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TopOverview Of Post Knee Arthroscopic Assist Device
The device consists of Microcontroller, Driver circuit, DC motor, Limit switch, Emergency switch, Position feedback circuit, Level converter, software (LabVIEW) and other associated circuits as shown in the Figure1 .The PC has LabVIEW application to handle the user demands. It controls the range of the movement from 30 degrees/minute to 180 degrees/minute. The speed and number of movements can also be set through the LabVIEW. Level converter (MAX 232) is used to convert signals from RS-232 serial port to signal suitable for TTL compatible digital logic circuits. PIC16F877A controller is used, which has programmable memory of 8K bytes. Relay allows the motor to switch ON for the mechanical movement of the limb. Motor is a rotary actuator that allows for precise control of angular position. Limit switch will be interfaced to shut down the motor power under any malfunction situation. Emergency switch will be incorporated to pause /stop the device anytime, if the patient feels uncomfortable.
Figure 1. Block diagram of post knee arthroscopic assist device
The flow of the project is explained in such a way that the personal computer through the software LabVIEW controls the angle, speed, number of times. The microcontroller interfaced with the personal computer provides the processed input to the motor. The motor action provides rotation to the shaft and the shaft in turn provides movement of the mechanical device. The flowchart of Post Knee Arthroscopy Assist Device is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Flowchart of post knee arthroscopy assist device
TopSoftware To Control The Post Knee Arthroscopic Assist Device
Program flow of user interface in Lab VIEW as per the following procedure .Controlling of Post Knee Arthroscopic Assist Device is done using LabVIEW in the front panel for user interface. The control for speed, angle, number of times of movement of mechanical device are provided. There are separate buttons for forward, reverse, stop actions and each action is indicated through the LED displays.