Novel Rehabilitation Devices for Hand Movement Disorders

Abstract

Numerous therapeutic rehabilitation devices have been studied. This chapter describes novel rehabilitation devices designed to treat hand movement disorders. Recently, robot-aided rehabilitation using instruments, such as a hand motion robots and a robotic glove, have attracted interest because they help recover motor function in stroke patients. The lack of proper care for at-home patients is a major problem. The authors of this chapter developed a novel portable device, consisting of two grips, that allows the patient to perform exercises at home. While a patient grasps both grips with one hand, the driving grip reciprocates at several speed adjustments. The relative distance between the movable and fixed grip enables the hand to open. In addition, a master-slave system that measures the surface EMG on the healthy arm is proposed for self-controlled rehabilitation therapy. This portable device is not complex and can be used without assistance. Future development will improve the quality of the system, and the recovery effect will be evaluated in clinical trials.