Flint Rehabilitations Devices Debuts Interactive Rehab Glove

Irvine, Calif.-based Flint Rehabilitation Devices has introduced the MusicGlove, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved hand rehabilitation device that uses music and gaming to provide therapy. The device is intended for those recovering from a stroke or other neurological or muscular injuries.

The device features a sensorized glove that tracks a user’s hand movements. This allows them to play the included therapy-based game by completing specific movements along with scrolling notes displayed on a touch screen console that are timed to the rhythm of upbeat songs (similar to the video game Guitar Hero).

The device comes with a suite of products to facilitate use, including a 10-inch tablet for home use or a 21-inch monitor for clinic use, headphones, connection cables and a user manual. Patients do not need a prescription for its use.

“Engaging with music offers a form of therapy that will keep users motivated to continue their rehabilitation regimen, and facilitates a user’s hand’s ability to recover after a stroke,” said Nizan Friedman, Ph.D., president and co-founder of Flint Rehabilitation Devices. “As music is naturally highly repetitive, people using MusicGlove typically make over 2,000 movements in a 45 minute session. In rehab, the number of repetitions is one of the most important factors for regaining hand function. Users involved in clinical studies with the device love MusicGlove and are laughing, singing along, and enjoying the experience while seeing measurable results in a short period of time.”

The device requires minimum intervention from a therapist while users play the game, so clinics can provide more intensive group therapy without increasing staff. MusicGlove also records quantitative data that allows therapists to set goals for their patients and track functional improvements over time.

Results of a randomized controlled trial of MusicGlove with individuals with stroke published in the “Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation” showed that people using MusicGlove had greater improvements in hand function than people doing conventional hand exercises after only two weeks. Users reported regaining the ability to open doorknobs, type on a keyboard, wash dishes, use silverware, bathe and wash themselves, and use the restroom independently after exercising with the device.

“Options for hand therapy are typically limited to using things like play-dough, rubber bands or simply following a handout of exercises,” said David Reinkensmeyer, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering at the University of California in Irvine. “People lose motivation to do these exercises and do not recover to their full potential. With MusicGlove, they can have fun with their therapy while receiving quantitative feedback on their performance. This makes it easy for them to stick to their regimen, and when users get better in the game, they are actually improving their hand function.”