Fin-Ray effect® based structure for the passive mobilization of the hand joints

Abstract

In medical rehabilitation and physical therapy practice it has been proved that the passive mobilization of the hand joints as part of rehabilitation exercises improves the recovery period and also diminishes the rehabilitation costs by about 50%. In order to facilitate the practice of passive mobilization exercises in both medical units and patient homes the development of new adequate rehabilitation equipment has become a necessity. It is within the context of this requirement that the paper puts forward and discusses a novel solution of rehabilitation equipment that makes possible the simultaneous exercising of the radiocarpal, metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints. The first novelty proposed by this equipment is using the Fin-Ray effect® in the construction of the hand support and mobilization structure. A further novelty is the utilization of a pneumatic muscle as the motor that drives the equipment. The paper presents the construction of the equipment and discusses range of motion generated by it compared to the corresponding motion limits of the human hand, as identified in literature.