Motor Characterization of a Wearable Device to Manage Upper Extremity Lymphedema

Lymphedema is an incurable, progressive condition characterized by painful swelling that affects 140 to 200 million people worldwide [1,2]. The primary treatment for lymphedema is manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) massage combined with compression garments. MLD is performed by certified lymphedema therapists, which limits the frequency of treatment sessions and decreases patient independence. We have created a wearable device that uses vibration to mimic the patterns of MLD, with the long-term goal to enable at-home maintenance therapy between MLD sessions. In this study, the acceleration and frequency of our motors were tested and compared to vibratory, handheld massagers that have been combined clinically with MLD. Acceleration testing utilized an accelerometer placed in the center of an arm-mimicking tissue phantom, with a model of the current device placed on the outside. Data was collected at varying voltages and motor configurations, and frequency information was calculated in MATLAB using an FFT. The rms acceleration ranged from approximately 0.5 to 2 g and the frequency ranged from 70 to 180 Hz. The amplitude was comparable to a small clinical vibration tool and less than a large clinical vibration tool; the frequencies were comparable across all devices.