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Product Advisory: Arm Posture Perturbation, Dex 3.9 bug found – FIXED

Posted on Feb 24, 2023

As of 24-Feb-23 this bug has been fixed, with the release of Dexterit-E 3.10

Description of the bug

A bug was found in the Arm Posture Perturbation (Dexterit-E Version 3.9) task that allowed a trial without a perturbation to occur under rare conditions. This situation will occur if the subject leaves the target (after the background load has been applied) and does not return for 10 seconds. This behaviour  causes the trial to time out. At this point, the next trial will run without background loads. All following trials will run correctly. This erroneous trial would be analyzed incorrectly as if it had background loads.

Correction Plan

The task has been corrected in Dexterit-E 3.10 (to be released Feb-23) so that this situation will not occur. Additionally, the analysis in Dexterit-E 3.10 has been updated to recognize these trials that do not contain loads and properly exclude them from analysis. We strongly recommend reanalyzing all Arm Posture Perturbation data that you have collected once you’ve upgraded to Dexterit-E 3.10.

Impact of the bug

A review of nearly 900 impaired assessments from 195 individuals who were assessed with this task found that about 10% of assessments contained timeouts and therefore would be affected by this issue. Of those affected assessments 70% had 4 or fewer timeouts. At that level we expect the Task Score would increase by 0.5 or less with the updated analysis. The maximum number of timeouts possible is approximately 10. At that number of timeouts we would expect an increase in task score of approximately 2 with the updated analysis.

If you are concerned about the integrity of your analysis, please contact Kinarm support.  We can help identify specifically impacted data files.

Dexterit-E & Dexterit-E Explorer 3.10 has been released!

Posted on Feb 24, 2023

After a year and a half of hard work, the design and development teams at Kinarm are pleased to simultaneously release:
  • Dexterit-E™ 3.10.0; and
  • Dexterit-E Explorer™  3.10.0
Some of the more noteworthy changes in Dexterit-E & Explorer 3.10.0 include:
  • For Kinarm Standard Tests
    • New Test: Paired Associates Learning
    • Video instructions
    • Updated Analysis for Arm Posture Perturbation: per our product advisory, the rare event in the task has been corrected.
    • Updated analysis of VGR & RVGR:
      • To better handle rare instances where Movement Time could look worse as a subject is improving.
      • To avoid rare instances of very large values for Path Length Ratio.
      • Updated RVGR’s Direction Errors parameter to be scaled by the number of completed trials when calculating Z-scores (i.e., for partial exams).
    • Enhanced Analysis Export for more efficient (re)analysis of database records
  • Task Development: Exoskeleton users can now define targets using the global frame of reference
  • Kinarm Gaze-Tracker now uses an efficient 5-point calibration
  • See the release notes for a full list of new features:
  • Please note that Win7 “black case” Dexterit-E computers are not supported by this release (last shipped 2015).
All installers are available for download once logged into the Support website Software Downloads page. Please see the linked release notes for a complete list of changes and fixes.

Instructions for upgrading from 3.9 to 3.10:

