Optical bench evaluation of the effect of pupil size in new generation monofocal intraocular lenses.

BACKGROUND: A new generation of enhanced monofocal IOLs has been introduced to slightly increase the depth of focus as compared to standard monofocal IOLs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of pupil size on the through-focus optical performance of three new enhanced monofocal IOLs, designed to improve the range of vision as compared to standard monofocal IOLs. METHODS: Optical bench testing in white light was performed for different pupils, using an average cornea eye. Distance image quality was evaluated using Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) measurements. Through-focus Visual Acuity (VA) was simulated from these measurements (sVA). Three enhanced monofocal IOLs (ICB00, ISOPure, and RayOne-EMV) and three standard monofocal IOLs: two aspheric (ZCB00 and SN60WF) and one spherical (AAB00) were included. RESULTS: The enhanced monofocal IOLs provided an improvement in the intermediate sVA as compared to standard monofocal IOLs. For ICB00, the improvement was independent of the pupil size, while for the ISOPure and RayOne-EMV, the intermediate sVA improved with increased pupil size. Similar to the spherical monofocal IOL, the ISOPure and RayOne-EMV showed a strong correlation between improvement in intermediate sVA and reduction of distance sVA and MTF, and increasing pupil size. ICB00 provided the same distance sVA as the aspheric monofocal IOLs and the lowest variability in MTF with pupil size. CONCLUSION: Optical bench results showed that the ISOPure and RayOne-EMV provide similar performance to a spherical monofocal IOL, with a strong pupil dependency for distance and intermediate vision. The other enhanced monofocal IOL, ICB00, provided a sustained improvement in simulated intermediate VA and maintained distance image quality comparable to that of the standard aspheric monofocal IOLs, even for larger pupils.

Enhancing the Intermediate Vision of Monofocal Intraocular Lenses Using a Higher Order Aspheric Optic.

PURPOSE: To describe and evaluate a new monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) designed to improve intermediate vision using a unique refractive technology. METHODS: The new monofocal lens is based on a higher order aspheric optic and is designed to improve intermediate vision. Simulated visual acuity from far to -2.00 diopters (D) was calculated using optical bench data. The effect of corneal higher order aberrations (HOAs) on simulated visual acuity, pupil size, and decentration was assessed using realistic computer eye models. The susceptibility to photic phenomena was evaluated by measuring preclinically the intensity of the light distribution in the retinal plane. The new lens design was compared to a standard aspheric monofocal IOL that shares the same platform, material, and primary spherical aberration as the new design. RESULTS: Simulated defocus curves showed increased simulated visual acuity in the intermediate range compared to a standard aspheric monofocal IOL with comparable distance vision, independently of the pupil size and corneal HOAs. At -1.50 D, the new IOL design provided a gain of approximately 0.1 logMAR, whereas at distance, the difference was less than 0.05 logMAR. The tolerance to decentration was also similar in both designs. Finally, experimental results indicate that the susceptibility to photic phenomena with the new lens design was similar to that of a standard aspheric monofocal IOL. CONCLUSIONS: Preclinical data showed that the new lens design improves intermediate vision while maintaining comparable distance image quality and keeping the same photic phenomena profile as a standard aspheric monofocal IOL. [J Refract Surg. 2020;36(8):520-527.].

The effect of impedance-controlled robotic gait training on walking ability and quality in individuals with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury: an explorative study.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the use of robotic gait-training devices in walking rehabilitation of incomplete spinal cord injured (iSCI) individuals. These devices provide promising opportunities to increase the intensity of training and reduce physical demands on therapists. Despite these potential benefits, robotic gait-training devices have not yet demonstrated clear advantages over conventional gait-training approaches, in terms of functional outcomes. This might be due to the reduced active participation and step-to-step variability in most robotic gait-training strategies, when compared to manually assisted therapy. Impedance-controlled devices can increase active participation and step-to-step variability. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of impedance-controlled robotic gait training on walking ability and quality in chronic iSCI individuals. METHODS: A group of 10 individuals with chronic iSCI participated in an explorative clinical trial. Participants trained three times a week for eight weeks using an impedance-controlled robotic gait trainer (LOPES: LOwer extremity Powered ExoSkeleton). Primary outcomes were the 10-meter walking test (10 MWT), the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI II), the six-meter walking test (6 MWT), the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and the Lower Extremity Motor Scores (LEMS). Secondary outcomes were spatiotemporal and kinematics measures. All participants were tested before, during, and after training and at 8 weeks follow-up. RESULTS: Participants experienced significant improvements in walking speed (0.06 m/s, p = 0.008), distance (29 m, p = 0.005), TUG (3.4 s, p = 0.012), LEMS (3.4, p = 0.017) and WISCI after eight weeks of training with LOPES. At the eight-week follow-up, participants retained the improvements measured at the end of the training period. Significant improvements were also found in spatiotemporal measures and hip range of motion. CONCLUSION: Robotic gait training using an impedance-controlled robot is feasible in gait rehabilitation of chronic iSCI individuals. It leads to improvements in walking ability, muscle strength, and quality of walking. Improvements observed at the end of the training period persisted at the eight-week follow-up. Slower walkers benefit the most from the training protocol and achieve the greatest relative improvement in speed and walking distance.

Selective control of gait subtasks in robotic gait training: foot clearance support in stroke survivors with a powered exoskeleton.

