Blood Flow Enhancement for DVT Prevention Through Active Ankle Exercises Using a Soft Robotic Wearable Device

This letter describes experiments conducted to evaluate the validity of load application in active ankle exercises and its effect on blood flow improvement using a soft robotic wearable device with a hyper-extension pneumatic actuator. This study aims to develop a rehabilitation device that assists passive ankle movements and applies a load in active ankle exercises, thereby offering an alternative to physiotherapist-led treatments for the effective prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Although previous studies have demonstrated the contribution of passive ankle movements to improved blood circulation, there is limited research on a soft robotic wearable device for DVT prevention that can apply load in active ankle exercises are limited. This study proposes two methods for applying load in active ankle exercises using a previously developed soft robotic wearable device. Experimental results indicate that the proposed methods considerably improve blood flow. Consequently, the proposed rehabilitation device can potentially complement or replace physiotherapist-led treatments for the effective improvement of blood circulation.