Swedish firm unveils electric rehab suit

The Mollii garment is said to provide an alternative to painful treatments and surgery by treating the body with electrical stimulation to ease tension and spasms, resulting in reduced pain perception and increased mobility.

The idea originated with Fredrik Lundqvist, a Swedish chiropractor who worked on the rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients. Lundqvist struck upon the idea of sewing electrical stimuli – similar to TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) electrodes – into garments that the patient can wear.

He turned to Johan Gawell and Jonas Wistrand, researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology’s Department of Machine Design, who produced a prototype and are working on the development of Mollii.

Designed with ordinary swimsuit material, the body suit has conductive elastic sewn into it, with electrodes located at the major muscles.

Battery-powered light current is conducted via silver wires to 58 electrodes attached to the inside of the garment, which in turn stimulate as many as distinct 42 muscles, according to the patient’s needs. Batteries are placed in a small control box fitted at the waistband.