HandTutor Important Tool in Physiotherapy by Telerehabilitation

Fereshteh Ghasemi of Payame Noor University,Tehran, Iran discusses the topic of
Telerehabilitation or E-rehabilitation. It is the delivery of rehabilitation services over telecom
networks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 650 million people with
disabilities worldwide; these statistics drive the need for a more applicable Telehealthcare Systems. This
research aims to provide a design description of a novel multilateral telerehabilitation system for patients with
diminished hand function that need minimum interaction between patient and therapist. The proposed
configuration consists of the Central Intelligent System (CIS) including multi-function modules in a
homepage for patients in a physiotherapy office, and a Hand Rehabilitation System including a Robot, Motion
Analysis Module or the HANDTUTOR in the patient’s home. This system works with a
diagnostic feedback from a Hand Rehabilitation System to the Central Intelligent System (CIS). The patient affixes
sensors on his hand and proceeds with daily activity. Data transmitted by WSN will be analyzed by the Motion
Analysis Module in order to diagnose the latest degree of recovery. Information is fed back automatically
to the CIS through the network. An appropriate program corresponding to the information will be
prepared by CIS and transmitted into the robot. After doing exercises by the system, joint angles are measured
and sent to the CIS again to diagnose the level of patient recovery. Cost of care using this configuration is
reduced significantly.
In the case of the HANDTUTOR no robots are used because they inhibit the patient from using his own power to develop normal mobility. The telerehabilitation system allows a live OT or PT to monitor the therapy sessions via the HANDTUTOR system as the patient maneuvers through the dedicated software on his computer.
The HANDTUTOR and its sister devices ( ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR) have been developed to teach children and adults how to reuse their joints after hand and wrist injuries such as trauma or stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, CP, MS, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and a host of other serious debilitating diseases that affect hand, wrist and arm movement ability. These can be treated with the HANDTUTOR and the ARMTUTOR. The unique and successful devices use a dedicated software that utilizes games to enhance and improve the patient’s functional movement ability by motivating the patient to do intensive movement practice which is the key element in an occupational and physical therapist’s treatment of movement impairments. The games, such as, Car Race, Snowball, Catch The Ball, Sky Defender and others captivate and motivate the child and even the adult to excel and thereby to improve their range of motion and general use of the hand or wrist. The TUTORS use tele rehabilitation for those patients that are home bound or who have recovered sufficiently to get their treatment at home. Leading U.S. and foreign hospitals and outpatient clinics now use the devices which can treat adults as well. See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.