Whether it is from the patient’s or the physical therapist’s point of view, FES cycling can be considered either as a recreational activity, or an engaging rehabilitation tool. In both cases, it keeps patients with lower-limb paralysis motivated to sustain a regular physical activity. Thus, it is not surprising that it was selected as one of the six disciplines of the first Cybathlon competition held on October 8, 2016. However, many unresolved issues prevent FES cycling from being an activity practiced outdoors on a daily basis; such as, low power production, rapid muscle fatigue, precise electrode positioning, lack of systematic procedures to determine stimulation patterns, and the difficulty of transferring disabled riders from their wheelchair to the tricycle. This article documents the challenges we faced during preparation for the Cybathlon 2016 FES cycling race, and provides results obtained during different phases of the process. A particular specificity of our team was that, unlike most other teams where pilots were mainly paraplegic, both the primary and backup pilots for team ENS de Lyon are C6/C7 tetraplegics, with neither voluntary control of their abdominal muscles nor hand grip, and only partial use of their arms.

Increased muscle tone and exaggerated tendon reflexes characterize most of the individuals after a spinal cord injury (SCI). We estimated seven parameters from the pendulum test and used them to compare with the Ashworth modified scale of spasticity grades in three populations (retrospective study) to assess their spasticity. Three ASIA B SCI patients who exercised on a stationary FES bicycle formed group F, six ASIA B SCI patients who received only conventional therapy were in the group C, and six healthy individuals constituted the group H. The parameters from the pendulum test were used to form a single measure, termed the PT score, for each subject. The pendulum test parameters show differences between the F and C groups, but not between the F and H groups, however statistical significance was limited due to the small study size. Results show a small deviation from the mean for all parameters in the F group and substantial deviations from the mean for the parameters in the C group. PT scores show significant differences between the F and C groups and the C and H groups and no differences between the F and C groups. The correlation between the PT score and Ashworth score was 0.88.

(1) Background: Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a recognized method for post-stroke gait rehabilitation but remains underutilized due to workflow complexity and the need for manual configuration. NeuroSkin^®, a wearable FES system integrating AI-driven stimulation and sensor-based gait monitoring, was developed to streamline clinical use by automating phase-specific, multi-muscle stimulation. (2) Methods: This retrospective multicenter feasibility study evaluated the integration of NeuroSkin^® into routine inpatient rehabilitation. Fifteen subacute stroke patients across seven centers underwent 10 to 20 FES-assisted gait training sessions. Standardized assessments (10MWT, 6MWT, TUG, NFAC) were performed pre- and post-intervention. Therapists completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. (3) Results: All outcomes showed statistically significant improvement: walking speed and endurance increased by 70% and 171% respectively, TUG time decreased by 39%, and ambulation level improved by three NFAC categories. No adverse events were reported, and usability was rated as excellent (mean SUS score: 84.6). (4) Conclusions: NeuroSkin^® was safely and effectively implemented in diverse clinical settings, demonstrating strong usability and promising functional benefits. These findings support the need for prospective controlled trials to confirm its clinical efficacy and broader applicability in stroke rehabilitation.

Gait analysis plays a crucial role in assessing and monitoring the progress of individuals undergoing rehabilitation. This preliminary validation study aims to compare the performance of a new wearable system, NeuroSkin^®, equipped with embedded sensors (inertial measurement unit and pressure sensors), with the non-wearable gold standard, GAITRite^®, in assessing spatio-temporal parameters during gait. Data was collected from nine healthy participants wearing the NeuroSkin while walking on the GAITRite walkway. Temporal parameters were calculated using the pressure sensors of the NeuroSkin^® to detect heel strike (HS) and toe off (TO) on both sides. Distances were calculated using vertical hip acceleration with an inverted pendulum method. We found that the level of agreement between NeuroSkin^® and GAITRite^® measures was excellent for speed, cadence, as well as length and duration of stride and step (lower bound of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) > 0.95), and moderate to excellent for stance and swing durations (ICC > 0.5). These levels of agreement are comparable to the known test–retest reliability of GAITRite^® measures. These results demonstrate the potential of NeuroSkin^® as an embedded gait assessment system for healthy subjects. As this study was conducted exclusively in healthy adults, the results are not directly generalizable to clinical populations. Thus, future studies are needed to investigate its use in patients.

(1) Background: Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a recognized method for post-stroke gait rehabilitation but remains underutilized due to workflow complexity and the need for manual configuration. NeuroSkin®, a wearable FES system integrating AI-driven stimulation and sensor-based gait monitoring, was developed to streamline clinical use by automating phase-specific, multi-muscle stimulation; (2) Methods: This retrospective multicenter feasibility study evaluated the integration of NeuroSkin® into routine inpatient rehabilitation. Fifteen subacute stroke patients across seven centers underwent 10 to 20 FES-assisted gait training sessions. Standardized assessments (10MWT, 6MWT, TUG, NFAC) were performed pre- and post-intervention. Therapists completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire; (3) Results: All outcomes showed statistically significant improvement: walking speed and endurance increased by 70% and 171% respectively, TUG time decreased by 39%, and ambulation level improved by three NFAC categories. No adverse events were reported, and usability was rated as excellent (mean SUS score: 84.6); (4) Conclusions: NeuroSkin® was safely and effectively implemented in diverse clinical settings, demonstrating strong usability and promising functional benefits. These findings support the need for prospective controlled trials to confirm its clinical efficacy and broader applicability in stroke rehabilitation.

Les spores fongiques sont à l'origine d'infections nosocomiales affectant le pronostic vital de patients immunodéprimés, et peuvent se transmettre par l'air. C'est pourquoi nous nous sommes intéressé à la déposition et au réenvol de spores d'"Aspergillus", responsables de pathologies gravissimes comme l'aspergillose pulmonaire invasive. Nous avons lors de nos expérimentations utilisé deux méthodes d'aérosolisation : le nébuliseur Collison standard, nécessitant la mise en solution des spores, ainsi qu'un prototype permettant de souffler directement sur les cultures fongiques Ceci nous a permis de mesurer la vitesse de sédimentation des spores, et d'évaluer l'efficacité et la rémanence de traitements fongicides en utilisant un protocole original mettant en œuvre des conditions réalistes.Un dispositif expérimental a été mis au point afin de soumettre des spores déposées sur une surface à un flux d'air tangentiel, et de filmer leur réenvol ( http://tinyurl.com/bla9ynz ), et un critère prédictif théorique de détachement a été exhibé. Des simulations numériques de l'écoulement autour de sphères idéales ont complété cette étude en nous donnant accès à des paramètres critiques inaccessibles expérimentalement.Nous avons finalement appliqué les résultats de nos investigations à la problématique des infections nosocomiales aérotransmises, et découvert que les ventilateurs de refroidissement d'appareils électroniques sont un réservoir de pathogènes et une source de contamination croisée potentielle. Des expériences en milieu contrôlé associées à une campagne de prélèvements en milieu hospitalier ont mis à jour ce nouveau et important risque de contamination.