Of 150,000 people in the UK who have a stroke each year, about 60 percent with moderate to severe strokes fail to recover useful function of their arm and hand. Scientists at the University of Southampton are looking to help patients recover, and have developed a wearable technology for the purpose.

Led by Professor Jane Burridge, the team is working on a wireless sleeve, which will provide automatic, intelligent information about muscle movement and strength while patients practice every-day tasks at home.

Inside the sleeve, there are mechanomyography (MMG) microphone-like sensors that detect the vibration of a muscle when it contracts, and inertial measurement units (IMU), comprising tri-axial accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers that detect movement. Once captured, the data will be available on a tablet to enable patients to review their progress, while at the same time allowing therapists to tailor their rehabilitation programme.

A number of sensors inside the sleeve send data to a tablet to enable patients to review their progress.“Stroke rehabilitation is increasingly home-based, as patients are often discharged from hospital after only a few days. This policy encourages independence and avoids problems associated with prolonged hospital stays,” Professor Burridge said in a statement. “However, some patients struggle to carry out the exercises and they may question whether what they are doing is correct. Similarly therapists don’t have objective measurements about their patients’ muscle activity or ability to move. Rehabilitation technologies like our sleeve will address problems faced by both patients and therapists.”

The two-year project has been funded with a grant of just under £1 million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through its Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme and is a collaboration between the University of Southampton and Imperial College London, two medical technology consultancies — Maddison and Tactiq — and NHS Trusts in Bristol and Portsmouth.