Robotic arm helps patients with muscle disease
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a disease that occurs in 1 out of 5,000 boys. The disease weakens arms muscles until patients can’t use them at all.
Medicines slow down the disease to prolong the life of a Duchenne patient, but there are limited technologies that help patients use their arms again.
Now, researchers from the University of Twente together with the VUmc, TU Delft and the Radboud umc, have developed a A-Gear, robotic arm that can support the daily activities of people suffering the muscular disease. They are currently finishing a prototype that can be worn under clothing.
Researchers have been working on two types of arm supports: a motorless support controlled by the user, and a motorized arm support that can send electrical muscle signals to the arms to assist movement.
“During the research, there were a number of participants who had been unable to independently move their arms for between three and five years and they were able to complete the tests set out in the tasks. The freedom of movement and the functionality of the arm increased when the subjects used the prototype. In addition, the movements required less energy,” adds Joan Lobo-Prat, researcher at the MIRA research centre for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine.
The next steps include converting the prototype into a usable product.
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
