HANDS ASSESMENT AND TREATMENT SYSTEM

Project Information

HATS

Grant agreement ID: DE3208

Start date

End date

Funded under

• Specific programme of research and technological development and demonstration in the area of telematic applications of common interest, 1994-1998

Total cost € 0,00

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

REHAB ROBOTICS LTD.
United Kingdom

Exploitable results

HAND ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT SYSTEM; HATS

Significant numbers of patients with hand and wrist injuries are treated daily within the European Community. Common cases treated include fractures, crush injuries, hands cut by glass and stabbings and rheumatics following surgery to the hand. The majority of existing tools present problems, even to the most experienced hand therapist, when attempting to obtain accurate repeatable measurements. In the main, these tools were not specifically designed for recording accurate measurements of the hands and obtaining reliable data with them is very difficult. The Hand Assessment and Treatment System (HATS) eliminates many of the anomalies of existing tools through the development of superior automatic data acquisition hand assessment tools and provision of a touch screen computer system offering data collection and storage facilities. The HATS system consists of a portable Data Collection Unit incorporating five electronic instruments for the measurement of movement ranges, oedema and grip strengths of the hand. HATS provides a more accurate and time effective computer-assisted hand assessment procedure, reducing by up to 50% the current time it takes to acquire and log the hand assessment measurements. By improving the technical specification, data acquisition and analysis capabilities of the tools currently available to therapists in the treatment of hand and wrist injury patients, HATS make significant advances with regard to the quality of patient treatment in this field. This significant time-saving allows therapists increased scope and time to practice their skilled professional judgement and specialist knowledge in the treatment of their patients. The HATS system consists of a portable Data Collection Unit, incorporating five electronic instruments for the measurement of movement ranges, oedema and grip strengths of the hand. The Data Collection Unit is controlled by a touch screen computer, which can record, display and store patient identity and demographic details, qualitative assessment findings and instrumental measurements.