Can handshakes heal?

It just might if you shake hands with RUPERT. Arizona State University researchers and Tempe-based Kinetic Muscles, Inc., have developed a robotic arm to help stroke survivors regain the ability to perform basic tasks.This arm will help them relearn reaching for objects and feeding themselves.The goal is for patients to try to guide the robot, in a figure-eight motion above a desk. If you are moving in the correct direction it pulls, if you move it in the wrong direction it offers resistances.This is what the researcher's call a "minutely controlled degree". The rehabilitative device helps with task-oriented repetitive therapy, and with high hopes that it will provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional therapy. This would allow a larger population to regain maximum motor function.


Recent research suggests that stroke survivors can recover significant use of their arms by performing repetitive motor function exercises over a period of time. This labor-intensive physical therapists is expensive, claiming up to 4 % of the national health budget, according to the National Institutes of Health. Some health insurers limit or even deny coverage before stroke survivors achieve best results. This is what happened to my grandmother she was only allowed a certain amount of visits to the physical therapist. Because this device can be used in homes the patient can use it more frequently and for longer periods of time, this technology may prove to be more cost effective and provide better results.


The team is now working to engineer greater intelligence into the device so that it responds directly to a user's intent. Their hopes are that the new improved arm will sense when the patient is"Not only is the goal to make the motion more intuitive, but we want the robot to assist at those points in the movement where the individual needs it," said Dr. He As the individual's motor function improved, RUPERT would adapt to allow the user faster recovery by requiring the muscles to work independently where possible.


I think this is great technology. I know from first hand how hard it is for a stroke patient to regain control of their motor skills. It is a very hard, long road and if this machine can help with healing I hope all hospitals and rehabs get a few. I guess now they need one for a person's leg... I wonder if there is such a device. Guess what next weeks blog may be about?


The research team is led by Jiping He, Ph.D., of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Dr. He






CNET
Medical Newstoday
ncbi.nlm.nih.