Design of 3D printed customisable post-stroke rehabilitation devices to provide a high-quality user experience

Abstract

Cerebrovascular Accidents, also referred to as strokes, are one of the leading causes for disabilities in the world. Hence rehabilitation devices have been introduced to post-stroke rehabilitation programs to facilitate the therapists’ work and assist the patient. The popularity of 3D printing in the healthcare industry has also increased due to its high customisability benefits. Therefore, the primary objective of this project was to analyse the design of 3D printed customisable rehabilitation device which provides a high-quality User Experience (UX) for post-stroke patients. This was carried out by selecting an off-the-shelf device as a case-study and follow the design cycle to improve it through AM. A literature review of previous studies regarding rehabilitation devices with a user-centred approach was carried out. A comprehensive review and comparison was also conducted to grasp a critical understanding of the strengths and limitations each of the selected state-of-the-art rehabilitation devices and their User Experience. By following the design cycle, the Problem Analysis was carried out by gathering data from observations of a demonstration by physiotherapists and a study conducted with occupational therapists. This allowed for a better understanding of the user and functional requirements as well as assisted in the prioritizing of the technical parameters necessary for the creation of the Product Design Specification. The Solution Synthesis presents an iterative process used to develop concept solutions of rehabilitation devices. The most suitable concept was selected as the provisional design for the following design stage. This design was modified and improved by designing it for AM and User Experience. The developed design was simulated, and 3D printed to realise the product’s characteristics in the form of a functional prototypes. In the Evaluation phase the 3D printed device was also evaluated with typical stakeholders to assess the User Experience. The results prove that 3D printing is an improved means of manufacturing to obtain a customised post-stroke rehabilitation device with high-quality User Experience when compared to off-the-shelf products. There is still a lot of research required to continue exploiting the benefits of AM in rehabilitation devices such as through multi-material 3D printing.