Hand tremor suppression device for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease

J Med Eng Technol. 2020 May;44(4):190-197. doi: 10.1080/03091902.2020.1759708. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Abstract

In this study, a wearable device is developed as a mechanical treatment to suppress hand tremors in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). The biodynamic modelling of the human hand was done by considering the hand as a primary mass-spring-damper system. Dual passive vibration absorbers have been designed to match the frequencies of tremors. The performance assessment of the device was performed using the temporal response of hand tremors. The results showed that the device reduced the amplitude of the angular movement of the wrist by 57.25%. The device fabricated in the form of a bracelet was easy to wear by PwPD when needed.

Keywords: Parkinson disease; biodynamic modelling; hand tremor; passive vibration absorber; wearable devices.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Equipment Design
  • Hand*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Biological
  • Movement
  • Parkinson Disease / therapy*
  • Tremor / therapy*
  • Vibration
  • Wearable Electronic Devices*
  • Wrist