China Times (www.chinatimes.net.cn) reporter Tao Wei Zhang Zhi Nanjing photo report
From cochlear implants implanted in the body of the hearing-impaired to soft skeletal robots that assist patients with walking dysfunction of the lower limbs, the technological content of assistive devices for the disabled is getting higher and higher.
At the end of June, the Jiangsu Disabled Persons' Federation System Assistive Service Skills Competition was held in Xuzhou, and a number of assistive products to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life were displayed in the competition. In the interview, the reporter found that the assistive products participating in the competition covered a number of subdivisions, muscle outer nails, CVI self-made assistive devices, visual perception intervention systems... One after another high-tech assistive products are helping people with disabilities improve their quality of life.
It is not only assistive products that are provided to people with disabilities, but also assistive device adaptation services. In the "Selection of Excellent Cases of Assistive Device Adaptation Services", many touching cases have emerged on how to provide the most suitable assistive devices for disabled people and reduce the cost as much as possible.
"This provincial disabled persons' federation system assistive service skills competition is a practical action of the provincial disabled persons' federation to carry out theme education to promote learning, aiming to improve the service capacity of grassroots assistive service institutions for the disabled and improve service skills." A relevant person from the Jiangsu Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation told the "China Times" reporter. In the past five years, Jiangsu Province has built 530 rehabilitation institutions for the disabled, 277 community rehabilitation demonstration sites for the disabled, 89 designated institutions for the adaptation of assistive devices for the disabled, and 1,235 community leasing points for rehabilitation assistive devices, providing assistive device adaptation services for 58,000 disabled people, and the service rate of precise rehabilitation and assistive device adaptation services for the disabled has exceeded 98%.
Artificial intelligence technology is applied to assistive products
Assistive devices for people with disabilities are tools used to assist people with disabilities. A variety of assistive devices help disabled people compensate for functions, overcome obstacles, improve their situation, and effectively solve practical difficulties in life, travel, study and employment. The reporter found at the Jiangsu Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation System Assistive Device Service Skills Competition held at the end of June that the scientific and technological content of assistive devices for the disabled is getting higher and higher.
At the competition site, the Relink lower limb muscle outer armor brought by the Suzhou team won the first prize of this year's competition "Practical Assistive Product Design Selection". This is a soft skeletal robot that can help patients with lower limb walking dysfunction, improve abnormal gait, improve patients' walking stability, and improve walking ability.
According to Gao Yingying's on-site demonstration by the representative team of the Suzhou Disabled Persons' Federation, a soft skeleton robot with a total weight of 6 pounds can be worn within one minute and can be taken off in 30 seconds. In different states such as fast walking, slow walking, and sharp turns, the "muscle outer armor" silky switch power assist mode and walk freely. According to Li Tingting, a staff member of Yuanye Science and Technology, the research and development unit of this "muscle outer armor", the material of the robot bracket is bionic carbon fiber, and the weight of a bionic carbon fiber bracket is only 480g, so wearing the carbon fiber bracket, the natural movements of the body are almost unlimited. The robot can accurately detect the user's intention to walk backwards and immediately stop assisting, enhancing safety. When turning, the device lowers the assist according to the diameter of the turn. The smaller the turning diameter, the more "urgent" the turn, and the smaller the assist, ensuring that the wearer can successfully complete the turning action.
The core technology that enables this product to be adapted to multiple scenarios is the machine learning algorithm of artificial intelligence. According to reports, the soft skeleton robot is equipped with a high-performance central processing unit to collect information such as inertia sensors distributed on the "muscle outer armor" equipment, force sensors real-time feedback of foot gait data, and customize the assistance method through artificial intelligence algorithm technology, so no matter what kind of walking speed and what kind of walking direction, the "muscle outer armor" can give the foot the best force assistance during walking.
"Machine learning algorithms detect in real time, feed back into the backpack, process the data, and give help instructions. Normal people have the difference between left and right feet, like stroke patients have abnormal gait. When to give the sole of the foot assistance, how much help to give, powerful machine learning algorithms accurately judge, there is no delay in giving assistance. Li Tingting introduced that this cartilage robot is lighter than rigid bones, and has changed the embarrassment caused by the machine driving people, "the machine goes, the people do not go". The cartilage robot detects people's intentions in real time, and the machine cooperates with people to walk to achieve human-machine integration.
In addition to soft bone robots, other products are also full of science and technology. From CVI self-made assistive devices to visual perception intervention systems to intelligent rehabilitation walkers, one after another assistive products with a sense of technology are helping people with disabilities improve their quality of life.
It's not just products that are offered
Assistive device service is not a simple distribution of equipment, but an accurate assessment of physical condition, accurate understanding of needs, careful selection of products, timely follow-up of use and return visits, which is a professional and systematic project. In the competition of "Selection of Excellent Cases of Assistive Device Adaptation Service", Yancheng Team's "Listen to the World, Let the Flower Turui" won the first prize. This case is a vivid illustration of how assistive device adaptation services work.