  1. Go to the Kinarm website Support-Software Downloads page:  http://www.kinarm.com/support/software-downloads/
  2. Login or request an account:
    image.png
  3. Download Dexterit-E 3.10.0 and the Task Development Kit 3.10.0 from the Software Downloads page.
  4. Install the software and run Dexterit-E 3.10.0 .
  5. Send the displayed Computer ID to support@kinarm.com.
  6. Kinarm support will send back a license key.
  7. Start Dexterit-E 3.10.0 again and enter the license key provided by Kinarm support.
  8. Rebuild all existing Custom Tasks using the Kinarm Task Development Kit 3.10.0.
  9. Review the updated manuals available on our website.
Instructions for upgrading Dexterit-E Explorer 
  1. Go to the Kinarm website Support-Software Downloads page:  http://www.kinarm.com/support/software-downloads. No login is required.
  2. Scroll down to Dexterit-E Explorer.
  3. Select your operating system.
  4. Download and run the installer.
  5. Mac users may need to allow the application to “open anyway” through your Security settings.
If you did not upgrade to Dexterit-E 3.9, and are jumping from 3.8 or earlier, you will need to:
  • upgrade to Dexterit-E Explorer 3.10.0 at the same time.
    • As of Dexterit-E 3.9, Dex uses a new file format to save exam data that is not backward compatible with previous (1.5 and earlier) releases of Dexterit-E Explorer.
  • obtain the latest release of the Kinarm Analysis Scripts in order to load data recorded with Dexterit-E 3.9 or later. The updated MATLAB scripts are backwards compatible with previous releases and include several enhancements for usability and performance.
  • contact support@kinarm.com to obtain a new license key for Dexterit-E 3.10. 
    • As always, Dexterit-E Explorer does not require a license and can be run on any Windows 64 bit or Mac OSx computer.
If you have any difficulty with the upgrade or want to give us feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: support@kinarm.com
We look forward to your feedback on the new features,
 
The Development Team at Kinarm
 
Kinarm Support

Technical Bulletin: Kinarm Gaze-Tracker; Impact of Reducing the Number Calibration Targets

Posted on Feb 8, 2022

Abstract:

The 13-point calibration routine for the Kinarm Gaze-Tracker is slow, and often difficult to achieve a good subject calibration with, often requiring multiple calibration attempts. Two factors contribute to these problems: the large number of target locations used in the calibration routine and the large size of the region over which the calibration is performed. This study quantified the effects on calibration accuracy when each of these factors was reduced. The results show that reducing the number of targets from 13 to 5 has a small impact on calibration accuracy (1.0±0.6° vs 1.1±0.7°) while significantly reducing the total time for the calibration routine. Further, reducing the size of the 5-point calibration region from 100% to 70% had only a marginal increase in uncertainty (1.2±0.9°). It is recommended that for most Kinarm users a 5-point calibration routine will save time without sacrificing the quality of the collected data.

Read More

Randomization Bug in Dex 3.8 & 3.9

Posted on Dec 7, 2021

Please be advised that if you are running a custom task program in 3.8.x or 3.9.x that there is a randomization bug in the Block Table if square brackets are used in the TP List (i.e. TP List in the Block Table = 10-15, [1, 2, 3]) and List Reps or Block Reps are > 1. Round brackets in the TP List are not affected by this issue. If List Reps and Block Reps are 1 then there is no problem.

Any TPs listed inside square brackets will always be randomized to the same order for a given block. The randomized order will be different each time the task is run.

While the bug will be fixed in an upcoming release, we wanted to provide immediate notice to all potential users as the bug is difficult to detect.

To workaround the bug, manually repeat the TP List as many times as required.

If you need to randomize TP List = 5, [1,2,3], List Reps = 2, Block Reps = 2 then instead use:

TP List = [5, [1,2,3]], [5, [1,2,3]], [5, [1,2,3]], [5, [1,2,3]], List Reps = 1, Block Reps = 1

Our thanks to the lab in Calgary who spotted the bug and reported it to us.

Advisory re bug in NI-6229 Block of TDK 3.9 *Corrected*

Posted on Aug 5, 2021

*Update* Advisory has been corrected with the release of Dexterit-E 3.9.1

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Advisory posted 18-Jun-21, re bug in the NI-6229 block

  • The bug affects those sending out digital out pulses only AND running MATLAB R2019b
  • Analog output is not affected.
  • This bug will be fixed with 3.9.1 expected early July 2021.
  • The workaround is to unlink the Sync TTL block, copy the BKIN 6229 DO block inside it and use that instead.
  • Please contact support@kinarm.com if you need help with the workaround.

Ref: CC-1205

Kinarm End-Point Lab (PN 14332) Released

Posted on May 1, 2021

We are pleased to announce the release of our latest model of Kinarm End-Point Lab, PN 14332.

This updated design includes many “under-the-hood” enhancements that preserve the ‘feel’ and function of the old Kinarm End-Point robot (PN 10288, first released in 2010) while bringing the overall electronics design up to current day standards.

