News Desk, News Nation 360 : By speeding recovery and improving patient outcomes, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has created a novel robotic hand exoskeleton based on the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that will revolutionise stroke rehabilitation and post-stroke therapy. This invention is the outcome of 15 years of intense research by Prof. Ashish Dutta of IIT Kanpur's Department of Mechanical Engineering, with assistance from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The BCI-based robotic hand exoskeleton revolutionizes the process of rehabilitation after a stroke by actively involving the patient's brain in treatment. This exciting device integrates a Brain-Computer Interface that records EEG signals captured from the motor cortex with the robotic hand exoskeleton, coupled with smart software. The patients undergoing therapy are made to perform hand movements, and their brain signals are analyzed to activate the exoskeleton in an "assist-as-required" mode. Thus, it ensures that there is synchronized movement between the brain, muscles, and the device. It surpasses traditional physiotherapy by including the brain in the recovery process, thereby enhancing recovery speed and effectiveness. Piloted clinical trials performed in India and the UK show amazing results in which patients plateauing were restored significantly. Recovery from a stroke is very potent if initiated within the first year; this device has also proven effective after the critical timeframe of a year. With large-scale clinical trials currently in process, this groundbreaking technology, therefore, promises much in enhancing recovery for stroke survivors and back to fuller life, faster, and more effectively than ever. Speaking about the innovation, Prof. Ashish Dutta stated that recovery from a stroke is a drawn-out and frequently unpredictable process. To trigger brain plasticity—the brain's capacity to alter its structure and function in response to stimuli—their gadget combines physical therapy, brain engagement, and visual input to create a closed-loop control system. For patients whose rehabilitation has stalled, this is particularly important since it gives them new hope for improvement and mobility. They are confident that this gadget will have a big impact on the field of neurorehabilitation because it has shown encouraging results in both India and the UK.
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