Filipinos struggling to regain the vitality of their hands after a stroke could use this innovative take on a rehabilitation device from the electronics engineering (ECE) graduates of Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.).
They created a therapy glove called “HandMATE” using low-cost materials powered by a network of internet-based technologies. It was a result of a 36-page research titled “Design of an Actuation System for String Hand Rehabilitation Device Using a Cable-Driven Actuator.”
T.I.P. Quezon City alumni Joanna Keith Ildefonso, Orwell Orit, and Liezl Patrimonio authored the study as a thesis project for their ECE Design classes under adviser Engr. John Joel Martinez. They call their team “RAD Tech,” shorthand for “Restoring Ability through Developing Technology.”
Orit said they worked on the “HandMATE” project for over two semesters between August 2022 to July 2023 right before they graduated. They collaborated with stroke patients and medical professionals at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center to guide them in the engineering design process.
Therapy gloves are not new in the medical device market. But what separates “HandMATE” apart is “its capacity to facilitate both passive and active exercises, prioritizing rehabilitation, integrating IoT (internet of things)-based control and data retention functionalities,” according to the team.
The team developed a prototype using NodeMCU (microcontroller unit)—a low-cost open source firmware—and Arduino Nano breadboard as monitoring, control, and data acquisition system tools. Both units are attached to a printed circuit board connected to stepper motor drivers.
The specialized glove contains a flex sensor and force-sensitive resistor linked to the internal components of the machine and the stepper motor. These enable the execution of specific exercises through controlled movements.
Data from the sensors are processed and transmitted through the microcontrollers, which upload the same to the cloud database hosted by HiveMQ—a Germany-based software company, specializing in message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) or the data exchange protocol for IoT messaging.
The MQTT facilitates wireless communication via mobile application for the device. “The HandMATE has been specifically designed to address the extended healing period associated with hand rehabilitation, a process influenced by limited blood circulation,” RAD Tech said.
“By leveraging neuroplasticity, it aims to reestablish connections between nerve cells, restore lost motor skills, and meticulously monitor the healing progress, thereby contributing to an enhanced quality of life for post-stroke patients,” the team said.
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of our nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections after a stroke or other types of traumatic brain injuries, according to the National Library of Medicine.
While no large-scale trial of the prototype has been conducted, Patrimonio said they tested it on a senior citizen upon the advice of experts, who evaluated their study. They also spoke with medical professionals and other stroke patients to get their feedback.
T.I.P. Quezon City submitted “HandMATE” for competition at the 2023 BPI-DOST Innovation Awards last December where it won “Best Project of the Year.” The team expressed willingness to work with other collaborators to further improve and build upon their project.