To an experienced user, you may find it difficult to find the differences!

Read More

Win10 Compliance

Posted on Feb 5, 2020

Advisory Notices:

Do NOT upgrade your Dexterit-E/GUI Computer to Windows 10 without our Upgrade Kit!

As the Dexterit-E computer is customized to run your Kinarm Lab, the Windows operating system cannot be upgraded to Windows 10 without adversely affecting your Kinarm Lab. Dexterit-E will NOT work.

Read More

Dex 3.8 & Dex-Ex 1.5 Released!

Posted on Jan 1, 2020

Dexterit-E 3.8.0

Jan 2020

The Dexterit-E 3.8.0 release brings many improvements for usability and task development. We are thrilled to be able to deliver the long list of tangible improvements, both big and small, that this release offers. For a complete listing of changes please see the tables below. Some enhancements of special note are:

Study Sessions

Study Protocols were introduced in Dexterit-E 3.7 in order to add task ordering and provide a user interface for performing studies. In Dexterit-E 3.8 we have extended this functionality with the concept of Study Sessions. Within a Study Protocol, you can now define one or more Study Sessions, which allow a subject to be assessed multiple times at pre-defined points during the same Study, e.g. 60 days post intervention, 90 days post intervention.

When Study Sessions are used with KST, the upcoming release of Dexterit-E Explorer will be able to create session and longitudinal reports based on those sessions. These new report types allow you to see Task Scores for Kinarm Standard Tests that were run as part of a Study. Please see the Dexterit-E Explorer documentation for further details.

Enhanced Video Instructions

The capabilities for video instructions have been extended in this release of Dexterit-E. Audio is now supported, such that videos can now include pre-recorded verbal instructions. In addition, Dexterit-E  now supports a wider selection of video formats and CODECs for these instructions (AVI, MOV, MP4), allowing users to create video instructions from a wide selection of video editing software.

Editing Task Protocols

When editing Task Protocols it is now possible to tell which Trial Protocols, targets and loads are going to be used. Each table will automatically highlight those rows that are identified as ones which will be run, based on the contents of the Block Table and TP Table.

Execution Order of Trials

There are two new ways to manage and control the ordering of trials when a task is run: one enhancement is with the Block Table, and one is available through custom task programming.

Block Table enhancement: when editing a Task Protocol, the Block Table has been enhanced to allow nested lists of Trial Protocols which must remain contiguous after randomization. Furthermore, these contiguous lists can be specified to either be non-randomized or internally randomized. The following table contains two examples:

TP ListPossible Randomized result
1-5, [10,11,12]4, 2, 11, 10, 12, 1, 5, 3

(bracketed items are kept together, but randomized internally)

1-5, (10,11,12)4, 2, 10, 11, 12, 1, 5, 3

(bracketed items are together and not randomized)

 

Custom Task Programming enhancement: there is now the possibility to determine trial order at runtime. When programming a Custom Task, there is a new optional input on the GUI Control block that allows a task programmer to specify the next Trial Protocol to run. In this way you can calculate dynamically at runtime the trial ordering for your task. This feature completely ignores the Block Table within a Task Protocol

Integrating Kinarm Standard Tests with External Equipment

All Kinarm Standard Tasks have been updated to output digital TTL pulses on the standard National Instruments PCI-6229 that is purchased with many Kinarm Labs. These pulses provide timing and trial information to enable synchronization with external equipment.

Normative Modeling Updates – Elbow Stretch Inter-limb Z-scores

As part of our ongoing work to improve the accuracy of the normative models for KST, the algorithm to fit models to the normative data was updated to use weighted least-squares regression. This change was made to account for the heteroscedasticity in the data. While most normative models had negligible changes following this change, the inter-limb Z-scores of Elbow Stretch for female subjects collected using the Kinarm Exoskeleton, had very large changes; these data should be re-analyzed. See the Dexterit-E User Guide or KST Summary for more details.

