Transforming Physical Therapy: A Wearable Device for Skeletal Muscle Mechano-therapy

Barnett, Nelson; Ferro, Angela; Bhatti, Aman; Forsyth, Lilarose; Tam, Stephanie

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Transforming Physical Therapy: A Wearable Device for Skeletal Muscle Mechano-therapy

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Volumetric muscle loss is a life-altering, traumatically- or surgically-induced loss of skeletal muscle with extremely high incidence in military personnel. Muscle atrophy, the shrinkage of skeletal muscle caused by prolonged periods of inactivity and age, affects the general population and among 25-90% of Intensive Care Unit patients. The purpose of this project is to create a wearable device that conducts passive skeletal muscle mechano-therapy for these patients. Currently, there are no available devices that accomplish these goals. Alternate treatment tools require significant time and effort from the patient and are not universally accessible. The team pursued two pneumatic systems and one mechanical system to apply cyclic compression therapy to the calf. The devices are comfortable, non-invasive, and execute mechanical compressions on the affected area to promote proper proliferation of skeletal muscle cells. By assessing these criteria through testing, the pneumatic device with a hard backing ranked the highest overall. However, the other devices accomplish cyclic compression and outranked this device in certain applications. These devices are to be used alongside traditional treatment methods, such as physical therapy, to passively stimulate skeletal muscle and improve treatment outcomes.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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