Design and Development of a Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor System for Hand Function Monitoring in Rehabilitation

Handgrip pressure is a crucial biomechanical indicator, reflecting limb strength and vertebral bone fracture risk. This study introduces a non-invasive Smart Grip strength measurement system utilizing a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor. The device quantifies grip pressure exerted by volunteers in various postures through FBG wavelength shift analysis. Demonstrating a sensitivity of 1.32 pm/με, the system measures grip pressures ranging from 6 to 131 kPa across different hand positions. Tested on 20 volunteers aged 18-25, the maximum recorded grip pressure is 131.9 kPa in the arm-dangled position. The FBG-based Smart Grip system provides a precise and efficient method for handgrip strength assessment, valuable for clinical rehabilitation. The novelty of this work lies in the integration of a single FBG-based Smart Grip system for dual applications such as (1) real-time posture-dependent grip strength monitoring and (2) progressive assessment of bone fracture healing.