Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio State University. / Bibliography: leaves 67-69. Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

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Thesis (M.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

The work presented in this thesis has two main themes. Firstly, it follows the development and initial evaluation of a new, hybrid FES orthosis for paraplegics. Secondly, it describes investigations which were intended to optimize the stimulus parameters used with the orthosis. One of the major limitations with pure FES standing and walking systems is rapid muscle fatigue. During quiet stance, chronic stimulation of support muscles is required which induces fatigue and significantly reduces their useful contraction time. Mechanical bracing provides safety, strength and protection of delicate joints but it lacks some of the features of FES. The "hybrid" orthosis, considered in this thesis, combines these two techniques so that the disadvantages of either technique alone are reduced. In the following chapters, the development of the mechanical braces, the sensors, the electrical stimulator and the controlling software are considered. Several preliminary investigations are reported which demonstrate the feasibility of the orthosis with regard to fatigue reduction and stability. In addition, tests are described which were designed to improve the characteristics of muscle and reflex activity for use with the system. The results of these tests showed that muscle dynamics could be improved by the addition of a single pulse to a regular stimulus pattern. Improvements were also obtained in reflex activity but to a less significant degree.

As embodied social agents our lives are preoccupied with the production and reproduction of bodies. Making, unmaking and remaking our embodiment are ongoing activities. Eating, exercise, washing, grooming, dressing, for example, are activities in which the body engages in routine tasks of bodily management. Such activities can be seen as everyday rehabilitation. The study explores the impact of major physical impairment on embodiment, and on the processes involved in re-embodiment after catastrophic injury or disease. The experiences of the people in this study dramatically highlight the continuous, but largely taken for granted processes involved in our embodiment. Four analytical strands are interwoven throughout the study. The first strand relates to the frailty and vulnerability of the human body, characteristics which are epitomised by the bodies of the informants in this study. The second strand engages with key aspects of the context in which re-embodiment takes place, namely a context replete with crisis, danger, fear, uncertainty and risk. The third strand projects into the future in considering the ongoing project of self. The fourth strand addresses the institutional and social impediments which may confine vulnerable bodies and limit the exploration of more expansive bodies. The study is situated within the general theoretical approach of the sociology of the body. While recognizing the powerful impact of social discourse in the production of bodies, the study focuses on the critical role of embodiment in the reconstitution of self. The people in this study have experienced profound bodily change, but although this damage has disrupted, it has not annihilated their embodied selves. The people still possess and occupy their bodies. It is the obduracy of embodiment which directs the processes involved in remaking the body.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / PhD. theses submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Glasgow. Edited version of thesis available, uncleared 3rd party copyright material removed. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

No description available.