An Innovative Approach towards Incorporating the End User to the NMES Wearable System Development

This work presents a portable and customized wearable system design towards applying Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) to tetraplegics' upper limbs patients, from creation to production, with users' participation into the design process. The rehabilitation system protocol for reach and grasp movements developed by an academic research group, currently applied to patients, has already proven to be effective. However, the current system and recently published researches, demonstrate proposals distancing from those who will use and manipulate it, with limitations and failures evidenced. The propose wearable system integrates electrodes and electronic components activated by a stnartphone app to improve the performance of upper limb movements and optimize the system, making it more functional for your users. The methodology includes (1) Design Thinking process, (2) Parametric Design process and three dimensional production, (3) Reduction of the electronic circuits, (4) Development of Android application for setting NMES protocols and (5) Workbench tests and users experimentation. The methodology in this new approach of development proved to be feasible and effective. Results have shown that including the end users and health professionals in the design process to develop wearable system is a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of the NMES systems.