Rehabilitating Stroke Patients
From: R&D Magazine - September 2004 - page 44

The leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. is the more than 750,000
strokes occurring each year and with the aging population, this number is
likely to increase. Research has shown that continued recovery of functional
skills in these stroke patients occurs with active repetitive motion therapy
protocols. A research team headed by James Koeneman, President of Kinetic
Muscles, Inc. in Tempe, AZ, have developed the KMI Hand Mentor, a
cost-effective, safe device that improves upper extremity motor function. 

The device provides a coordinated motion of the hand and wrist that is
triggered by the patient’s performance through biofeedback of muscle
activation, muscle spasticity, and active function through light emitting
diodes (LEDs) and a vacuum fluorescent display provided to the patient.
Extensor muscle activation is measured through surface electromyographic
recordings. Self-powered wrist and finger range of motion provide a benchmark
comparison of the patient’s progress. Its low cost also allows this tool to
be available for home use, rather than the clinical environment required of
competitive robotic devices. 

While currently targeted at stroke patients, the Hand Mentor can also be used
for patients with traumatic brain injuries, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, and
spinal cord injuries.  

More info: http://www.kineticmuscles.com