I-Corps: 3D Printed Smart Hand Orthosis

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a rapidly customizable, 3D printed, powered hand orthosis to help stroke survivors regain their manual dexterity and independence. Stroke is a debilitating, life-changing event. Part of the brain dies, and the mind-body connection is lost.

Stroke survivors experience problems such as lack of hand control, including difficulties grasping and opening, and instability. These problems leave them dependent on others for some of the most basic tasks. Current medical devices are inadequate.

The devices come in limited sizes and either prevent motion or constrain the hand to unnatural movement. A custom-sized orthosis could mitigate all these problems, providing a better fit and more effective recovery. Automating the customization process may reduce the risk of design/fitting/fabrication error by the orthotist, as well as the need for a skilled technician, in addition to time and monetary costs.

The proposed technology may benefit the orthotics industry, making custom assistive devices more accessible to patients and enabling them to reach new levels of independence.

This I-Corps project is based on the development of a rapidly customizable, 3D printed, powered hand orthosis. Prior to design, anatomical data was analyzed to determine mathematical relationships between hand length and width and individual joint and bone positions. The intellectual merit of this innovation involves several key components including a smart computer aided design (CAD) package based on the anatomical relationships to generate custom size part files that can be rapidly 3D printed, reducing the need for a skilled orthosis technician.

In addition, flexible joints will enable multiaxial mobility. An active, intelligent control will provide the needed assistance for users to perform activities of daily living independently. Currently, a preliminary CAD package and orthosis prototype have been developed.

The primary design challenge remaining is how to fit the entire actuation system within the anthropometric envelope without sacrificing assistive capabilities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.