Robotic massage

Concept of development and implementation of robots in restorative medicine for healthy people

The restorative medicine represents a system of the medical activity directed on diagnostics of functional reserves, preservation and recovery of health of a person by means of improvement and medical rehabilitation. It is necessary to understand a complex of the preventive actions directed on restoration of lowered functional reserves and adaptive possibilities of an organism at almost healthy persons as improvement.

An especial role of preventive medicine the Nobel winner I.P.Pavlov emphasized. As he said: �the preventive medicine reaches the social purposes only in case of transition from pathology medicine to medicine of health of the healthy�.

The medical improving arsenal of restorative medicine provides to the person socially creative activity in his profession, which is working capacity in those conditions in which his professional work proceeds. In a basis of the concept of development of health protection and a medical science in the Russian Federation for the period till 2010 it is put health-centered model of system of health protection, developed in Russian science center of restorative medicine and balneology under the direction of academician A.N.Razumov. The model essence consists of accent on preservation of health of the healthy person and, hence, on restorative medicine.

The restorative medicine includes a number of therapies, one of kinds which is mechanotherapy. Among the set of known means of mechanotherapy the robotics possesses the greatest possibilities.

About necessity of application of improving massage apparatus for healthy people Russian scientist N.V.Zabludovsky wrote in the dissertation �Materials to a question on massage action on healthy people� in 1882. �Whether it is impossible to take advantage of improvements of mechanics for the design of such machines which would replace actions of hands, or whether even action of machines will be more preferable than action of hands? It would be necessary to invent the machine for which force could be defined during each moment in figures and instead of masseur work, depending on subjective muscular feeling, to deal with the work expressed in figures. In other words, instead of quantity of a balm to take it by eye, it is necessary to weigh it on exact scales�.

In those days it was a fantasy, and scientists only dreamt of possibility to measure out in doses of influences by means of future apparatus. Now dreams of the great foreteller can be realized at the reference to the developed adaptive intellectual robotics. The problem for medicine, first of all, consists in development of the concept of N.V.Zabludovsky about the new approach to physical culture of the person with participation not only strong-willed movements but also massage. Massage can have both relaxation and mobilization functions. In optimum association of these functions the physical culture can promote in a greater degree to preservation and increase of reserves of health an increase working capacity in physical and mental work.

Therefore the essence of the concept of working out and inculcation of robots in restorative medicine for healthy people is use of adaptive and intellectual robots in a combination to other kinds of therapies: aromatherapy, melotherapy, psychotherapy for preservation of increase serves of health of people, increase of their working capacity.

The robot for massage and manual therapy

Among the various means of relaxation and the mobilization of greater efficiency and minimal side effects are of manual therapy and massage. Manual therapy and massage needs everyone to a greater extent than people use them. These techniques have long been known, their effectiveness is indisputable, but availability is limited due to high energy therapists, and therefore - high cost.

With the accent on �Health of healthy people� model the massage and manual therapy are especially necessary for the following groups of healthy working people: hypodynamic people, unsportsmanlike people, asymmetrically loaded people, prone to stress, fatiguable strongly on the physical and mental work, mature, PC users, administrators, conference participants, students in lectures.

Different devices can partly unload masseurs, but the most universal hardware to perform manual therapy and massage is a manipulative robot. In Moscow State Industrial University together with the Russian Scientific Center for Restorative Medicine and Balneotherapy a medical robot is being designed to perform different techniques of manual therapy and massage: classic and acupressure, positional and Jog mobilization, post-isometric relaxation, rubbing of aromatic oils.

The robot is equipped with a removable tools for capturing the soft tissues during a massage, capturing the patient's limbs in passive movements, simulating the physician's hands parts. As a carrier the robot can move along the body surface with a specified force various diagnostic instruments, attachments for stimulation and relaxation. The position/force control system provides the interaction between the robot and the patient with assigned forces. The biotechnical control system diagnoses the patient's state and promotes bringing it to the efficient state. Self-teaching mode can adapt the robot to any patient. The robot safety is provided by a special system, which controls the interaction force and the patient's state. The device and control methods are protected with the Russian patents. Such robots can be widely used in clinics, hospitals, prophylactic and restoration centers, fitness and wellness clubs, health resorts and as an individual means.