An Investigation on the Properties of Magneto Rheological Fluids for Assisting Upper Limb Movement Disorders on ADL

Movement disorders (MD) include a group of neurological disorders that involve neuromotor systems. MD can result in several abnormalities ranging from the almost inability to move, to severe constant and excessive movements. The limitations however, can in most of the known diseases affect the speed, quality and easiness of movement. Tremor is a widespread, potentially disabling symptom that occurs with a diversity of neurological conditions and has great impact on the quality of life of people suffering from this disease, particularly in the activities of the daily living (ADL). In this paper it is discussed the possibility of using Magneto Rheological Fluids (MRFs) in the design of smart orthoses to suppress tremor, based on the concept of mechanical loading, for patients suffering from upper limb movement disorders. The first part of the paper concentrates on background to tremor, current state of the art and the second part presents a preliminary study being carried out under a European project to evaluate MRFs suitability for the development of ambulatory tremor suppression orthoses.