Among the many miracles that many people take for granted, the human hand may rank near the top. Most of use use our hands thousands of times a day, often without even thinking about it. But when you lose the use of a hand, simple tasks such as brushing your teeth or drinking from a glass can become insurmountable challenges.
Neofect is a company that makes a range of products to help patients with rehabilitation after neurological or musculoskeletal injuries. Many of these use gamification to enhance patient engagement so that they can continue their rehab exercises at home. At CES 2019, the company introduced a new product; the NeoMano is a three-fingered robotic glove. It is designed to provide grasping strength to patients who have lost partial or complete control of their hand.
By pressing a button on a wireless Bluetooth controller, the wearer can cause the glove to grip. Titanium wires act like metal tendons to move the fingers, driven by a small electric motor. Press the button again and the grip relaxes. A battery pack provides up to eight hours of continuous use.
The NeoMano makes it possible for patients to hold a fork, turn the pages of a book, hold a pen, grasp a door handle, or any number of daily activities that are essential parts of independent living.
My son suffered a stroke almost 18 years ago at age 12. Is it possible to help him still? He is an amazing man, I would do anything for him.
Dionne, I am not an expert in stroke rehabilitation. My recommendation would be to contact the company mentioned in the article and see what they have to suggest. They will know better than I what might be best. It is certainly possible that this glove could give him some control of his hand at this point. And he’s lucky to have a mother like you!
All the best,
Alfred Poor
Editor
I relly hope this is not yet another”Rip off”!! People who have had a stroke,or who are trying to help loved ones who have,really dont need the extra stress!!
Theresa, as with any product that is crowd-funded and has not shipped yet, there is always the risk that it will never come to market. I am not in a position to vouch for the company or its product as I have not seen one in person, but this clearly is a product that has the potential to help people compensate for a physical impairment. I encourage you to remain skeptical; you might be most comfortable waiting until it actually ships. They say it will ship in June of this year, so you might not have to wait too long.
All the best,
Alfred Poor
Editor