Katsuragi,
Nara Prefecture--Nara Medical University has teamed up with sock
manufacturer and seller Mikasa Inc. to develop gloves designed for
patients with Parkinson's disease and athletes to strengthen their
finger muscles.
The handwear is woven in such a way that its back
side tapers so that the wearer's fingers are constantly pulled. These
allow end users to unconsciously improve their manual functions through
the movements of daily life
A team of university researchers wore
the gloves for five days as an experiment on people suffering from
Parkinson's disease, characterized by muscle stiffness and other
conditions. They were then compared to those who did not wear gloves.
While
no muscle improvement was reported for non-handgear wearers, grip
strength and other indicators increased in glove wearers. The ability of
the wearer's fingers to pinch objects is apparently dramatically
increased, esp.
According to scientists, the longer patients wear the gloves, the more their muscle strength increases.
"We
wanted to create something to improve patients' quality of life," said
Tomu Mano, an associate professor of rehabilitation medicine at the
university, who is part of the team.
Patients usually undergo
rehabilitation programs to restore their hand function, such as gripping
balls and other types of training. Such activities are different from
those required in daily life.
Wearable training devices are mostly made of metal, so donning them usually makes patients feel uncomfortable, unlike gloves.
Based
in Yokohama, Mikasa developed the brainchild of his works at Katsuragi.
A special technology of Shima Seki Mfg. Ltd. in Wakayama has been
adopted to produce seamless gloves with full garment flat knitting
machines.
Mikasa is applying for permission to market the gloves as a Category III medical equipment manufacturer and retailer.
Upgrades
are being added. Mikasa is in talks with a thread wholesaler to
increase the air permeability and other properties of handwear.
"I
am deeply impressed that my product is proving to be helpful for people
suffering from illness or injury," said Koichi Yamamoto, a Mikasa
official involved in making the gloves.
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