Abstract
Effective bilateral hand training is desired in rehabilitation programs to restore hand function for people with unilateral hemiplegia, so that they can perform daily activities independently. However, owing to limited human resources, the hand function training available in current clinical settings is significantly less than the adequate amount needed to drive optimal neural reorganization. In this study, we designed a lightweight and portable hand exoskeleton with a hand-sensing glove for bilateral hand training and home-based rehabilitation. The hand-sensing glove measures the hand movement of the less-affected hand using a flex sensor. Thereafter, the affected hand is driven by the hand exoskeleton using the measured hand movements. Compared with the existing hand exoskeletons, our hand exoskeleton improves the flexible mechanism for the back of the hand for better wearing experience and the thumb mechanism to make the pinch gesture possible. We designed a virtual reality game to increase the willingness of repeated movement practice for rehabilitation. Our system not only facilitates bilateral hand training but also assists in activities of daily living. This system could be beneficial for patients with hemiplegia for starting correct and sufficient hand function training in the early stages to optimize their recovery.
Highlights
Introduction conditions of the Creative CommonsHand function which requires dedicated finger flexion and extension movements is an important basis for executing activities of daily living, such as holding a glass of water, grabbing a fork, and holding a pen
The patients’ motivation for motor training could be increased by using a hand exoskeleton with virtual reality games. This system could be beneficial for patients with hemiplegia to start correct and sufficient hand function training in the early stages to optimize their recovery
A000005, Arduino, Somerville, MA, USA), converts the analog signal acquired from the flex sensor into digital signal with 10-bit resolution, which is further transmitted to the hand exoskeleton
Summary
Hand function which requires dedicated finger flexion and extension movements is an important basis for executing activities of daily living, such as holding a glass of water, grabbing a fork, and holding a pen. Brain injury-induced hand function impairment restricts patients from autonomously interacting with their surroundings, significantly reducing their quality of life [1,2]. These patients require rehabilitation in the hospital [3] and assistance from their families in their daily lives, resulting in high medical and care costs [4]. Effective bilateral hand training is desired in rehabilitation program to restore patients’ hand function, allowing them to perform daily activities independently. The patients’ motivation for motor training could be increased by using a hand exoskeleton with virtual reality games This system could be beneficial for patients with hemiplegia to start correct and sufficient hand function training in the early stages to optimize their recovery. The burden on caregivers and the medical costs can be reduced
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