Robotic Devices Help Stroke Survivors Regain Movement
By Sprey, Karen; Gizmag,Publication Date: July 1, 2010
Article features new robotic neurorehabilitation devices that help poststroke patients regain movement in affected limbs. The devices were undergoing clinical trials at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center at the time the article was published. (1) The Amadeo robotic hand by Tyromotion, the first device to focus specifically on hand rehabilitation, allows the patient to move each finger individually. The mechanism mimics the hand’s natural grasping movement, making the patient’s hand move with it. After attaching the finger tips to the finger and thumb carriages, patients move their fingers along small tracks to a set endpoint in an automated sequence. Patients can be actively or passively involved, and motor control and strength are increased over time. (2) The Tibion Bionic Leg, a thigh-to-ankle device worn during therapy, helps patients get their stroke-weakened leg to work with the unaffected leg in walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of chairs. Sensors in the patient’s shoe and the Bionic Leg collect data that are fed into a computer to customize the sensor network to the patient’s way of walking. The device can be configured either to assist or to resist the patient’s movements, and therapists can progressively reduce the level of support provided until patients are able to move confidently without it. Both devices systematically help restore neural pathways for crucial movements such as gripping and walking.
Published by: Gizmag Pty Ltd (Website:http://www.gizmag.com/)
Link to text: http://www.gizmag.com/robotic-devices-help-stroke-survivors-regain-movement-15494/15494/
