Andador com Sistema de Controle de Aceleração de Marcha para Pacientes com Comprometimento nos Membros Inferiores Devido a um A.V.E.

The use of walkers without an appropriate acceleration system to assist the gait of patients with lower limb disabilities is widely used in rehabilitation protocols. However, some patients could demonstrate difficulty or inability in the gait control during the training with this device because some motions could cause peaks of acceleration. These movements represent instants between the initial support and the load answer when the patient tends to drag the opposite member to the support member resulting in disequilibrium and instability. The aim of this work is the development of a walker with integrated supports and acceleration control which will provide better stability during the gait in patients with neurological pathologies. An acquisition and treatment system of the signals using wireless communication integrated with supervisory software was developed and implemented to acquisition of acceleration parameters. The break system was implemented with constant and variable torques. Dynamic tests were done with the whole system: walker, accelerometers, acquisition board, circuit of power, brakes, transmission and supervisory systems. On the slope and through the characteristic curve presented by the supervisory system can be observed that the system of brakes with variable torque provided a softer deceleration than the brakes with fixed torque. Therefore, the new device provided a better adaptation of patients with the neurological pathology during the gait control.