More than 70% of people experiencing stroke suffer upper-limb dysfunction, which can significantly limit independence in daily life. The growing strain on national healthcare resources, coupled with the rising demand for personalised, home-based rehabilitation, along with increased familiarity with digital technologies, has set the stage for developing an advanced therapeutics system consisting of a wearable solution aimed at complementing current stroke rehabilitation to enhance recovery outcomes.
Very long-term friend and supporter of ARNI, Professor Cherry Kilbride , and her colleagues, have developed an advanced prototype integrating electromyography smart sensors, functional electrical stimulation, and virtual reality technologies in a closed-loop system that is capable of supporting personalised recovery journeys.
The outcome; Nura, is a more engaging and accessible rehabilitation experience, designed and evaluated through the participation of stroke survivors. It features a comfortable sleeve with embedded fabric electrodes and a detachable “puck” that delivers FES to the arm muscles to aid in rehabilitation. The device is controlled by a companion tablet app that provides gamified exercises to motivate users and features simple, one-touch controls for FES intensity adjustment.
Key Features:
Wearable Sleeve: A comfortable sleeve with fabric electrodes that are integrated directly into the fabric, avoiding skin irritation.
“Puck” Controller: A detachable electronic component that houses the technology, including the microcontroller, which delivers the FES to the arm.
Gamified Rehabilitation: The device works with a tablet or Virtual Reality (VR) application, offering gamified exercises to enhance user engagement and motivation during rehabilitation.
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES): Nura uses FES to stimulate arm muscles for wrist extension, ulnar, and radial deviation, helping to prevent muscle wastage.
User-Friendly Controls: The system allows for one-touch adjustment of FES intensity through the companion app, making it intuitive to use.
Biomedical Integration: The technology incorporates electromyography (EMG) sensors, which measure electrical activity in the muscles, and is designed to be integrated with existing rehabilitation and healthcare systems.
Targeted Audience: The Nura FES device is developed with stroke survivors in mind, especially those with cognitive impairments, providing a user-friendly and engaging way to regain strength and function.
2 Comments
Super to hear from you again Edna! Very long time no speak! I do hope you’re well? Re your question; I’ll ask Cherry for an update and let you know, ok?! Tom
where can i buy a Nura Fes please.