Robotic arm could help patients recovering from stroke

A PhD student at The University of Aberdeen has created a device which could help patients recovering from a stroke.

James Greig, a final year researcher, has designed and built a 'soft robotic arm' which could boost recovery by allowing patients to carry out physiotherapy at home.

The lightweight, affordable equipment uses flexible, inflatable material to support the arm as it makes basic repetitive movements - which are essential for rehabilitation following a stroke.

James identified a need for technologies patients can use at home in addition to regular physio as access to the service is limited.

James said: “What we're trying to address is a product to address the lack of availability to physiotherapy for stroke patients who have maybe suffered some loss of mobility in the arm.

“I wanted to make a lightweight device that can be made readily available in the community. So it's cheap, easy to wear and doesn't need specialist assistance to use.

“It means people can have more physiotherapy so they can do some work at home as well as the work that they've been doing with the physiotherapist.”

The robotic device is worn on the arm, held on with straps and works by pumping air from a small compressor into a series of strips of material which inflate, press against each other and encourage movement in the limb - similar to a bicep curl.

James continued: “We’re basically trying to mimic the same movement that physios will encourage in their sessions but using robotics in a way that allows people to do this at home without the physiotherapist actually being there.

"If we can augment the physio-led rehabilitation with some work they can do at home using the robotic device, then we can improve their recovery.”

"Exciting development"

While James’ innovation was designed with stroke patients in mind, it could be used to aid anyone undergoing physiotherapy on this specific movement of the arm.

“The key challenge is how we scale up these devices to generate enough force to allow them to work on larger joints without making them too heavy and too cumbersome.”, he added.

Thérèse Lebedis, Consultant AHP (Occupational Therapist) in Stroke, who has worked with James on the project, said: “This is an exciting development in the field of robotic technology, offering the potential to provide an adjunct to rehabilitation therapies such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy and the opportunity to increase intensity through repetition.”

While it’s too early to begin clinical trials, information and feedback sessions held with a group of physiotherapists saw encouraging feedback for the device.