Anyone who has suffered from a stroke or deal with stroke patients know that time is of the essence when the stroke occurs – the earlier medical help is rendered, the faster and higher the chances of recovery. For those who have lost the use of a hand due to a stroke, it makes sense to make sure that paralyzed hand gets up and moving again, where repeated and constant movement will enable the brain and the body to “relearn” how to use that particular body part. Not reinventing the wheel but rather, approaching the problem from a different angle, the Rehabilitation Glove will allow patients to exercise passively until they are able to recover sufficiently in order to start moving on their own. That can be quite expensive though, so what other forms of remedy are there?
A quartet of students from Montreal’s McGill University have come up with a prototype stroke recovery glove which is said to be relatively inexpensive to produce, and patients are able to use it right from the comfort of their own home thanks to a video game interface to make it all the more fun. Known as the Biomedical Sensor Glove, this prototype device will incorporate inertial measurement units (IMUs) which are capable of tracking the movements of the wrist, palm and index finger.
When wearing the glove, the patient will attempt to make use of the affected hand in order to play video games via an attached computer. The computer will hold software that processes data from the IMUs, where it will then display the patient’s progress through onscreen 3D models. All relevant data will be sent to their physician so that one is able to have their data tracked remotely – further helping you keep the world greener since there will be less trips required to the clinic. The Biomedical Sensor glove is pocket friendly at around $1,000 in cost price, which is a fraction of what similar products cost – to the tune of up to $30,000.
Filed in ..