A new soft-robotic wearable uses electronics and shape-memory alloy actuators to reduce hand oedema without clinic visits.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed EdemaFlex, an electronics-enabled soft-robotic glove that uses dozens of tiny actuators to relieve hand swelling associated with oedema, with promising results from early home-use trials.
At the core of the system is a network of 37 shape-memory alloy (SMA) actuators woven into a textile glove. These actuators are controlled by a small printed circuit board that sequentially compresses from the fingertips toward the wrist, encouraging fluid movement out of swollen tissue. The compression pattern, duration and intensity can be tuned via software, giving the device a degree of personalisation typically found in clinical therapy equipment.
In a small study involving seven participants with medically diagnosed hand oedema, the glove proved safe for unsupervised use at home. Most users experienced moderate reductions in hand volume and circumference after a 30-minute session, with one user showing a decrease of up to 25%. The comfort and ease of use were also highlighted, since patients could wear the device much like an ordinary glove and avoid frequent visits to a therapist’s office.
EdemaFlex builds on previous wearable soft robotics work from the same team, such as KnitDema, which used SMA actuators to relieve swelling in individual fingers. Tomas Kao, lead designer and associate professor of human-centred design, says the project integrates electronic control with advanced textiles to bring wearable health devices closer to everyday, practical use. Clinicians collaborated on actuator patterning and feedback to help ensure the pressure applied doesn’t disrupt underlying lymphatic or vascular systems.
A key technological step was a software platform that translates hand measurements into knitting instructions for the customised actuator layout. Clinicians fit an initial prototype, send data back to the lab, and receive a refined glove tailored to the patient’s hand shape and swelling pattern. The researchers have filed for patent protection and published a detailed methodology in npj Flexible Electronics. Although still early in development, EdemaFlex illustrates how embedded electronics and soft robotics can advance therapeutic wearables by merging hardware, software and human anatomy into a compact, adaptive system.
