The AGAPAY Project team, led by Dr. Nilo Bugtai, has completed a rehabilitation device prototype for Filipino post-stroke patients.

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), the research team, composed of biomedical engineers from De La Salle University  and rehabilitation experts from University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital, created two robotic exoskeleton prototypes with a biofeedback mechanism for rehabilitation of post-stroke and injured patients by assisting motor movements in the shoulder, arm, and hand.

The biomedical devices, which were 3D-printed, offers a cost effective solution to production and works by utilizing a real-time biofeedback system which records neuromuscular activity using surface electromyography (sEMG).

During an interdisciplinary research symposium last 16 August at De La Salle University Manila, , the AGAPAY team demonstrated how the upper limb prototype mimicked the 7 degrees of mobility found in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists of patients, showing its potential use for physical therapy and rehabilitation.

AGAPAY Project’s arm prototype is demonstrated to the audience by going through the motions of mobility in seven different degrees; three movements for the shoulder, two for the elbow, and two movements for the wrist.

The second part of the demonstration showcased the lightweight, portable, and kinematic 3d-printed hand prototype model that aids mobility via a cable system.

With the completion of the first phase, the AGAPAY project will start its second phase this October, conducting safety testing and preclinical trials until August 2018, and eventually move forward with clinical trials and manufacturing for its third and fourth phases, respectively.