Our RAAD Design
Our device will help Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients maintain elements of their muscle strength and range of motion, while also preventing joint tightening and painful muscle cramps. Slowing down the rate of degeneration is key and has a major influence on the survival rate of the patient. The design team’s goal is to develop a device that will increase patients’ motor neuron recruitment in order to prevent the wasting away of muscles and extension of life expectancy. The design enables the elbow to move with one degree of freedom along the vertical plane by the use of a motor to work the biceps and triceps. The device performs a lateral raise to work the deltoids as well. The motors will be controlled via Force Sensing Resistors. Once the sensor is activated by the applied force, the device will aid the patient’s arm in lifting. To move the arm down, the patient will activate bottom sensors and to move the arm up, the patient will activate top sensors that will be placed on the wrist cuff and the cuff directly above the elbows. The patient will be doing a small amount of work and the remaining work will be done by the motors. There will be voice activation for patients that are too weak to activate the device themselves. The design is compact and not bulky resulting in a low weight on the patient’s arm.
Finalized Design of Arm and Electrical Box
Manufactured Design
Shown below is the current progress made on the design: the aluminum frame and gearing ratio.
The images below show our final Pro-E model:
Preliminary Pro-E Design:
The benefit will be for the patient who is using this device to maintain their muscle strength and range of motion. This device is specifically for patients with muscle atrophy. They will be able to perform rehabilitation exercises in a convenient environment and do not need to travel to a remote location. This device can be used in homes and hospitals. It is small, non-bulky and can be easily stored in a closet. The device can be effortlessly used on patients of different height and weight ranges as it does not need to be individually tailored to a specific person. Using this device will help spinal muscular atrophy patients maintain their current weight by increasing muscle innervations and therefore will increase their life expectancy.