Systems and methods for affecting metabolism, such as the treatment of metabolic syndrome are disclosed. A method for treating metabolic syndrome can include one or more of the steps including identifying a region of the patient comprising glabrous tissue; positioning the region of the patient comprising glabrous tissue into an enclosed chamber; adjusting the relative humidity of the enclosed chamber sufficient to create a physiologic metabolic effect; and activating a convection fan within the chamber to promote heat transfer from the glabrous tissue. The method need not involve altering the temperature within the enclosed chamber.

The present invention relates to apparatus for stabilisation of tremors, both physiological and pathological, of parts of the body, especially the hands. We describe an apparatus for reducing effects of tremors on an area of the human body, the apparatus comprising a gyroscope device and an attachment assembly for attachment of the gyroscope device to a location on the human body in the area, wherein the attachment assembly provides a substantially inelastic attachment to the location and comprises a gyroscope mount. The gyroscope mount comprises a substantially stiff first plate having a shape adapted to substantially correspond with a shape of the human body in the location. In preferred embodiments, the attachment assembly further comprises a second plate mountable to the body such that a clamping force is appliable between the first plate and the second plate.

A walking assist device has a frame, a plurality of wheels, drive units, a battery, and a drive control unit that controls the drive units. The walking assist device also has: a pair of right and left movable handles that are grasped by a user and movable back and forth with respect to the frame in accordance with arm swing performed during walk of the user; handle guide units provided on the frame to guide the movable handles in a movable range that matches the arm swing performed during walk of the user; and a grasp portion state detection unit that detects the state of the movable handles. The drive control unit controls the travel speed of the walking assist device by controlling the drive units on the basis of the state of the movable handles which is detected using the grasp portion state detection unit.

Disclosed herein is a massage device configured to provide a squeezing pressure. The massage device may include an elastically extensible and bendable connector element and at least two rolling massage elements. A portion of the elastically extensible and bendable connector element and the at least two rolling massage elements form a massaging zone configured to receive one or more body parts. The body parts may include feet, forearms, and the like. Accordingly, the massage device may provide relief for specific conditions such as plantar fasciitis and carpel tunnel syndrome.

A device for upper-limb rehabilitation, which assists a user in exercising the arm for rehabilitation, has a connector, a placing unit movably connected to the connector, and a driving unit configured to move the connector, wherein when a user places the arm on the placing unit and moves the placing unit, the driving unit is operated to move the connector along the placing unit, so as to enlarge a work space in which the user is capable of moving the arm.

A power assistive device for hand rehabilitation that provides training of a combined movement of finger flexion-extension and forearm supination-pronation to a user. The power assistive device includes a hand brace and a base. The hand brace includes finger assemblies that adjustably connect to a platform, actuators that connect to the finger assemblies, and strain gauge sensors that connect to the finger assemblies and detect force signals generated by movement of the finger assemblies. The base removably connects to the hand brace and includes a forearm support, a C-shaped ring that includes C-shaped tracks formed along an inner circumferential surface of the C-shaped ring, a rotatable platform that moves along the C-shaped tracks, a mounting platform that connects to the rotatable platform, and an electromyography (EMG) sensor that attaches to the forearm of the user and senses EMG signals generated by movement of the hand of the user.

A multi-point acupressure method includes selecting a set of therapeutic locations on a subject's body according to one or more therapeutic selection parameters, applying an acupressure device to each of therapeutic location from the set of therapeutic locations, wherein the set of therapeutic locations includes one or more bi-horary therapeutic locations, and the bi-horary therapeutic locations.

A method and apparatus for the treatment of, and reduction of inflammation caused by, carpal tunnel syndrome.

An electromechanical manipulandum device, comprising: a drive system comprising a plurality of electrical motors; an arm driveable by the drive system and having three degrees-of-freedom of motion; a capstan transmission for transmitting actuating force from the drive system to the arm; an end-effector coupled to the arm, the end-effector configured to engage a user and having at least three degrees-of-freedom of rotational motion; and a control system for controlling the drive system such as to provide a force to the end-effector in a selected direction.

An apparatus for treatment of a patient using vibrotactile multi-channel stimulation includes: (1) multiple vibratory stimulators; (2) multiple fastening mechanisms to secure respective ones of the vibratory stimulators to respective parts of a hand of the patient; and (3) a controller connected to the vibratory stimulators to direct operation of the vibratory stimulators.