Design and Simulation of a Soft Robotic Device for Muscle Rehabilitation and Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy

Previous works have shown the efficacy of mechanical stimulation by applying pressure and vibration on muscle rehabilitation. Additionally, a temperature increase can improve both muscle performance and blood circulation during therapies. These modalities of treatment are commonly applied separately in patients with moderate disuse-induced muscle atrophy. In this paper, we propose the design of a novel medical device that synergistically integrates the function of i) elastomeric pneumatic actuators to apply focused orthogonal pressure, ii) vibratory motors to generate localized vibration and iii) carbon fibre heaters for a temperature increase. In particular, computational simulations were performed to characterize the mechanical behaviour of different pneumatic actuator geometries and their predicted advantages in comparison to previous designs. The integration of the three functionalities of the device and preliminary simulations results showcase its potential for improving therapy efficacy, while also being compact, lightweight, and comfortable, which would ease its implementation in rehabilitation programs.Clinical relevance - Disuse-induced muscle atrophy and related cardiovascular problems can lead to physical impairment and significantly affect patient independence. The surge in the number of hospitalized and bedridden patients related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) brings about a predicted increase in the incidence of myopathies and muscle weakness. To attend the growing demand, technological aids for more efficient physical therapies will need to be developed.