Functional hand orthosis for stroke patients
This technology is a wearable orthotic glove that can assist and restore hand movement through a mechanical system of motors and artificial tendons.
Unmet Need: Restoring hand and finger movement in stroke patients
Many post-stroke patients suffer from weakened or paralyzed muscles resulting from injury to the motor cortex of the brain. Rehabilitation alone may not be able to help the majority of patients regain enough functional control of an impaired hand to independently perform daily activities. Currently available technologies focus on rehabilitation of muscles in a clinical setting under the supervision of an occupational therapist. While there are technologies for regaining arm and wrist movement that function independently of any clinical caretakers, there are currently none that do this for the hand and fingers.
The Technology: Self-contained, wearable orthotic glove for dexterous hand movements
This technology is a self-contained, wearable orthotic device that can assist and restore hand movement through a mechanical system of motors and artificial tendons. Muscle signals are received from sensors on the forearm, integrated by a pattern classification algorithm, then sent to control exotendons on the glove. This enables the wearer to execute hand movements including fingertip pinch grasp. Unlike current products, which are used largely in the clinical setting to help with rehabilitative therapy, this device can be worn by patients anytime and anywhere.
A prototype of this technology has been tested and shown to effectively achieve specific hand and finger movements to restore function needed for activities of daily living.
Applications:
- Temporary orthotic for recovering stroke patients
- Permanent wearable orthosis
- Clinical aid for occupational therapists
- Robotics applications
Advantages:
- Fully self-contained for outpatient use
- No need for presence of clinician or occupational therapist
- Lightweight motor system
- Designed for specific hand and finger movements of daily living
- Multiple EMG signals for fine control of contraction strength
- Restores dexterous movements including fingertip grasp
- Washable and detachable for easy cleaning
Lead Inventor:
Patent Information:
Tech Ventures Reference:
IR CU15275, CU15139
Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik