How a hi-tech knitted glove could treat swollen hands trends now
A high-tech knitted glove has been engineered to treat hand oedema — swelling of the fingers and hands caused by a build up of fluid.
The massaging KnitDema glove is made from a yarn with thread-like springs woven through it.
These wrap around a finger and, once activated by a mild electric current, expand and contract sequentially, which shunts excess fluid out of it.
In a recent U.S. trial with five patients, the glove reduced fluid in the hands by up to 10 per cent after one 30-minute session, the journal Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems reported last month.
The gloves were developed for chronic hand oedema. While the hands can often swell temporarily as a result of hot weather, for instance, or of being sedentary, for thousands of people it is a chronic problem, causing pain and restricting joint mobility.
The massaging KnitDema glove is made from a yarn with thread-like springs woven through it
The condition can result from a physical injury or be a complication of hand surgery. This is because the body's natural response is to send fluid to an affected area to start the healing process, and this fluid can then build up.
Hand oedema can also be a symptom of thyroid, liver or kidney diseases, as these can disrupt the body's natural fluid balance mechanisms.
