Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a glove that they claim restores hand functionality to victims of nerve-damaging injuries, or afflictions such as a stroke, better than conventional rehabilitation tools.
EsoGlove monitors muscle signals in the hand using a series of sensors. Unlike traditional hand rehabilitation tools, the glove doesn’t feature heavy, rigid components, making it both more comfortable and easier to use, according to the research team.
“EsoGlove is unique as it is made entirely of soft components and does not require complicated mechanical setups,” said Raye Yeow, an assistant professor in NUS’ department of biomedical engineering, in a statement from the university. “The main body of the glove is made of fabric, with soft actuators embedded. It also has adjustable Velcro straps to cater to different hand sizes,”
The glove is connected to a pump-valve control system that moderates the air pressure used to control the soft actuators. When the pressure is delivered to the actuators, they apply force to the part of the glove covering the fingers, promoting bending and extending of the limbs, and improving various other functions of the hand. If a patient wants to isolate one finger for an action like pointing, they are able to do so because each of the actuators function individually.
The EsoGlove’s control mechanism incorporates electromyography and radio-frequency identification technologies, allowing the device to identify when a patient is about to handle a certain object. For example, when the patient is about to grip a can of soda, the glove would help to assist the hand in the action.
EsoGlove also provides more portability than traditional hand rehabilitation tools, according to Yeow.
“For patients to restore their hand functions, they need to go through rehabilitation programs that involve repetitive tasks such as gripping and releasing objects,” he said. “These exercises are often labour intensive and are confined to clinical settings. EsoGlove is designed to enable patients to carry out rehabilitation exercises in various settings – in the hospital wards, rehabilitation centres and even at home.”
Bedridden patients might use a “table-top” version of the EsoGlove to recover, while patients rehabilitating at home could use the “waist-belt” version.
“With this unique approach, we can develop therapeutic tools using safe and wearable robotic technology,” said Dr. Lim Jeong Hoon, a member of the EsoGlove team and the NUS Department of Medicine. “Patients can take the initiative in their own rehabilitative process, rather than being passive recipients of therapists’ intervention.”
“As the soft actuators in the EsoGlove are made from non-ferromagnetic materials, they are suitable for use in functional magnetic resonance imaging studies,” said Yap Hong Kai, an EsoGlove team member and a graduate student in NUS’ school of integrative sciences and engineering. “We hope that the robotic glove can contribute towards investigating the brain’s activity in relation to motor performance during hand rehabilitation, and unravel the functional effects of soft rehabilitation robotics on brain stimulation,”
The EsoGlove team is slated in February to begin clinical studies for the purpose of evaluating the glove’s performance. They will use the six month study to gather input from 30 patients.
