To begin, start the robotic system equipment and turn on the system's computer. Open the ULCOT Rehab application and enter the main interface of the system. After entering the patient's details, click Log In and select the patient from the list.
Assist the patient to sit in front of the robotic device, ensuring a safe and comfortable distance. Click Adjustment to set the appropriate parameters. In the platform height adjustment module, click on plus or minus to increase or decrease the height of the platform.
Next, in the arm tilt angle adjustment module, click plus or minus to adjust the tilt angle of the robotic arm. In the arm angle adjustment module, click plus or minus to increase or decrease the angle between the two robot arms. Click Training to enter the training program setting interface.
For patients unable to fully manipulate the mechanical handle on the hemiplegic side, click Assistance to enter the assisted training mode interface. Set the time to 30 minutes In the training time module, and select the level set for the patient in the assisted level module. Click Air Flying or Ping-Pong.
Then, click Start To enter the game interface. In the Air Flying game, instruct the patient to use the affected upper limb through the healthy side with the assistance of a robotic device to control and guide the virtual airplane along the designated flight trajectory and capture gold coins. In the Ping-Pong game, with the assistance of the robot, instruct the patient to use the unaffected side to drive the affected-side upper limb to control the virtual table tennis racket.
Move the racket to catch the flying ping-pong. For patients able to actively manipulate the mechanical handle on the hemiplegic side, click Resistance. Set the time to 30 minutes in the training time module.
In the Healthy Level and Affected Level modules, select the resistance levels for the healthy side and the affected side respectively. In the healthy side resistance direction and affected side resistance direction modules, select the resistance direction indicated by the system for each side. In the Holding Time module, select the duration for holding the target.
In the Bridge Road game, instruct the patient to complete the task of building a wooden bridge by resisting the resistance provided by the robotic arm on both the healthy and affected upper limbs. Control both ends of the wooden bridge displayed on the screen. Move two ladder platforms of different heights and hold them for a certain time to allow the virtual character to pass.
In the Weightlifting game, instruct the patient to complete the task of pushing a barbell. Control the ends of a weightlifting barbell displayed on the screen. Adjust the barbell position to reach a target location and maintain the position for a specified time.
In the Pop Matching game, instruct the patient to complete the task of deleting pictures. Have the patient control two virtual fingers located at the left and right ends of the screen. Then, select identical items from the left and right columns of pictures through the virtual fingers, and maintain this position for a designated duration.
After six weeks of training, the experimental group demonstrated a higher detection ratio of motor evoked potentials compared to the control group. Following the training period, both groups of patients exhibited improvements in FTHUE-HK compared to pre-treatment levels. Improvements in FMA-UE and MBI scores were observed in control and experimental groups, indicating the recovery of upper limb function in stroke patients.
