ASEÑAS, DE LEON, FAJILAGO, PUNONGBAYAN THESIS1

CONCEPT PAPER

Title: Design and Development of a Microcontroller – Based Electronic Knee-to-Ankle

Orthosis for Rehabilitation Relief.

I. Background of the Study

According to the World Health Organization, stroke is caused by the interruption of the blood supply to the brain.

The reason behind is usually because of the rupture of a blood vessel or is blocked by a clot. The supply of oxygen and

nutrients are being cut off, therefore damaging the brain tissues. (World Health Organization, n.d.) “An estimated 17 million

people die of CVDs, particularly heart attacks and strokes, every year. Physical inactivity and unhealthy diet are other main

risk factors which increase individual risks to cardiovascular diseases.” (The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke, n.d.) Stroke

can occur in the different parts of the brain. Whichever side gets affected it may always still lead to paralysis. According to

the National Stroke Association, paralysis is the inability of a muscle or group of muscles to move voluntarily, and it is one

of the most common disabilities resulting from stroke. “As many as 9 out of 10 stroke survivors have some degree of paralysis

immediately following a stroke. Continued rehabilitation and therapy can help stroke survivors regain voluntary movement

even years following their stroke.” (National Stroke Association, n.d.)

II. Statement of the Problem and Objectives

People that has been paralyzed due to stroke suffer from pain because of lack of movement, therefore preventing

the flow of blood. Rehabilitation exercises is one of the best way to fight paralysis by activating neuroplasticity wherein the

brain rewires itself after injuries. The key to these exercises is repetition, but most of the victim of stroke cannot perform the

said exercises by themselves.

General Objective:

To design and develop a microcontroller-based electronic knee-to-ankle orthosis for rehabilitation relief.

Specific Objectives:

o To design an aiding device that will execute flexion and extension of the muscles in the legs for rehabilitation.

o To develop and construct a microcontroller prototype with its respective program that will perform the

rehabilitation exercises for the knee and ankle.

ASEÑAS, DE LEON, FAJILAGO, PUNONGBAYAN THESIS1

III. Theoretical Framework

Microcontroller – “It is a compact integrated circuit designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded system.

A typical microcontroller includes a processor, memory and input/output peripherals on a single chip.” (IOT

Agenda, n.d.)

Servo Motors – It is an electric motor device that rotates or push parts of a machine with great precision. (Science

Buddies, n.d.)

LCD – A Liquid Crystal Display is an electronic display module that has a wide range of applications. A 16x2 LCD

screens are preferred over seven segment displays and other multi segment display. It is commonly used in certain

projects because it is economical, has no limit in the number of characters being displayed and animations can be

customized. (Kushagra, n.d.)

IV. Conceptual Framework

Process
Input - Execution of the
Output
- Number of repetition arithmetic and logical
- Flexion and extension
- Angle of flexion and operations taken from
of the prototype
extension the input of the user
interface

V. Overview of the Literature Review

The knee and ankle plays an important role in the body. It serves as a pivot in order to move the joints and the

muscles throughout the body. An article by Dirk J. Duncker and Robert J. Bache states that exercise is the most important

physiological stimulus for increased myocardial oxygen demand. (Bache, 2008) According to Box Life Magazine, the blood

does not flow freely through the body due to blockage in the arteries therefore resulting to poor blood circulation. There are

several problems that can occur if the poor circulation in the body still prevail. Some of these are muscle cramps, numbness,
ASEÑAS, DE LEON, FAJILAGO, PUNONGBAYAN THESIS1

leg ulcers, blood clots, varicose veins and more. (Imbo, n.d.) Based on the results of a recent study from the American Heart

Association and American Stroke Association, physical inactivity after stroke is highly prevalent. It was proven that exercise

training improves the ability of stroke survivors to perform such activities of daily life and it reduces the risk for subsequent

cardiovascular events. (Sandra A. Billinger, 2014)

VI. Future Works

For the future works, the researchers can add improvements to expand the vast usage of the prototype such as monitoring

the blood pressure of the user. The prototype could be converted into exoskeleton suit for walking assistance.

Bibliography
(n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from IOT Agenda: https://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/definition/microcontroller

Bache, D. J. (2008, July 1). Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow During Exercise. Retrieved from
https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/physrev.00045.2006

Imbo, W. (n.d.). The Importance of Good Blood Flow + A Few Tips to Improve It. Retrieved May 13, 2018, from Box Life
Magazine: http://boxlifemagazine.com/the-importance-of-good-blood-circulation-a-few-tips-to-improve-it/

National Stroke Association. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from http://www.stroke.org/we-can-help/survivors/stroke-
recovery/post-stroke-conditions/physical/paralysis

Sandra A. Billinger, R. A.-L. (2014, May 20). Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1161/STR.0000000000000022

Science Buddies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-

projects/references/introduction-to-servo-motors

Technopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/3641/microcontroller

The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/resources/atlas/en/

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2018, from http://www.who.int/topics/cerebrovascular_accident/en/