Design and test of home base system for rehabilitation of movement

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Current trends in rehabilitation of NHS patients suffering from neurological injuries such as stroke and spinal cord injury are to reduce load on trained personal and to increase the use of technology. This should reduce the overall costs and at the same time provide longer and more intense therapy. Prolonged intense therapy would lead to a better recovery. While recovery walking has been in the main focus of rehabilitation, there is no technologically advanced solutions for hand rehabilitation that do not require medically trained personnel and can be used outside the hospital. Improving hand function of a partially paralysed person is a key factor for improving their independence and the overall quality of life. The aim of this project is to design a portable, inexpensive and user-friendly system for home based neurorehabilitation of hand. The system is based on brain computer interface (BCI) technology and multichannel functional electrical stimulator, which communicate through a computer tablet. A starting point of the project will be the existing technical solution, a wearable wireless EEG device (Epoch, Emotiv) and multipurpose functional electrical stimulator. The student will design a system that is based on the existing technology but is specifically designed for home based therapy which relies on non-professional users. The project will in all phases be informed by patents and clinicians from the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Glasgow.A PhD candidate will have a comprehensive support from the supervisory team in the area of BCI technology, clinical research, product design and human factors throughout the project.