Hand-Held Apparatus for Stroke Rehabilitation

Abstract

A hand-held hand exercise apparatus capable of being used for stroke rehabilitation can include a foam body, a knotted strip of elastic material, and structure embedded in the body. The body can be configured to be held and compressed by a user's hand. The knotted strip can form inner and outer loops. The embedded structure can extend through the inner loop to at least partially connect the knotted strip to the body. The outer loop can be outside of the body. A user holding the body can have their finger extend through the outer loop to restrict the body from being dropped.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus configured to be used for exercising a user's hand for stroke rehabilitation, the apparatus comprising:
 an elastic, polymeric foam body configured to be held and compressed by a user's hand;   a knotted strip of elastic material defining a plurality of loops comprising:
 an inner loop extending at least partially around an inner opening, and 
 an outer loop extending at least partially around an outer opening; and 
   at least one structure embedded in the body and extending through the inner opening to at least partially connect the knotted strip to the body;   wherein at least a portion of the outer loop is outside of the body and configured to have at least one finger of the user's hand extend through the outer loop while the body is in opposing face-to-face configuration with a front of the user's hand to restrict the body from being dropped by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one structure extends through a portion of the inner loop that is positioned in a cut in the body. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the knotted strip is a knotted rubber band. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a dimension defined between opposite sides of the body is at least about 1 inch. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a dimension defined between opposite sides of the body is at least about 3 inches. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one structure comprises wire. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the wire is a substantially straight piece of wire. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus configured to be used for exercising a user's hand for stroke rehabilitation, the apparatus comprising:
 a body comprising elastic material and configured to be held and compressed by a user's hand for stroke rehabilitation; and   a retainer configured to restrict the body from being dropped by the user's hand, the retainer comprising:
 an inner portion connected to the body, and 
 an outer portion connected to the inner portion and comprising a receptacle, wherein at least a portion of the receptacle is positioned outwardly from the body, and the receptacle is configured to fit snugly on a finger of the user's hand while the body is in opposing face-to-face configuration with a front of the user's hand to restrict the body from being dropped by the user. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the retainer comprises a knotted strip of material defining a plurality of loops. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the retainer comprises at least one strip of material defining a plurality of openings;   an opening of the plurality of openings is the receptacle of the outer portion.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the inner portion is at least partially positioned in an interior space of the body; and   the outer portion is at least partially positioned outside of the interior space of the body.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the body comprises polymeric foam. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the body is a polymeric foam body. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the body comprises sponge. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the body is a sponge body. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the inner portion of the retainer extends into a hole in the body. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein a dimension defined between opposite sides of the body is at least about 3 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the inner portion comprises a receptacle; and   the apparatus comprises at least one structure embedded in the body and extending into the receptacle of the inner portion to at least partially connect the inner portion to the body.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one structure comprises a substantially straight piece of wire. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 the retainer comprises a knotted strip of elastic material that defines a plurality of loops;   the receptacle of the inner portion is an opening at least partially defined by a loop of the plurality of loops; and   the receptacle of the outer portion is an opening at least partially defined by a loop of the plurality of loops.