3D printed gloves for stroke patients could open up teleconsultation options for physiotherapists

Researchers in India have developed a soft, wearable 3D printed glove with remote control capabilities to help stroke patients with their rehabilitation programmes, potentially speeding up their recovery and easing pressure off physiotherapists.

The researchers, from the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), created the glove to exploit the fundamental properties of light to sense a patient’s limb or finger movements. The customisable gloves can also be remotely controlled, opening up the possibility of teleconsultation by physiotherapists and clinicians.

Aveek Bid, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, whose team has developed the device, commented: “We wanted to develop something affordable, and available to a person at all times at their convenience. The product should be easy to use and must provide feedback.”

Aveek explained that quantifiable feedback – for example, the units of pressure applied while squeezing a ball or the degree of bending of a leg with a knee injury – is crucial for doctors to monitor the patient, even remotely. Such feedback can also motivate patients to perform better in every consecutive session.

Traditional physiotherapy often requires daily hospital visits, which can be time-consuming for patients and physiotherapists alike.

IISc researchers say that while home visits by professionals or advanced devices to monitor patients remotely are “ideal”, they are not readily available and can be too pricey.

“The idea behind the device is that you wear something like a glove, the physiotherapist controls the device from a remote location through the internet, and makes your hands and fingers move,” continued Aveek.

The device can sense various hand and finger movements, and precisely detect parameters like pressure, bending angle and shape.

Interestingly, the technology that drives the device is based on the fundamental properties of light: refraction and reflection.

A light source is placed at one end of a transparent rubbery material, and the other end has a light detector. Any movement in the finger or arm of the patient causes the flexible material to deform. The deformation alters the path of light, and thereby its properties. The device translates this change in light properties to a quantifiable unit. Since light travels across the entire length of the device, movement along any part of the patient’s finger or arm can be accurately measured.

The device is highly sensitive and can measure the degree of bending at every joint of the finger, whereas other existing devices can only detect the bending of a finger, according to the research team.

Word-renowned technology institute MIT recently created a robotic glove to help people with limited dexterity more easily grip objects. Similar to IISC’s customisable 3D printed glove, MIT’s robotic glove could be used as part of a rehabilitation programme. The glove uses sensors so that they “feel” what they touch.