How the Hand, Arm, Leg and 3D Tutor System Assists the TBI Patient

Inpatient rehabilitation is designed to help a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patient improve function after a moderate to severe TBI event. Amongst other problems faced by the patient are those of a physical nature i.e. loss of strength, coordination and movement. Most TBI rehabilitation inpatients participate in physical therapy and occupational therapy in an individual or group format.
One of the professionals that is assigned to the patient is a physical therapist (PT). The PT will help the patient improve physical function and mobility. The PT’s role is to teach the patient to be as physically independent and as safe as possible within the environment. This is accomplished through therapeutic exercises and re-education of muscles and nerves with the goal of restoring normal function. Specific goals to be accomplished in the physical therapy gym include strengthening muscles and improving endurance, walking and balance.
The other professional that will be involved is an Occupatonal Therapist (OT). The OT provides training in activities of daily living to help the patient become become more independent. The OT will work with the patient to improve strength, balance and trunk control amongst other skills. These therapists will also teach exercises that strengthen muscles used in speech and swallowing.
After inpatient rehabilitation, when the patient has shown sufficient improvement to leave the hospital, the question arises as to how rehabilitation will continue. This may become a problem for those patients that are well enough to be at home but not well enough to travel for therapy. At times an outpatient clinic may be found that is not too far from the patient’s home.
Luckily a solution exists that solves many, if not all, of these issues. Called the TUTOR system it is a set of devices (HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR, 3DTUTOR) that have been recently developed to be used in physical rehabilitation of TBI patients both inpatient and outpatient and at home via telerehabilitation. The TUTORS can help the patient regain strength, movement and coordination of their affected limbs. Guided by a professional physical therapist the TBI patient will have a brace or glove attached to an appropriate area of his body and begin to “play” games on an attached computer which has dedicated software geared to improving the various muscles and limbs of the patient. In addition the progress made by the patient is then monitored and recorded so as to customize future sessions where further progress is achieved.
The TUTORS are currently in use in leading U.S. and foreign hospitals and clinics and are available for children as young as 4 years of age. The TUTORS are FDA and CE certified. See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for further information.