KUANTAN: Researchers from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) have invented a Wrist Rehabilitation Device (WREHAB) which will help to reduce the duration of physiotherapy for patients.
Idris Mat Sahat of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering who began the research in 2014 introduced the device along with the faculty’s Human Engineering Group (HEG) team consisting of Dr Mohd Azrul Hisyam Mohd Adib, Dr Saiful Anwar Che Ghani, Associate Professor Dr Wan Sharuzi Wan Harun, Dr Zakri Ghazalli and Zulkifli Ahmad @Manap.
Idris said the innovation will help physiotherapists perform wrist rehabilitation or exercises on patients especially stroke patients and those undergoing other therapy for the wrist.
He said the job of a physiotherapist will now become much easier and more patients could be treated at the same time. Patients could also do the physiotherapy at home, especially those living far from rehabilitation centres or have transport problems.
“The product’s speed, angle, stretching time and the type of exercise including finger exercises can be adjusted. The other features of the device is it comes in three languages, namely English, Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia, so that users will easily understand the instructions,” he said when met today.
Idris said the product had been introduced to those in the industry and it could help to minimise treatment time, and maximise its usage.
“For example, patients only need to set the type of rehabilitation exercise and it takes between 30 and 60 minutes for each session. During the session, the physiotherapist can also continue to attend other patients,” he said.
Idris said the user-friendly device was innovated through detailed research since 2014 along with guidance from a private physiotherapist Narimah Daud. To date there were five prototypes.
“We received a grant from Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) under the Commercialisation of Research and Development Fund and were picked for the MTDC Symbiosis entrepreneur programme.
“We are also working closely with Medivice Plt so that the product can be promoted and sold abroad in future,” he said.