Innovative Digital Pinch Strength Acquisition System Based on Flexible Pressure Sensors for Stroke Patients

In the rehabilitation assessment of stroke patients, pinch strength serves as a critical indicator of hand functional recovery. Quantifying pinch strength enhances the objectivity of the evaluation process. Existing devices, however, are often bulky and lack full data recording capabilities, thereby limiting post-hoc analysis. This study develops a low-cost FSR-based system integrating pinch strength acquisition, transmission, storage, and analysis. A compensation algorithm targeting FSR creep and repeatability issues contributed to a reduction in the mean error from 0.97% to 0.34%. Stability tests showed improved performance: the coefficient of variation decreased from 0.665% to 0.332%, and the force range narrowed from 1.675 N to 0.615 N. This cost-effective system enables reliable real-time monitoring and longitudinal tracking of hand recovery in clinical stroke rehabilitation