SaskInvents Hand Rehabilitation Project
Who we are
SaskInvent is a multidisciplinary student organization at the University of Saskatchewan. Established in 2014, SaskInvent has grown to become a well-established group at the University, with dedicated lab space, and over 40 committed members. SaskInvent brings together students from engineering, the biomedical sciences, health sciences, computer science, and business in order to create a multidisciplinary environment. We create an atmosphere that promotes entrepreneurship, innovative creations, and applied learning.
What we do
It is our aim to design, develop, and manufacture biomedical devices and technologies. The majority of our projects are either rehabilitative or assistive in nature, though we also partake in biomedical research projects. All projects come from needs of those in our community, and are chosen based upon their potential positive impact, feasibility, and likelihood of uptake and integration into the current system.
Hand Rehabilitation Project Outline
The Hand Rehabilitation Glove is a device that assists stretching of hand tendons back to normal length. The glove targets patients who have suffered tendon injuries in their forearms and hands. Surgery to reattach and repair these tendons often leaves them shorter than their normal length, and consequently, a patient’s hand is restricted to an open position. Even if there is minimal damage to the muscles, the now shorter and tighter tendons make the closing of a hand often impossible without assistance. The glove is aimed to assist in closing a person’s hand by providing measurable, slow pressure on the backs of fingers using inflatable silicone tubes to assist the recovery of tendon length and functional independence.
This Repository
This repository holds code used for the Arduino micro controller that manages all the low level electronics required for the hand rehabilitation project.