Fuzzy Logic-Based Risk Assessment of a Parallel Robot for Elbow and Wrist Rehabilitation

A few decades ago, robotics started to be implemented in the medical field, especially in the rehabilitation of patients with different neurological diseases that have led to neuromuscular disorders. The main concern regarding medical robots is their safety assurance in the medical environment. The goal of this paper is to assess the risk of a medical robotic system for elbow and wrist rehabilitation in terms of robot and patient safety. The approached risk assessment follows the ISO12100:2010 risk management chart in order to determine, identify, estimate, and evaluate the possible risk that can occur during the use of the robotic system. The result of the risk assessment process is further analyzed using a fuzzy logic system in order to determine the safety degree conferred during the use of the robotic system. The innovative process concerning the risk assessment allows the achievement of a reliable medical robotic system both for the patient and the clinicians as well. The clinical trials performed on a group of 18 patients validated the functionality and the safe behavior of the robotic system.

[1]  Young Hwan Choi,et al.  A new approach to quantify safety benefits of disaster robots , 2017 .

[2]  G. Carbone,et al.  ON THE SINGULARITY-FREE WORKSPACE OF A PARALLEL ROBOT FOR LOWER-LIMB REHABILITATION , 2020 .

[3]  P. Dario,et al.  Design strategies to improve patient motivation during robot-aided rehabilitation , 2007, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

[4]  Marco Ceccarelli,et al.  Kinematic Design of a Parallel Robot for Elbow and Wrist Rehabilitation , 2018 .

[5]  Nirvana Popescu,et al.  Mobile Mechatronic/Robotic Orthotic Devices to Assist–Rehabilitate Neuromotor Impairments in the Upper Limb: A Systematic and Synthetic Review , 2018, Front. Neurosci..

[6]  Olesya Ogorodnikova.  A fuzzy theory in the risk assessment and reduction algorithms for a human centered robotics , 2009, RO-MAN 2009 - The 18th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication.

[7]  László Pokorádi.  Fuzzy logic-based risk assessment , 2002 .

[8]  Qiang Cao,et al.  Position solution of a novel four-DOFs self-aligning exoskeleton mechanism for upper limb rehabilitation , 2019, Mechanism and Machine Theory.

[9]  M. Davidsen,et al.  Long-Term Survival and Causes of Death After Stroke , 2001, Stroke.

[10]  E D Oña,et al.  A Review of Robotics in Neurorehabilitation: Towards an Automated Process for Upper Limb , 2018, Journal of healthcare engineering.

[11]  Giuseppe Carbone,et al.  Risk-Based Assessment Engineering of a Parallel Robot Used in Post-Stroke Upper Limb Rehabilitation , 2019, Sustainability.

[12]  Peter Kazanzides,et al.  Safety design for medical robots , 2009, 2009 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[13]  Mao‐Hsiung Huang,et al.  Effects of robot-aided bilateral force-induced isokinetic arm training combined with conventional rehabilitation on arm motor function in patients with chronic stroke. , 2007, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[14]  Peter Wolf,et al.  Trends in robot-assisted and virtual reality-assisted neuromuscular therapy: a systematic review of health-related multiplayer games , 2018, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

[15]  Jian Huang,et al.  Design and Evaluation of the RUPERT Wearable Upper Extremity Exoskeleton Robot for Clinical and In-Home Therapies , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems.

[16]  Giuseppe Carbone,et al.  Design Issues for an Inherently Safe Robotic Rehabilitation Device , 2017, RAAD.

[17]  P. Gorelick,et al.  The global burden of stroke: persistent and disabling , 2019, The Lancet Neurology.

[18]  Giuseppe Carbone,et al.  Time efficient stiffness model computation for a parallel haptic mechanism via the virtual joint method , 2020 .

[19]  Giuseppe Carbone,et al.  ON HUMAN ROBOT INTERACTION MODALITIES IN THE UPPER LIMB REHABILITATION AFTER STROKE , 2017 .

[20]  Samia Nefti-Meziani,et al.  Wrist rehabilitation exoskeleton robot based on pneumatic soft actuators , 2016, 2016 International Conference for Students on Applied Engineering (ICSAE).

[21]  Hui Liang,et al.  Upper limb rehabilitation using robotic exoskeleton systems: a systematic review , 2018, International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications.

[22]  Giuseppe Carbone,et al.  On the Singularities of a Parallel Robotic System Used for Elbow and Wrist Rehabilitation , 2018, ARK.

[23]  S. Ourselin,et al.  Improving patient safety during introduction of novel medical devices through cumulative summation analysis. , 2018, Journal of neurosurgery.

[24]  Farshid Amirabdollahian,et al.  Training modalities in robot-mediated upper limb rehabilitation in stroke: a framework for classification based on a systematic review , 2014, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

[25]  Daniela Tarnita,et al.  Analysis of a hand arm system , 2013 .

[26]  Iosif Birlescu,et al.  An algebraic parameterization approach for parallel robots analysis , 2019, Mechanism and Machine Theory.

[27]  Giuseppe Carbone,et al.  Innovative development of a spherical parallel robot for upper limb rehabilitation , 2018 .

[28]  Junhui Liu,et al.  Design and Kinematic Analysis of Co-Exoskeleton with Passive Translational Joints for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation , 2018, Int. J. Humanoid Robotics.

[29]  Simona Crea,et al.  Design and Experimental Characterization of a Shoulder-Elbow Exoskeleton With Compliant Joints for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation , 2019, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[30]  Carlos Balaguer,et al.  Robotics in Health Care: Perspectives of Robot-Aided Interventions in Clinical Practice for Rehabilitation of Upper Limbs , 2019, Applied Sciences.

[31]  Cole Tarry,et al.  Results of Clinicians Using a Therapeutic Robotic System in an Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Unit , 2011, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.

[32]  Maarouf Saad,et al.  Cartesian Trajectory Tracking of a 7-DOF Exoskeleton Robot Based on Human Inverse Kinematics , 2019, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems.

[33]  Ana Belén Muñoz Ruiz,et al.  Robotics and Health and Safety at Work , 2019 .

[34]  Lauri Bishop,et al.  Robot-Assisted Exercise for Hand Weakness After Stroke: A Pilot Study , 2011, American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation.