Therapeutic Effect of a Soft Robotic Glove for Activities of Daily Living In People With Impaired Hand Strength: Protocol for a Multicenter Clinical Trial (iHand)

Kottink, A.I.R.; Nikamp, Corien; Bos, Foskea; Sluis, Corry K. van der; Broek, Marieke van den; Onneweer, Bram; Stolwijk-Swüste, Janneke M.; Brink, Sander M.; Voet, Nicoline; Buurke, Jaap H; Rietman, Johan Swanik; Prange-Lasonder, Gerdienke B.

doi:10.2196/34200

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Most participants reported that they used the glove 0.3-6 h daily, and the average grip strength across subjects improved from the initial measurement (9.9 ± 2.9 kg) to week 6 (14.0 ± 3.0 kg) to week 12 (14.0 ± 3.2 kg). Recently, it was evaluated over six weeks in a study involving 63 participants (between 18 and 90 years old) with impaired hand functions [71]. The protocol consisted of five assessments for each participant: three preassessments over three weeks as baselines before the intervention, a post-assessment within one week of the intervention's conclusion, and a follow-up assessment four weeks later to gauge the retention of effects.…”

Section: Carbonhand ®mentioning

confidence: 99%

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State of the Art in Wearable Wrist Exoskeletons Part II: A Review of Commercial and Research Devices

Pitzalis,

Park,

Caldwell

et al. 2023

Machines

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Manual handling tasks, both in daily activities and at work, require high dexterity and the ability to move objects of different shapes and sizes. However, musculoskeletal disorders that can arise due to aging, disabilities, overloading, or strenuous work can impact the natural capabilities of the hand with serious repercussions both in working and daily activities. To address this, researchers have been developing and proving the benefits of wrist exoskeletons. This paper, which is Part II of a study on wrist exoskeletons, presents and summarizes wearable wrist exoskeleton devices intended for use in rehabilitation, assistance, and occupational fields. Exoskeletons considered within the study are those available either in a prototyping phase or on the market. These devices can support the human wrist by relieving pain or mitigating fatigue while allowing for at least one movement. Most of them have been designed to be active (80%) for higher force/torque transmission, and soft for better kinematic compliance, ergonomics, and safety (13 devices out of 24, more than 50%). Electric motors and cable transmission (respectively 11 and 9 devices, out of 24, i.e., almost 50% and 40%) are the most common due to their simplicity, controllability, safety, power-to-weight ratio, and the possibility of remote actuation. As sensing technologies, position and force sensors are widely used in all devices (almost 90%). The control strategy depends mainly on the application domain: for rehabilitation, CPM (control passive motion) is preferred (35% of devices), while for assistance and occupational purposes, AAN (assistance-as-needed) is more suitable (38% of the devices). What emerges from this analysis is that, while rehabilitation and training are fields in which exoskeletons have grown more easily and gained some user acceptance (almost 18 devices, of which 4 are available on the market), relatively few devices have been designed for occupational purposes (5, with only 2 available on the market) due to difficulties in meeting the acceptance and needs of users. In this perspective, as a result of the state-of-the-art analysis, the authors propose a conceptual idea for a portable soft wrist exoskeleton for occupational assistance.

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Section: Carbonhand ®mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The collected data can be used to assess the wearer's risk of developing injuries. Several clinical trials were conducted on SEM technology over a period of months [54,55,70,71]. The first preliminary study on the effects of Ironhand in working tasks (automotive assembly) was published in [72].…”

Section: Ironhand ®mentioning

confidence: 99%

State of the Art in Wearable Wrist Exoskeletons Part II: A Review of Commercial and Research Devices

Pitzalis,

Park,

Caldwell

et al. 2023

Machines

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“…The soft-robotic glove (see also (18)) used in this study was the Carbonhand system (Bioservo Technologies AG; Kista, Sweden) a fully wearable, battery-powered device (700g in total), which supports a person's grip (Figure 1). The system consists of a control unit and a glove.…”

Section: Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other outcome measures collected during this study, such as Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), pain ratings, Motor Activity Log, EuroQol-5D and glove use time, etc. (see 18), are not part of this paper and will be analyzed and published after study completion. All tests were performed without using the glove to examine the therapeutic effect.…”

Section: Outcome Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect on Hand Function After Six-week Use of a Wearable Soft-Robotic Glove Assisting ADL: Interim Results of an Ongoing Clinical Study

Prange-Lasonder¹,

Kottink²,

Nikamp³

et al. 2022

2022 International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR)

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In an ongoing study, an assistive wearable softrobotic glove is tested at home for 6 weeks by subjects with decreased handgrip strength, due to different hand injuries or diseases, to assess whether use of this assistive grip-supporting glove will result in improved hand strength/ function. An interim analysis of the available dataset of 46 participants showed that (unsupported) grip strength and hand function improved after using the soft-robotic glove as assistive aid during activities of daily living (ADLs) during 6 weeks at home. After glove use is ended, this is maintained for at least 4 weeks. Considering that in the current situation the analysis is underpowered, these interim results are promising for finding a clinical (therapeutic) effect of using a soft-robotic glove as assistance during ADLs. If this is the case, this might open up entirely new opportunities for extending rehabilitation into people's homes, while also providing them with assistance to directly support performance of daily activities. Such a combination is becoming available with the development of mature and user-friendly wearable softrobotic devices. This would enable very high doses of training throughout the day, in the most functional, task-specific way possible, and possibly prevention of learned non-use.

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“…Some studies have shown peripheral improvement in ankle biomechanical parameters, e.g., ankle ROM, muscle strength and size, and spasticity [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Studies have also shown improved balance scores [ 8 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. However, studies examining a kinematic therapeutic effect have reached conflicting conclusions [ 11 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional Benefit and Orthotic Effect of Dorsiflexion-FES in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

et al. 2023

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Functional electrical stimulation of the ankle dorsiflexor (DF-FES) may have advantages over ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) in managing pediatric cerebral palsy (CP). This study assessed the functional benefit and orthotic effect of DF-FES in children with hemiplegic CP. We conducted an open-label prospective study on children with hemiplegic CP ≥ 6 years who used DF-FES for five months. The functional benefit was assessed by repeated motor function tests and the measurement of ankle biomechanical parameters. Kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters were assessed by gait analysis after one and five months. The orthotic effect was defined by dorsiflexion ≥ 0° with DF-FES at either the mid or terminal swing. Among 26 eligible patients, 15 (median age 8.2 years, range 6–15.6) completed the study. After five months of DF-FES use, the results on the Community Balance and Mobility Scale improved, and the distance in the Six-Minute Walk Test decreased (six-point median difference, 95% CI (1.89, 8.1), –30 m, 95% CI (−83.67, −2.6), respectively, p < 0.05) compared to baseline. No significant changes were seen in biomechanical and kinematic parameters. Twelve patients (80%) who showed an orthotic effect at the final gait analysis experienced more supported walking over time, with a trend toward slower walking. We conclude that the continuous use of DF–FES increases postural control and may cause slower but more controlled gait.

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Therapeutic Effect of a Soft Robotic Glove for Activities of Daily Living In People With Impaired Hand Strength: Protocol for a Multicenter Clinical Trial (iHand)

Cited by 6 publications

References 44 publications

State of the Art in Wearable Wrist Exoskeletons Part II: A Review of Commercial and Research Devices

State of the Art in Wearable Wrist Exoskeletons Part II: A Review of Commercial and Research Devices

Effect on Hand Function After Six-week Use of a Wearable Soft-Robotic Glove Assisting ADL: Interim Results of an Ongoing Clinical Study

Functional Benefit and Orthotic Effect of Dorsiflexion-FES in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

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