Resources

Therapeutic Force-Feedback Device Design One company was developing a small force-sensitive physical therapy device aimed at tracking a patient's recovery progress after a specific medical event. Their mission was to empower patients on their journey to recovery by providing an innovative, user...

Background Many rheumatologists perform joint assessments by manually exerting pressure on an area with their thumb or two index fingers to elicit a response. It is generally assumed that fingers will "blanch" at around 4 kg/cm 2 of force, which is then used as a benchmark for the physician to...

Force Feedback Glove as Rehabilitation Solution Background: Over the past few years the World Health Organization has been nearing its goal to eliminate Hansen disease1 (also known as leprosy). Since most research and efforts related to the disease have been focused on prevention and discovering a...

Optimize Medical Device Functionality Challenge Manufacturers and researchers continuously strive to validate or improve efficiency and accuracy of medical devices and precision tools. Whether evaluating the effectiveness of a surgical apparatus or ensuring the fit of a health-monitoring device...

Smart Ambulatory Device designed with FlexiForce™ Sensors Background: According to the present edition of World Population Ageing, globally, the number of older adults (aged 60 or above) is expected to more than double from 841 million people in 2013 to more than 2 billion in 2050. This increase...

FlexiForce™ Sensors Improve Hand Rehabilitation Device In 2013, a group of bioengineers and rheumatoid specialists in Cagliari, Italy designed a low-cost medical device that monitors the hand rehabilitation of patients diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Sclerosis (SS). The device...

Speech Pathologists Track Progression of Patient’s Speech Therapy with FlexiForce™ Traditionally, speech pathologists evaluate the health of orofacial muscles by asking a patient to contract their tongue against an imposed object, such as a gloved finger. In recent years, pathologists have sought...

Tactile Feedback in Surgical Applications In recent years, robots have become an increasingly viable part of minimally invasive surgery. They offer improved range of motion in laparoscopic techniques. The drawback has been that robots have lacked the sense of touch, or haptic feedback, that is so...