Adult stroke rehab isn't my speciality but, even with constraint therapy
(immobilizing the unaffected arm) a person with some movement and the
cognition to do it can regain function.  Not always to prestroke terms but,
the arm can become functional.  It's a lot of work for the person though.
This sounds promising and interesting.

Beth T.

Subject: Re: Emailing: Betterhumans > Robot Arm Built for Stroke Sufferers

Beth,=20

Are you saying that if an injury didn't make volitional and cognitive
control of muscles impossible, that use of this device would be possible at
any point after injury?  I'll try to get the article and send it to the list
(cut and paste)

>Robot Arm Built for Stroke Sufferers=20 Device aims to help them regain
>ability to reach and grasp=20 Betterhumans Staff=20
>4/27/2005 4:08 PM
=20

>A robot arm is being developed to help stroke sufferers regain the
ability >to reach and grasp objects.

>Biomedical engineer Jiping He and colleagues from Arizona State
University >and Kinetic Muscles, Inc. are developing the arm to reduce the
cost of >stroke rehabilitation.

>"This device is intended to provide cost-effective therapy to a wider
>population for a longer period of time for maximum recovery of motor
>function," says He of the arm, dubbed RUPERT I for Robotic Upper
Extremity >Repetitive Therapy.

>Research suggests that stroke survivors can regain significant use of
their >arms through repetitive motor function exercises. This physical
therapy, >however, can be expensive.=20

>RUPERT I is based on a model of the arm showing how much force is
needed >for normal movements. The model showed where to locate pneumatic
muscles >for proper therapy. Adjustable to accommodate different body shapes
and >sizes, the arm uses four pneumatic muscles and is movable at the
shoulder, >elbow and wrist.=20

>A prototype has already been fitted and tested on eight able-bodied
people >and two stroke survivors. Participants ranged from five-foot females
to >six-foot males.=20

>A second generation prototype called RUPERT II is now being developed
using >the results from the tests.=20

>Research on the robotic arm will be reported this summer in Chicago at
the >9th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics.

Kendall Corbett

An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress
depends on the unreasonable man.

-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

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