Multi-speed Ergonomic Wheelchair

多速人体工学轮椅

• 批准号: 10641410
• 负责人: Andrew H. Hansen
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: MINNEAPOLIS VA MEDICAL CENTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-04-01 至 2026-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10641410
• 关键词: Activities of Daily Living; American; Back; Carpet; Couples; Cross-Over Studies; Cumulative Trauma Disorders; Data; Development; Engineering; Equilibrium; Feedback; Frequencies; Future; Hand; Individual; Injury; Laboratories; Lead; Length; Licensing; Manual wheelchair; Manuals; Marketing; Measurement; Measures; Movement; Positioning Attribute; Process; Rehabilitation therapy; Risk; Shoulder; Shoulder Pain; Side; Speed; Stroke; Surface; System; Technology Transfer; Testing; Transportation; Travel; Upper Extremity; Veterans; Wheelchair propulsion; Wheelchairs; Work; base; commercialization; design; ergonomics; grasp; improved; individual patient; industry partner; meter; pain reduction; prevent; programs; recruit

The Minneapolis Adaptive Design & Engineering (MADE) Program has recently developed ergonomic wheelchairs that use a chain drive system to place the hand rims in an ergonomic position while keeping the rear drive wheels posterior for a stable base of support. Our ergonomic wheelchair’s forward hand rim positioning allows for a more efficient push along a longer arc length of the hand rims, without sacrificing wheelchair stability or shoulder ergonomics. The ergonomic wheelchair’s chain drive allows for individualized gear ratios to suit each wheelchair user’s needs; however, we have not yet studied this feature. Thus, the objectives of this proposed work are to (1) explore the effect of different gearing options on Veteran wheelchair user steady-state propulsion efficiency, and (2) develop a multi-speed ergonomic wheelchair allowing for lower gears during difficult situations (initiating movements, moving over carpeting) and higher gears for steady- state movements on flat surfaces. We will recruit 18 Veterans with SCI/D to participate in a cross-over study of the ergonomic wheelchair with three gear ratios (3:2 (low), 1:1 (normal), and 2:3 (high)). We will use two measurement approaches to assess efficiency: (1) work done at the pushrim hubs to move the wheelchair in Joules (J), and (2) the measurement of energy (kCal: kilocalories) expended by the Veteran to move the wheelchair. Similar to miles per gallon in a car, we will calculate distances traveled in meters (m) per energy units (m/J and m/kCal) as our measures of efficiency. We hypothesize that (H1) Higher gear ratios will be more efficient (higher m/J) on hard level terrain than lower gear ratios, (H2) Lower gear ratios will be more efficient (higher m/J) for inclined terrain than higher gear ratios, (H3) Lower gear ratios will be more efficient (higher m/J) for carpeted terrain than higher gear ratios, and (H4) Veterans will be more efficient (higher m/kCal) in moving the wheelchair during the 6MPT on hard level terrain when using higher gear ratios compared with lower gear ratios. In addition to steady-state measures, we will also explore the effects of gearing on propulsion initiation and expect lower gear ratios will be beneficial for initiation on all terrains. We will then recruit 12 Veterans to try a new multi-speed ergonomic wheelchair that has two hand rims per side – one in a lower gear and the other in a higher gear. The proposed system does not require manual or electric shifting between gears. Instead, the Veteran can use the lower gear to initiate movements and then “shift on the fly” by simply pushing on the other hand rim. Veterans will return to the laboratory and provide feedback as the design is iteratively improved. Quantitative and qualitative data will be captured to determine feasibility of this approach and to promote commercialization of the multi-speed ergonomic wheelchair. Throughout the project, our team will work closely with VA’s Technology Transfer Program and the TechLink Center to find an industry partner for this work. Our team has demonstrated the ability to develop rehabilitation products into commercially licensed products. We will follow a similar stage-gate process in this development project to maximize our chances for successful commercialization of the modular multi-speed ergonomic wheelchair.

明尼阿波利斯自适应设计与工程 (MADE) 计划最近开发了符合人体工程学的 使用链条驱动系统将手轮放置在符合人体工程学的位置的轮椅，同时保持 后驱动轮位于后方，提供稳定的支撑基础。我们符合人体工学的轮椅的前手 边缘定位允许沿着手边缘的较长弧长更有效地推动，而无需 牺牲轮椅稳定性或肩部人体工程学。 符合人体工程学的轮椅的链条传动可实现个性化的齿​​轮比，以适合每台轮椅 用户的需求；然而，我们还没有研究这个功能。因此，这项拟议工作的目标 (1) 探索不同的传动选项对资深轮椅使用者稳态的影响 推进效率，以及 (2) 开发一种多速人体工程学轮椅，允许较低的档位 在困难的情况下（开始运动、在地毯上移动）和更高的档位以实现稳定 状态在平面上的运动。 我们将招募 18 名 SCI/D 退伍军人参加人体工学轮椅的交叉研究 具有三种传动比（3:2（低）、1:1（正常）和 2:3（高））。我们将使用两个测量 评估效率的方法：(1) 在推轮中心​​移动轮椅所做的功（以焦耳为单位） (J)，以及 (2) 退伍军人移动身体所消耗的能量（kCal：千卡）的测量值 轮椅。与汽车每加仑行驶的英里数类似，我们将以米 (m) 为单位计算每加仑行驶的距离 能量单位（m/J 和 m/kCal）作为我们的效率衡量标准。我们假设 (H1) 更高的档位 在坚硬的地形上，比较低的齿轮比更有效（更高的 m/J），(H2) 较低的齿轮 对于倾斜地形，比较高的齿轮比更有效（更高的 m/J），(H3) 较低的齿轮 对于地毯地形，比更高的齿轮比更有效（更高的 m/J），并且 (H4) 退伍军人 在 6MPT 硬地地形上移动轮椅时会更有效（更高的 m/kCal） 与使用较低齿轮比相比，使用较高齿轮比时。除了稳态措施外， 我们还将探讨传动装置对推进启动的影响，并预计较低的传动比将 有利于在所有地形上启动。 然后，我们将招募 12 名退伍军人来尝试一款具有两个手轮的新型多速人体工学轮椅 每侧 – 一侧处于较低档位，另一侧处于较高档位。所提议的系统不需要 档位之间手动或电动换档。相反，退伍军人可以使用较低的档位来启动 移动，然后只需推动另一只手的边缘即可“即时换档”。退伍军人将重返 实验室并在设计迭代改进时提供反馈。定量和定性 将捕获数据以确定该方法的可行性并促进该方法的商业化 多速人体工学轮椅。 在整个项目中，我们的团队将与 VA 的技术转让计划和 TechLink 中心将为这项工作寻找行业合作伙伴。我们的团队已经证明有能力 将康复产品开发为商业许可产品。我们将遵循类似的阶段门 在此开发项目中，最大限度地提高我们成功商业化的机会 模块化多速人体工学轮椅。