Adelphi Centre for the Rehabilitation of Post-Comatose Patients with Severe Brain Injuries

Project location: Italy, Rome
Project start date: December 2010 - Project end date: April 2011
Project number: 2010-70
Beneficiary: Roboris Foundation ONLUS

The construction of the Adelphi Centre can be divided into two phases:
During the first phase, which began in the last quarter of 2007 and ended in the first quarter of 2010, the original building was restructured to adapt it to the specific needs of the Centre (e.g. an internal medical basin was built, modifications were carried out to house two gymnasiums, two lifts were installed, one of which to transport stretcher patients, all architectural barriers were eliminated, the floors and suspended ceilings were rebuilt, the electrical and air conditioning systems were renovated, and an emergency electrical power generator was installed, etc.).

During the second phase, which began in the second quarter of 2010 and which will end before the Centre becomes fully operational, medical and physiotherapy appliances were installed, the interior areas (doctors' consulting rooms, offices, the kitchens, and dining room) were furnished and computer and telecommunication equipment was put in place. Also the following rehabilitation equipment was purchased and installed in the Centre's two gymnasiums: a Loko Station Med, a VRRS (Virtual Reality Rehabilitation System), Standing Up, Bobath bed and balls, parallel bars, etc.
The Loko Station Med (Lokomat) is a robot which helps stroke victims walk again. It consists of a treadmill incorporating a harness on which patients are assisted to walk. It has different speed cycles and its elevation can be regulated to simulate a slope. The treadmill is equipped with a multifunction monitoring system, pre-set work programs which can also be tailored to patients' needs, and medical test cycles, etc.
The VRRS (Virtual Reality Rehabilitation System) is a unique appliance in the neuroscience and rehabilitation fields. VRRS is an integrated system that permits the interaction in "real-time" of many pre-set and personalised virtual scenes. The VRRS creates a virtual scene that reproduces a series of daily activities and normal, every-day actions, e.g. holding a glass, using cutlery, addressing an envelope, playing with a ball etc.
These appliances will be used in the Adelphi Centre for rehabilitation therapies on patients who have emerged from a coma with severe acquired brain injury.
Specific software was designed to operate on a special computer system dedicated exclusively to running individual rehabilitation programs. These programs, given the characteristics of the patients treated, are especially complex and require a computer system capable of preparing and memorizing individual rehabilitation programs and printing reports for each patient. The system also elaborates the input of the diverse medical personnel involved in patient treatment as well as keeping track of the medical and physiotherapy appliances used.
Computer hardware (server, PC, switch, modem, etc.) was purchased and installed on which to run the individual rehabilitation programs' software used by the Centre's doctors, nurses and physiotherapists.
A telephone exchange was also purchased and connected to the public telephone and DT (Data Transmission) networks and to Internet. The Internet address of the Centre (centroadelphi.it) has been registered for the use of electronic mail and the web site which will be created shortly.
The project's future plans also envisage:
- a computer activity room equipped with special devices for PC keyboards, mouses, and special software programs for use by the handicapped
- a meeting room with a stage, amplifier, microphone, screen, chairs, etc.