A low cost method to measure finger flexion in individuals with reduced hand and finger range of motion

Abstract

The goal of this research is to evaluate a custom sensor glove that will be used to measure real-time finger flexion in individuals having a wide range of hand and finger function. A feasibility study of a low-cost prototype sensor glove has been performed in order to explore several specific requirements, including glove donning (ease of donning in individuals with moderate to severe restriction in hand motion), and glove comfort and durability (for up to 24 hours of continuous data collection). Results show that commercially available passive-resistive flex sensors contained in Lycra/Nylon sleeves can be used to collect real-time flexion data of each finger over extended periods of time. The individual sensor sleeves are securely attached to the back of each finger. This "sensor glove" demonstrates that data can be collected comfortably over an extended period of time while individuals perform daily activities away from the clinical site. Future work will investigate the repeatability of sensor glove measurements and the development of the wearable data recorder.