SI II: User Manual

Preparation

  1. On iPhone, open settings -> Bluetooth -> turn on the Bluetooth. Then, go back to settings -> WLAN -> connect to any WLAN.
  2. Then, go to App Store, search for MetaBase, and download MetaBase from MBIENTLAB INC. with an effective Apple ID.
  3. Open a Mac, and Download the proper R.studio software. 
  4. Open the Code in Appendix X in R.studio. Run Functions 0, 1, and 2 and make sure these functions are successfully implemented in the environment.

Wear Electric Goniometers

  1. Unpack each prototype package which contains several pieces of silicon cushion and two electric goniometer devices. Each device consists of a customized finger ring and a sensor unit that has been attached to the finger ring using hot melt glue.
  2. Apply the central part of the silicon cushion around the dorsal side of the proximal phalangeal. Wrap up the phalangeal horizontally with the silicon cushions.
  3. Pick the electric goniometer device with a finger ring size that fits the proximal phalangeal. Let the finger cross the finger ring component of the device and ensure that the sensor unit is at the dorsal side of the phalangeal. The finger ring should wrap the silicon cushion on the proximal phalangeal.
  4. Repeat procedures 2 and 3 to wear the goniometer for the medial phalangeal.
  5. Flexion and extend the PIP joint to a comfortable angle, relax a little bit with the electric goniometer on phalangeals. 

Operations on the Smartphone

  1. Open Metabase on iPhone. Under My Devices, click “Add a Device”. Wait for a few seconds until it successfully finds the nearby electronic goniometer devices (Figure II-1, a).
  2. Click “connect” next to the name of two electric goniometers D1 and D2, and rename them as D1 and D2  (Figure II-1, b).
  3. Go back to the main page, next to Metabase, and click “group”. Select D1 and D2 under “My devices”, and group these two devices. Name them as “data” (Figure II-1, c).
  4. On the main page, under “My Groups”, click the customized named button “data” and go to the subpage “data”  (Figure II-1, d).

Figure II-1, from left to right, a, b, c, and d

  1. At the bottom of this subpage, click the green “New Session” button, and go to the “config” subpage (Figure II-2, a).
  2. In the “config” subpage, under “sensors”, click the button next to the “Euler Angles”. Then click the “Start” button at the bottom of this “config” subpage (Figure II-2, b).
  3. Calibrate the electronic goniometer sensors with the fingers laying on a horizontal desktop with the dorsal side up. 
  4. Then click “OK” in the pup up window  (Figure II-2, c).
  5. Perform Clinical tasks, daily scenario tasks, and anything you want to do. Clinical tasks and daily scenario tasks are attached in this appendix. The red dot next to the data on the main page represents the data collection is under processing  (Figure II-2, d).

Figure II-2, from left to right, a, b, c, and d

  1. When the task is finished, on the main page, under “My Groups”, click the customized named button “data” again and go to the subpage “data” (Figure II-3, a).
  2. Click the green “Download” button at the bottom of the subpage “data”. Wait for a few seconds for data processing. Then rename the name of the session with “Result” and click “OK” in the pup up window (Figure II-3, b).
  3. Under the subpage of “data”, click the green share button next to the customize named “Result” and share it to the Mac (Figure II-3, c).

Figure II-3, from left to right, a, b, and c.

Operations on Mac

  1. In RStudio, click the “import dataset” button under the environment window, and select from the “Text (base)” button. 
  2. Import raw data from the smartphone to RStudio by selecting the import data’s name and clicking “Open” in the pup up window.
  3. In the pup up window “Import Dataset”, rename the file name as D1, and uncheck the box “String as factors”. Then click “Import” to import the D1 data to the RStudio environment.
  4. Repeat procedure 3 for electronic goniometer D2.
  5. Back to the Code given in Appendix X. Run the Implementation code:

angle_mech <- vec_plot(D1,D2,”real-time angle measurement example”)

  1. Plot the PIP joint angle and save the plot. 

Clinical Task

  1. The participant is asked to wear our electric goniometer devices correctly and connects the devices to the smartphone according to our user manual.
  2. A new session in the combination of two electric goniometer devices is started on the smartphone for measuring the Euler angles.
  3. The participant is seated with the hand and arm supported on the table. The active range of motion is checked with a goniometer lineup over the dorsal PIP joint over the midline of the proximal phalanx and the middle phalanx.
  4. The participant is asked to curl their finger at the PIP joint to 90 degrees, 105 degrees, 120 degrees, 135 degrees, 150 degrees, 165 degrees, and 180 degrees. The flexion angle is measured with a finger goniometer.
  5. The participant is then asked to extend their finger at the PIP joint to 90 degrees, 105 degrees, 120 degrees, 135 degrees, 150 degrees, 165 degrees, and 180 degrees. The extension angle is measured with a finger goniometer.
  6. Stop recording the session and download data from the electric goniometer to the smartphone. 
  7. Process the data with R, and generate the plot for the PIP joint angle in a short period.

Daily Scenario Tasks

  1. The participant is asked to wear our electric goniometer devices correctly and connects the devices to the smartphone according to our user manual.
  2. A new session in the combination of two electric goniometer devices is started on the smartphone for measuring the Euler angles.
  3. The participant is asked to conduct simple daily tasks, including typing on the keyboard, walking, holding a smartphone, writing, and playing piano.
  4. Stop recording the session and download data from the electric goniometer to the smartphone. 
  5. Process the data with R, and generate the plot for the PIP joint angle in a short period.