Sistema de asistencia para la rehabilitación o ejercitación de una mano.

Abstract

This research shows the development of a mechatronic system capable of exercising movements for some joints of the hand, which serves as support for rehabilitation tasks practiced by specialists in the field of physiotherapy, aimed directly at patients in a state of immobility prolonged as people in a coma or with hemiplegia. To fulfill this objective, the anatomical structure of the hand is studied in order to determine the parts of the body involved in the exercise movements, among which are the interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal joints, and the bone structure, studying their behavior and natural disposition. In addition to reporting on movements made in conventional motor rehabilitation therapies for the hand. This information is the basis for the start and development of the mechanism of the system that fulfills the purpose of automating the chosen process and also provides the possibility for the user to manipulate options of type of movement and number of repetitions of the same programmed, by means of a user interface - machine, which controls the start and development of the same. Through the use of a low cost LCD touch screen, with an intuitive and easy to use menu. Likewise, the design parameters that are taken into account for the final construction of a low cost compact prototype, easy to replicate and totally recyclable that meets the objective of achieving movements of flexion and extension of a finger of the hand, exercising the distal, medial and proximal interphalangeal joints of the selected finger; and movements of extension of the wrist of the hand separately or simultaneously with series of alternating movements. The results obtained were evaluated by specialists in the area of physiotherapy which gave a positive concept of the developed system, guaranteeing the fulfillment of the proposed objective and the usefulness of the use of the device in motor rehabilitation therapies for the fingers of the hand.