeletons and use the information to design and evaluate a portable hip exoskeleton. Shorter and more clinically feasible HITL optimization strategies based on experiments in healthy adults might allow utilizing these optimization strategies to become available for patient populations such as patients with PAD.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT04338815
- Run by
- University of Nebraska
- People needed
- 9
- Starts
- 2022-01-31
- Expected to finish
- 2025-03-28
- Last updated by the study team
- 2025-06-19
Who can join
Age: 19 and older, up to 85. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Ability to provide written consent
- Chronic claudication history
- Ankle-brachial index < 0.90 at rest
- Stable blood pressure, lipids, and diabetes for > 6 weeks
- Ability to walk on a treadmill for multiple five-minute spans
- Ability to fit in exoskeleton
- Waist circumference 78 to 92 centimeters (31 to 36 inches)
- Thigh circumference 48 to 60 centimeters (19 to 24 inches)
- Minimal thigh length 28 centimeters (11 inches)
You may not qualify if…
- Resting pain or tissue loss due to peripheral artery disease (PAD, Fontaine stage III and IV)
- Foot ulceration
- Acute lower extremity event secondary to thromboembolic disease or acute trauma
- Walking capacity limited by diseases unrelated to PAD, such as:
- Neurological disorders
- Musculoskeletal disorders (arthritis, scoliosis, stroke, spinal injury, etc.)
- History of ankle instability
- Knee injury
- Diagnosed joint laxity
- Lower limb injury
- Surgery within the past 12 months
- Joint replacement
- Pulmonary disease or breathing disorders
- Cardiovascular disease
- Vestibular disorder
- Acute injury or pain in lower extremity
- Current illness
- Inability to follow visual cues due to blindness
- Inability to follow auditory cues due to deafness
- Pregnant
Where it is running
- University of Nebraska Omaha — Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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