Experimental and computational analysis and testing of wearable hand tremor control orthoses.

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Title: Experimental and computational analysis and testing of wearable hand tremor control orthoses.
Authors: Shah, Manthan1 (AUTHOR), Goode, Dylan1 (AUTHOR), Mohammadi, Hadi1 (AUTHOR) hadi.mohammadi@ubc.ca
Source: Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology. Apr2026, Vol. 50 Issue 3, p264-277. 14p.
Subjects: Tremor, Passive components, Neurodegeneration, Biomechanics, Ergonomics, Orthopedic apparatus
Abstract: Hand tremors are among the most prevalent neurodegenerative movement disorders, causing involuntary upper-limb oscillations that significantly impair patients' quality of life. While medications and therapy provide limited relief, wearable tremor suppression devices offer a promising non-invasive alternative. A hand tremor absorber, typically passive or active, is designed to counteract involuntary shaking through mechanical or electronic means. The importance of the proposed design lies in its ability to deliver high-performance, multi-axial tremor suppression without motors, power sources, or restrictive bracing, addressing critical gaps in comfort, wearability, and real-world usability that limit existing solutions. This paper presents the analysis and optimisation of a novel passive, omnidirectional hand tremor absorber that achieves substantial amplitude reduction while preserving natural hand motion. Using a full-scale mannequin arm tremor simulator and MATLAB-based parametric modelling (MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA), key design parameters were optimised across the clinically relevant 3–7 Hz frequency range. Results demonstrate up to 79% unidirectional and 73% omnidirectional tremor suppression. A compact, donut-shaped orthosis integrating dual perpendicular absorbers was developed to effectively dampen complex, multi-directional tremors, achieving ∼75% reduction in severe cases with a total device weight of only 330 g. By combining passive operation, lightweight ergonomics, and multi-axis efficacy, this design offers a practical, patient-centered solution that overcomes the bulk, cost, and invasiveness of current alternatives. Future work will validate these results in human trials to assess real-world impact on functional independence and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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DbLabel: Engineering Source
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Experimental and computational analysis and testing of wearable hand tremor control orthoses.
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  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shah%2C+Manthan%22">Shah, Manthan</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Goode%2C+Dylan%22">Goode, Dylan</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mohammadi%2C+Hadi%22">Mohammadi, Hadi</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> hadi.mohammadi@ubc.ca</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Medical+Engineering+%26+Technology%22">Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 50 Issue 3, p264-277. 14p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tremor%22">Tremor</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Passive+components%22">Passive components</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Neurodegeneration%22">Neurodegeneration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biomechanics%22">Biomechanics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ergonomics%22">Ergonomics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Orthopedic+apparatus%22">Orthopedic apparatus</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Hand tremors are among the most prevalent neurodegenerative movement disorders, causing involuntary upper-limb oscillations that significantly impair patients' quality of life. While medications and therapy provide limited relief, wearable tremor suppression devices offer a promising non-invasive alternative. A hand tremor absorber, typically passive or active, is designed to counteract involuntary shaking through mechanical or electronic means. The importance of the proposed design lies in its ability to deliver high-performance, multi-axial tremor suppression without motors, power sources, or restrictive bracing, addressing critical gaps in comfort, wearability, and real-world usability that limit existing solutions. This paper presents the analysis and optimisation of a novel passive, omnidirectional hand tremor absorber that achieves substantial amplitude reduction while preserving natural hand motion. Using a full-scale mannequin arm tremor simulator and MATLAB-based parametric modelling (MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA), key design parameters were optimised across the clinically relevant 3–7 Hz frequency range. Results demonstrate up to 79% unidirectional and 73% omnidirectional tremor suppression. A compact, donut-shaped orthosis integrating dual perpendicular absorbers was developed to effectively dampen complex, multi-directional tremors, achieving ∼75% reduction in severe cases with a total device weight of only 330 g. By combining passive operation, lightweight ergonomics, and multi-axis efficacy, this design offers a practical, patient-centered solution that overcomes the bulk, cost, and invasiveness of current alternatives. Future work will validate these results in human trials to assess real-world impact on functional independence and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03091902.2025.2593410
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 264
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Tremor
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Passive components
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Neurodegeneration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biomechanics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ergonomics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Orthopedic apparatus
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Experimental and computational analysis and testing of wearable hand tremor control orthoses.
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            NameFull: Shah, Manthan
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            NameFull: Goode, Dylan
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            NameFull: Mohammadi, Hadi
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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