Hand-Worn Device for Stroke Survivors

In the context of the NSF Convergence accelerator, I redesigned a hand-worn vibrating device that reduces painful muscle contractions, a phenomenon known as spasticity, in stroke survivors. Through a series of twelve interviews with patients and their caregivers, I determined that the key features for the device to be worn regularly were ease of donning/doffing, overall comfort and bulkniess, and washability.

The final design (shown above) had a long strap secured with a buckle that allowed patients to tighten the glove with one hand, and included pictograms to indicate how it should be put on. The electronics were all included on a single flexible PCB that is completely encased in the glove and uses wireless charging. The PCB can be easily removed from the palm piece so the cover can be washed.