May 17, 2005 -- At an age when most students are declaring their majors, Benjamin Courchia, a YC junior, is giving new hope to stroke victims through a device of his own invention. The mechanical tool, which Mr. Courchia calls Finger's Smile, may help stroke rehab patients recover the full range of flexing motion in their hands. During a research internship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, the 19-year-old from Marseilles, France, accompanied Dr. Jean-Michel Gracies, assistant professor of neurology at Mount Sinai, on his rounds to assess the recovery of stroke victims. Mr. Courchia noticed that while patients were working on their flexor muscles, which enable fingers to bend, they were not sufficiently exercising their extensors, which allow fingers to extend. After consulting with Dr. Gracies about various solutions to train the finger extensors, he set his mind to making a practical tool that corresponded to one of the concepts they had discussed. Back in France on a vacation, Mr. Courchia used his father's tools to build a prototype using Velcro, fishing line, rubber bands, and beads (from his sister's necklace). Patients use the device by listing one finger to stretch the rubber band and repeat this movement as an exercise to increase the flexibility and extension of their fingers. The stretched rubber band also enables doctors to measure the amplitude of the movement and thus assess patients' recovery. "Benjamin manufactured a novel training tool that may prove a great adjunct to the techniques currently used in neuro-rehabilitation," said Dr. Gracies. Mr. Courchia noted that the small scale and relative simplicity of the tool make it easy to use. "It is targeted toward people using it at home on a daily basis, without a computer," he said. Mr. Courchia, who aspires to a surgical career, has applied for a small grant to make 10 or 15 Finger's Smile devices for use in the neurology and rehab departments to access a larger pool of patients. First, Dr. Donald J. Weisz, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, is redrawing the device to improve the design; then the hospital machinist will increase its resistance and refine its appearance. Afterwards, Mr. Courchia plans to apply for a bigger grant to sponsor a wider study. "The hospital has already seen progress in the patients using the device; people are enthusiastic about it and expect great things," he said. And why did he name the device 'Finger's Smile'? "In the hope that it will bring a smile to patients' faces," Mr. Courchia said.