DESIGN OF A LOW-COST MICROCONTROLLER-BASED FUNCTIONAL ELECTRONIC STIMULATION DEVICE FOR DROP FOOT CORRECTION

Correction of drop foot is normally achieved by electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve by sending a series of pulses at a given frequency and duration. This article presents the design of a low-cost, programmable, portable, and high performance stimulator, designed at the Near East University. The stimulator, called the NEU-Stim, has been designed to correct the drop foot problems. For this purpose, a foot sensor, microcontroller, and electrodes are used in the design of the stimulator. The frequency, duty cycle, and the amplitude of the output waveform can easily be controlled using switches. The device is currently in experimental stage, and because of its low-cost it should find applications in developing countries after it has been completely assessed. Preliminary results on patients have shown that the device can correct the drop foot, and help patients to walk faster and more comfortably.