Deprecation Notices

MATLAB: Dexterit-E 3.8 will be the last version of Dexterit-E to support MATLAB 2013a.

Windows® OS: Dexterit-E 3.8 does not support Windows XP.

Robot Computer: Dexterit-E 3.8 will be the last version of Dexterit-E that supports Robot computer part number 10884. These Robot computers were last shipped in early 2011. If you are unsure of your Robot computer’s part number please contact Kinarm Support (support@kinarm.com).

Upgrade Considerations

If you are planning to upgrade to Dexterit-E 3.8.0, please keep the following in mind:

  • If you are upgrading from a version before Dexterit-E 3.7, please view the appropriate release notes sections for those versions.
  • Your custom task programs will need to be recompiled with the latest Task Development Kit.
    • When upgrading from Dexterit-E 3.7 and using MATLAB R2013a or R2015aSP1 There should be no extra steps required beyond recompiling.
    • For instructions on upgrading from older versions of Dexterit-E or MATLAB please see the Creating Task Programs for Dexterit-E guide.
  • If you have made use of Study Protocols then your Study Protocols masks will automatically be pulled forward to Dexterit-E 3.8 the first time you run Dexterit-E. Once this update is complete we would encourage you to edit your study protocols to add study sessions as appropriate.

ADD DEX-EX

Dexterit-E Explorer 1.5.0

November 2019

Dexterit-E Explorer 1.5.0 has several important enhancements in order to help it align with new features in Dexterit-E 3.8.0.  As well, this release contains upgrades for the usability and flexibility of Dexterit-E Explorer.

MATLAB Integration

Dexterit-E Explorer can be used as a tool to initiate analysis of your collected data. MATLAB has long been the tool of choice to take your analysis to the next level. Now, within Dexterit-E Explorer you can push data directly to MATLAB. Newer versions of MATLAB (at least since 2017a) have an “engine” component that allows Dexterit‑E Explorer to instantiate MATLAB and pass data for analysis and plotting. Once you have configured Dexterit‑E Explorer to use a particular version of MATLAB to integrate with, you can right-click on an exam file or the channel graph in order to transfer data to MATLAB.

CSV Exam Export

In recent years several other programming languages have become popular for data analysis, notably Python and R. Rather than try to build Kinarm Analysis Scripts for every possible language we have added the ability to output the kinematics and parameters of an exam file in a commonly readable format – Comma Separated Values (CSV). CSV is a text based format that any programming language can interpret. Kinarm Support will be providing example code for reading the CSV files that Dexterit-E Explorer will create.

Dexterit-E Explorer gives you the ability to right-click on a single exam file to export in CSV format, or to perform a bulk export of many exams to CSV.

Channel Graph Updates

This release of Dexterit-E Explorer contains several additions to the channel graph to enhance usability, including:

  • Right-clicking on a channel name in the channel list, or on an event name in the event list, will allow you to specify the colour you would like used to draw the channel or event.
  • If you use the mouse to “zoom” into an area on the channel graph, you can use <Ctrl+z> to undo the zoom (i.e., in case you zoomed into the wrong location).
  • If you click on the channel graph you can use the arrow keys to “slide” the zoom window around the graph. Holding down <Alt> while using the arrows will zoom in. Holding <Ctrl> while using the arrows will zoom out.
  • If MATLAB integration is enabled, right-clicking in the channel graph gives you options to move the data in the graph to MATLAB or to plot the data in MATLAB.

Normative Modeling Updates – Elbow Stretch Inter-limb Z-scores

As part of our ongoing work to improve the accuracy of the normative models for KST, the algorithm to fit models to the normative data was updated to use weighted least-squares regression. This change was made to account for the heteroscedasticity in the data. While most normative models had negligible changes following this change, the inter-limb Z-scores of Elbow Stretch for female subjects collected using the Kinarm Exoskeleton, had very large changes. Previously analyzed data should be re-analyzed. See the Dexterit-E User Guide or KST Summary for more details.

ADD LINK TO official release notes.