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Harvest of awards at Geneva's Invention Expo Special Merit Award and Gold Medal Rehabilitation Sleeve – An FES-robotic Hybrid System

Principal Investigator: Dr Hu Xiaoling,
Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering

Dr Hu Xiaoling (third from right) and her winning invention

Dr Hu Xiaoling (right) and her winning invention (left)

Partial paralysis of the upper limb is common after stroke, and therapeutic intervention is crucial in improving the recovery of elbow, wrist, hand and finger function. PolyU has thus developed a wearable Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) robotic system for interactive yet comfortable arm rehabilitation among post-stroke patients.

Comprising modular apparel and a bracing system, the Rehab Sleeve facilitates elbow and wrist joint movement through electrical motors. It enhances neuroplasticity and recovery by inducing additional muscular practice in the upper limbs through electrical stimulation.

Preliminary results have shown that electrical stimulation training can accelerate the recovery of patients’ arm functioning by 30-40% more than conventional training.