Medical Solution Company Specializes in Stroke Rehab

NEOFECT, a member of K-ICT Born2Global Centre and developer of medical devices and software for people who have has strokes or are suffering from neurological or musculoskeletal conditions, has announced that it will receive an Innovation Award at CES 2018 for its RAPAEL Smart Pegboard, a rehabilitation device designed for stroke patients' hands and arms. This is the second consecutive Innovation Award for the company. It also got one last year for its RAPAEL Smart Glove, a rehabilitation device for the hands, wrists, and lower arms of stroke patients.

The main feature of NEOFECT's RAPAEL series is its use of games, according to the announcement. NEOFECT has introduced a game-based element to its devices to make rehabilitation activities more entertaining and effective. The company's most recent release is the RAPAEL smart pegboard, which is a digital version of the traditional wooden pegboard, the company said. With this device, the patient engages in rehabilitative training by grasping and placing wooden pegs into a board. The purpose of pegboard training is to enhance hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, cognitive ability, space perception, and concentration.

The 63 high-luminance LEDs installed on the board light up to show the user where to place the pegs. To have patients make shapes, the lights create the shape of a heart or arrow, among others. The device also provides audio feedback through a speaker embedded in the board that notifies the user of his or her progress through sound effects and voice.

“My father and uncle both died from stroke. In both cases, it was very difficult to have to just stand by and watch them suffer,” said Ban Ho-young, CEO, NEOFECT. “During those experiences, I noticed the lack of rehabilitation methods available for patients who have lost most of their motor abilities and began thinking about how to resolve that problem.”

NEOFECT reportedly is currently developing a rehabilitation solution that involves the use of AI and IoT. Ban said, "Big data is the key. We will be thoroughly analyzing the movements that enable patients to recover their neurological functions more quickly."