1. Arm-Hand Robot "Armeo Power with Manova"
In conditions like stroke, spinal cord injuries, brain damage among the rehabilitation methods used to overcome function loss in the hands and arms; robotic rehabilitation in which robotic rehabilitation devices that benefit from virtual reality through the developing technology are leading the way.
Robotic Hand-Arm Rehabilitation is developed to overcome the limitedness’s of traditional rehabilitation and for the patient to have a more intense and correct physiotherapy program. Movements that are practiced with Robotic Hand-Arm Rehabilitation enable the recovery of disrupted signal flow between the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. With this treatment the muscles are strengthened, edema due to immobility is reduced and joint restriction is prevented. The most important and final aim is the person’s recovery of hand-arm functions by stimulating brain plasticity.
2. What is Armeo-Power?
With the robotic device, Armeo Power with Manova stroke patients can be taken into intense physiotherapy in the early period. Any patient in whose case paralysis due to brain damage is developed in the first month’s brain initiates its own healing mechanism, which means plasticity is high. In this precious period, a well-planned, target-driven intense rehabilitation is the key to the recovery of the highest level.
Armeo Power Hand-Arm Robot is a specially designed device for the realization of this target. Manova part of this device is especially beneficial for the development of the grapping function of the hand. Even though the first three months, are of high value for stroke (paralysis) rehabilitation, with extensive and intense rehabilitation even for the cases of stroke (paralysis) that have been months and years since the beginning of the disorder, functional recovery is possible.
3. Which deceases Armeo-Power is for?
- Brain disorders
- Traumatic injuries
- Paralysis-Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
4. What are the benefits of Arm-Hand Robot Armeo-Power?
- With the use of physiotherapy devices, the workload of physiotherapists is reduced. In this way, they can focus on the performance of the patient, evaluation of his movements, plan, and lead the therapies. This in the end makes the rehabilitation session more productive and more worthwhile.
- The device records the patients in session movements with its own sensors. It helps the recording of what extent a patient can accomplish a movement, how much help they need. This helps the treatment to focus on the most needed movement angles and directions.
- Armeo Power robotic device also includes an optional equipment for the improvement of the function of grapping. This optional device is called “Manova”. With Manova’s help, lying down and grapping abilities can be improved by giving the needed support from the shoulders and elbows. Besides specially designed computer games like virtual reality applications are also available for these exercises.
5. How Armeo-Power (Arm-Hand Robot) affects the patients?
In the Armeo-Power device, there are sensors that can sense when a patient can or can’t do a movement. Through this, the device helps the patient as much as they need.
While the device gives close to full support for the patients who can’t move their arms and hand at all, the device reduces the support it gives as the hand and arm function of the person develops. This support that is given according to the need, improves the patient’s participance and motivation for the treatment; it strongly stimulates the brain for its relearning of the movement. The movement is relearned in the intact tissue in the brain.
Armeo Power is the first robotic external skeleton that was put to use commercially for hand-arm rehabilitation. It is designed in a way to support three-dimensional exercises. Thus, it allows the practice of three-dimensional movements that are more meaningful for daily life than the additional specific (one-dimensional) movements.
The device can be used for both the right and the left hand. Movements can be made to the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. There are many game-like applications that are integrated into the device. Thus, while the patient is motivated to do the exercises, feedback can be received about his performance and the recording of his or her improvement can be done.
