AUTOMATED TRAINER FOR INTERACTIVE STROKE THERAPY

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are over 700,000 new stroke victims in the U.S. annually. Many of the valuable therapeutic procedures used today are restricted to training sessions which require the direct supervision of the therapist. New delivery systems are needed to help transfer this training from the clinic to the unsupervised outpatient. The objective of this project is to produce a handheld, automated delivery system which will provide "near clinic level" training to the unassisted outpatient. This new generation trainer will utilize the multidisciplinary combination of neurotherapy and electronics technology to provide a powerful new delivery system that will combine the benefits of both Goal-Directed and Constraint-Induced therapy. The user can benefit from training sessions that are more focused and meaningful. Therapeutic practice time can be increased from minutes to hours per day. It will have no age limitations or language barriers. Using an imbedded controller, the trainer will measure response time and precision of hand movement as the user reaches to touch randomly illuminated targets. A unique application of proximity sensitive touch bars will make it possible to employ a noninvasive method for achieving Constraint-Induced Therapy. Training sessions will be continuously optimized as the trainer monitors patient performance and automatically adjusts the target size and the level of challenge to match the user's capabilities. A digital display will provide user feedback by displaying past and present scores. A chime will reward the user for good performance. A high intensity LED will supplement audible annunciations for the hearing impaired. User performance data will be continuously averaged and stored in memory for therapist evaluation. The system will utilize an IR data link to download performance scores and user practice time to a PDA. The PDA will permit the therapist to display or print long term performance data in a tabular or graphic format. Commercial Application: The trainer has potential for both social and economic benefits in terms of better patient outcome, an improved quality of life, and a better sense of well being. This trainer will empower the therapist with a new level of therapeutic tool for the treatment of stroke survivors. It will be priced to accommodate the individual user as well as the institution.