Xiao Sun, an 18-year-old high school senior student, was diagnosed with severe deafness in both ears in 2007, and in 2008, he wore hearing aids in both ears to Yancheng Education and Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled for auditory and speech rehabilitation training, and then entered the general elementary school. In 2021, Yancheng Disabled Persons' Federation actively cooperated with the Municipal Bureau of Finance, the Medical Insurance Bureau, and the Health Commission to launch a cochlear implant and upgrade project for hearing-impaired children to protect the rights and interests of hearing-impaired families to the greatest extent; Cooperate with famous doctors from the Otolaryngology Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University and Nanjing Gulou Hospital to help Yancheng First People's Hospital become a designated hospital for cochlear implantation; Negotiate with mainstream manufacturers in the market to provide mainstream cochlear implant products at the lowest price for families with hearing-impaired children in the city. The program was the first time in the country that the target was expanded from 14 to under 18, and Xiaosun, who was 16 at the time, became the beneficiary of this policy change. Through routine examination, audiology examination, imaging evaluation, speech evaluation, psychological evaluation, etc., Xiao Sun's condition was reviewed and determined to meet the implant standards. After the discussion and research of doctors, cochlear technicians, rehabilitation teachers, patients and guardians, the American AB Cochlear Advantage + Mermaid Q30 was finally selected for implantation.
The cochlea has four microphones that absorb sound in all directions, in line with human bionics. After the implantation surgery, Xiaosun was given targeted rehabilitation training. "I am both unfortunate and happy, this rescue project in Yancheng has changed the fate of our family, implantation has allowed children to enter general schools, and upgrading will also bring a high quality of life, thank you very much to the party and government." Xiaosun's parents said.
Since the launch of the Yancheng Cochlear Implant and Upgrade Rescue Project, Yancheng has invested a total of more than 23 million yuan, implanted 62 people and upgraded 175 people. This project has been listed as an excellent management case of the precision rehabilitation service action of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and a demonstration project of innovation and excellence of the Jiangsu Disabled Persons' Federation.
Excellent assistive device adaptation service does not stop there. The Nanjing team described the process of providing assistive device adaptation services to a child with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (frostbite). The child found that he could not run like other children when he was four years old, when he was five years old, he began to fall often when he was five years old, and he had difficulty getting up, and at the age of seven he could not walk independently, and he needed to use a wheelchair for daily travel, and at the age of thirteen, due to the aggravation of his condition, he was paralyzed in bed, and his limbs were flexed to varying degrees, his range of motion was severely limited, and his daily life required the full service of his mother. In order to promote the resonance of rehabilitation and education at the same frequency, Wang Qun, deputy director of the Department of Nutrition of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Dou Xiaowei, staff member of the Jiangbei New District Comprehensive Service Center for the Disabled, Yang Liying, deputy director of the Nanjing Jiangbei New District Special Education School Door-to-Door Working Group, and teacher Wu Yuru went to the child's home to carry out teaching and treatment activities. In view of the main problems found in the process of sending students in the early stage, the focus is on solving the practical problems related to parents' nutritional diet and assistive device support. In the communication experience, Director Wang learned about the child's recent diet through detailed inquiry, and put forward relevant suggestions for picky eating and appetite enhancement. Subsequently, Dou Xiaowei evaluated and tested the child's limb joint range of motion, muscle strength, muscle tone, pressure and posture control. Through communicating with parents and teachers, the information obtained was further proposed, and a specific home rehabilitation plan combining medicine and education was proposed, and on-site demonstrations and teachings were carried out, and at the same time, the corresponding assistive devices were attempted. They customized a seated wheelchair and anti-pressure ulcer cushion for the child, and provided rehabilitation guidance and adaptive training. According to the relevant policies of Nanjing, wheelchairs give him free adaptation to help his family reduce the burden as much as possible.
In the past five years, Jiangsu Province has built 530 rehabilitation institutions for the disabled, 277 community rehabilitation demonstration sites for the disabled, 89 designated institutions for the adaptation of assistive devices for the disabled, and 1,235 community leasing points for rehabilitation assistive devices, providing assistive device adaptation services for 58,000 disabled people, and the service rate of precise rehabilitation and assistive device adaptation services for the disabled has exceeded 98%.
"This provincial disabled persons' federation system assistive service skills competition is a practical action of the provincial disabled persons' federation to carry out theme education to promote learning, aiming to improve the service capacity of grassroots assistive service institutions for the disabled and improve service skills." Relevant people from the Jiangsu Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation told the China Times reporter that in the next five years, they will highlight service-oriented, establish a more equal and convenient care service system, and improve the quality of public services for the disabled.