10_Device Concepts (event date: 9/9/15)

Each member of the group has been drawing concept sketches of our device to help visualize what it might look like.  This has helped us to see some of the initial design constraints and problems we might run into.  Tomorrow morning though, we are going to meet again with Anita at the PT school to discuss other aspects/problems that we’ll need to overcome from the PT trainer/patient perspective.

Figure A shows a possible hand attachment, which if the wires are able to contract/loosen, could perhaps relieve hypertonia related to a stroke victims hand.  Similar to the David sculpture (by Michelangelo), many stroke patients’ hands contract inwards with there fingers clenching as well. Routing rings serve to guid the contracting wires across the hand’s contours keeping wire from rubbing a patient’s hand. 

Figure A: Concept Design of "Hypertonia-Combatting Device" Hand Attachments (Background Sculpture is David by Michelangelo)

We’re unsure if the hand device and arm device should be part of one system, so in this image, I just drew a potential hand device battery&power circuit housing (the arm device would likely have its circuit and battery housing near the shoulder or maybe in a backpack).

Figure B: Concept of “Hypertonia Combatting Device” Complete Hand Rig (Background Sculpture is David by Michelangelo)