BACKGROUND: Robot-aided gait training is an emerging clinical tool for gait rehabilitation of neurological patients. This paper deals with a novel method of offering gait assistance, using an impedance controlled exoskeleton (LOPES). The provided assistance is based on a recent finding that, in the control of walking, different modules can be discerned that are associated with different subtasks. In this study, a Virtual Model Controller (VMC) for supporting one of these subtasks, namely the foot clearance, is presented and evaluated. METHODS: The developed VMC provides virtual support at the ankle, to increase foot clearance. Therefore, we first developed a new method to derive reference trajectories of the ankle position. These trajectories consist of splines between key events, which are dependent on walking speed and body height. Subsequently, the VMC was evaluated in twelve healthy subjects and six chronic stroke survivors. The impedance levels, of the support, were altered between trials to investigate whether the controller allowed gradual and selective support. Additionally, an adaptive algorithm was tested, that automatically shaped the amount of support to the subjects' needs. Catch trials were introduced to determine whether the subjects tended to rely on the support. We also assessed the additional value of providing visual feedback. RESULTS: With the VMC, the step height could be selectively and gradually influenced. The adaptive algorithm clearly shaped the support level to the specific needs of every stroke survivor. The provided support did not result in reliance on the support for both groups. All healthy subjects and most patients were able to utilize the visual feedback to increase their active participation. CONCLUSION: The presented approach can provide selective control on one of the essential subtasks of walking. This module is the first in a set of modules to control all subtasks. This enables the therapist to focus the support on the subtasks that are impaired, and leave the other subtasks up to the patient, encouraging him to participate more actively in the training. Additionally, the speed-dependent reference patterns provide the therapist with the tools to easily adapt the treadmill speed to the capabilities and progress of the patient.

A flexible sensor technology for the distributed measurement of interaction pressure.

We present a sensor technology for the measure of the physical human-robot interaction pressure developed in the last years at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. The system is composed of flexible matrices of opto-electronic sensors covered by a soft silicone cover. This sensory system is completely modular and scalable, allowing one to cover areas of any sizes and shapes, and to measure different pressure ranges. In this work we present the main application areas for this technology. A first generation of the system was used to monitor human-robot interaction in upper- (NEUROExos; Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna) and lower-limb (LOPES; University of Twente) exoskeletons for rehabilitation. A second generation, with increased resolution and wireless connection, was used to develop a pressure-sensitive foot insole and an improved human-robot interaction measurement systems. The experimental characterization of the latter system along with its validation on three healthy subjects is presented here for the first time. A perspective on future uses and development of the technology is finally drafted.

Oscillator-based assistance of cyclical movements: model-based and model-free approaches.

In this article, we propose a new method for providing assistance during cyclical movements. This method is trajectory-free, in the sense that it provides user assistance irrespective of the performed movement, and requires no other sensing than the assisting robot's own encoders. The approach is based on adaptive oscillators, i.e., mathematical tools that are capable of learning the high level features (frequency, envelope, etc.) of a periodic input signal. Here we present two experiments that we recently conducted to validate our approach: a simple sinusoidal movement of the elbow, that we designed as a proof-of-concept, and a walking experiment. In both cases, we collected evidence illustrating that our approach indeed assisted healthy subjects during movement execution. Owing to the intrinsic periodicity of daily life movements involving the lower-limbs, we postulate that our approach holds promise for the design of innovative rehabilitation and assistance protocols for the lower-limb, requiring little to no user-specific calibration.

Sensing pressure distribution on a lower-limb exoskeleton physical human-machine interface.

A sensory apparatus to monitor pressure distribution on the physical human-robot interface of lower-limb exoskeletons is presented. We propose a distributed measure of the interaction pressure over the whole contact area between the user and the machine as an alternative measurement method of human-robot interaction. To obtain this measure, an array of newly-developed soft silicone pressure sensors is inserted between the limb and the mechanical interface that connects the robot to the user, in direct contact with the wearer's skin. Compared to state-of-the-art measures, the advantage of this approach is that it allows for a distributed measure of the interaction pressure, which could be useful for the assessment of safety and comfort of human-robot interaction. This paper presents the new sensor and its characterization, and the development of an interaction measurement apparatus, which is applied to a lower-limb rehabilitation robot. The system is calibrated, and an example its use during a prototypical gait training task is presented.

Oscillator-based walking assistance: a model-free approach.

In this paper, we further develop our framework to design new assistance and rehabilitation protocols based on motor primitives. In particular, we extend our recent results of oscillator-based assistance to the case of walking. The adaptive oscillator used in this paper is capable of predicting the angular position of the user's joints in the future, based on the pattern learned during preceding cycles. Assistance is then provided by attracting the joints to this future position using a force field in a compliant lower-limb exoskeleton. To demonstrate the method efficiency, we computed the rate of metabolic energy expended by the participants during a walking task, with and without assistance. Results show a significant decrease of energy expenditure with the assistance switched on, although not to a point to entirely compensate for the burden due to the exoskeleton lack of transparency. The results further show changes in the kinematics: with assistance, the participants walked with a faster cadence and ampler movements. These results tend to prove the relevance of designing assistance protocols based on adaptive oscillators (or primitives in general) and pave the way to the design of new rehabilitation protocols.

Body weight support by virtual model control of an impedance controlled exoskeleton (LOPES) for gait training.

The feasibility of an alternative method to support body weight in a powered exoskeleton is demonstrated. Instead of using an overhead suspension system, body weight is supported by augmenting the joint moments through virtual model control. The advantages of this novel method is that it allows for independent support of the left and right leg, and does not interfere with the excitation of cutanous afferents and balance of the body or trunk. Results show that after a short familiarization period the activity of muscles during initial stance reduces and kinematics become close to normal.