Functional Assessment of a Flexible Thermal Stimulation Device for Hand Edema Elimination in Stroke Survivors

Stroke survivors often suffer from severe discomfort caused by persistent hand edema, including hand pain, restricted knuckle mobility, and negative emotions, which significantly hinders normal rehabilitation progress. Whether physical or psychological in impact, the prevention and treatment of hand edema warrant significant attention throughout all stages of stroke rehabilitation. However, traditional rehabilitation therapies generally neglect edema management, focusing primarily on motor function recovery. Consequently, this study introduces the TESSR (ThErmal Stimulation device for Stroke Rehabilitation), a novel apparatus designed to promote hand rehabilitation for stroke survivors. TESSR is equipped with a flexible stimulation array comprising 50 independently controlled stimulation units, each capable of rapid heating and cooling transitions as well as delivering sustained and stable thermal outputs. This alternating thermal stimulation (TS) is designed to alleviate edema and activate the sensory cortex, thereby facilitating neuroplasticity. A controlled clinical study was conducted with 12 stroke survivors to assess the effectiveness of the TESSR device. The participants were divided into two groups: one receiving conventional rehabilitation (CR group) and the other receiving supplementary TS conducted by the TESSR device (TS group). Following a two-week intervention, the TS group exhibited a notable reduction in hand edema, with a mean decrease of 38.6%, compared to the minimal improvement observed in the CR group. Furthermore, participants in the TS group demonstrated improved hand function, including enhanced sensory perception and diminished pain. The findings demonstrate the potential of TESSR as a comprehensive and effective tool for hand rehabilitation.