On the second day of Christmas life science gave to me…New robotic gloves

We’ve created our very own 12 days of Christmas for the life science sector. Via news brands Medical Plastics News, Digital Health Age and European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer we’ll be looking back on 2015 in festive form

On the second day of Christmas life science gave to me…

…new robotic gloves and devices for cardiology

Soft, wearable robotics expert, Conor Walsh and his team, spent much of 2015 developing a glove that could help people suffering from loss of hand motor control to regain some of their independence.

The glove, which was being developed at the Wyss Institute could one day be an assistive device used for grasping objects, and help patients suffering from muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), incomplete spinal cord injury, or other hand impairments to regain some daily independence and control of their environment.

The Wyss Institute said it took a translational approach in its process by including the glove's potential end users in every step of testing and development.

Conor Walsh, a Wyss Institute core faculty member, founder of the Harvard Biodesign Lab, and assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at SEAS, said: "From the start of this project, we've focused on understanding the real–world challenges facing these patients by visiting them in their homes to perform research."

Wyss mechanical engineer, Kevin Galloway, Ph.D., said: "Ultimately, patients have to be comfortable with wearing the glove. In addition to glove function, we found that people cared about its appearance, which could have a big impact on whether or not the glove would be a welcome part of their daily routine."

Meanwhile, back in Britain, researchers at the University of Hertfordshire and a team of European partners developed a prototype of a robotic glove which stroke sufferers can use in their own home to support rehabilitation and personal independence in receiving therapies.

The team has developed two prototype robotic gloves, which facilitate repetitive movement and exercise of the hand and wrist. The device also records the patient’s performance and sends this to a therapist for tailoring treatment remotely and arranging follow-up.