Modulating Locomotor-Respiratory Coupling Through Adaptive Exoskeleton Assistance in Patients With COPD

Part of paid clinical trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sponsor
University of Nebraska
Study ID
NCT07703527
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

  • COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
45 Years - 75 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Hip Exoskeleton-Assisted Walking — DEVICE
    The intervention is a wearable hip exoskeleton designed to provide assistive torque during treadmill walking. During the assisted walking condition, participants will wear the exoskeleton secured around the waist and thighs. The device will provide powered assistance to the hip joints during walking to reduce the physical demand of locomotion. Participants will complete a 30-minute treadmill walking session at an individualized workload determined during an initial exercise calibration visit. The effects of hip exoskeleton assistance will be evaluated by comparing physiological, respiratory, biomechanical, and exercise tolerance outcomes with a standard walking condition performed without exoskeleton assistance.

Study Details

1\) Purpose: To improve pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with COPD by evaluating the effectiveness of a hip-assisted exoskeleton during a single pulmonary rehabilitation session. 2) Eligibility criteria: Participants must be between 45-75 years old, any gender, but must have a BMI of less than 35 kg/m\^2, free from co-morbidities that may affect walking patterns, and must have moderate to severe COPD with no other pulmonary or cardiac issues. (Eligible participants will undergo a screening process which includes 6-minute walking test, medical history exam, and spirometry evaluation.) 3) Intervention and evaluation: The experimental collection will be conducted at the Biomechanics Research Building at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Participants are required to participate in two sessions on two separate days, both including a 30-minute walking session with one session wearing the hip exoskeleton and the other session without the device.

Key Dates

First listed
Jul 14, 2026
Start date
Sep 30, 2026
Status verified
Jul 2026
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2027
Completion
Sep 30, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
10 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DEVICE_FEASIBILITY

Arms

  • No Intervention: Standard Walking (No Hip Exoskeleton)
    Subjects will walk on a treadmill at a preferred speed.
  • Experimental: Hip Exoskeleton-Assisted Walking
    Subjects will walk on a treadmill while wearing a hip exoskeleton providing them assistance.

Primary Outcome Measure

Respiratory Rate and Timing [ Time Frame: Continuous assessment during the 30-minute treadmill walking bout within each single-day experimental session. ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
UNO BiomechanicsOmahaNebraska68182
Farahnaz Fallahtafti
[email protected]
4025543075

Find similar trials in Omaha, NE

By research site
UNO Biomechanics· Omaha, NE

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