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.

明尼阿波利斯适应性设计与工程(MADE)项目最近开发了人体工程学 轮椅使用链驱动系统将手环放置在符合人体工程学的位置，同时保持 后驱动轮位于后方，可提供稳定的支撑底座。我们符合人体工程学的轮椅前手 轮圈定位允许更有效地沿着手轮圈的较长弧长推动，而不需要 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传动允许个性化的传动比，以适应每一台轮椅 用户的需求；但是，我们还没有研究这一功能。因此，这项拟议工作的目标是 目的是(1)探讨不同传动方案对老年轮椅使用者稳态的影响 推进效率，以及(2)开发一种多速度人体工程学轮椅，允许较低的档位 在困难的情况下(开始运动，在地毯上移动)和更高的齿轮以保持稳定- 平面上的状态运动。 我们将招募18名患有SCI/D的退伍军人参与人体工程学轮椅的交叉研究 具有三种传动比(3：2(低)、1：1(正常)和2：3(高))。我们将使用两种测量方法 评估效率的方法：(1)以焦耳为单位移动轮椅所做的工作 (J)，以及(2)退伍军人移动能量所消耗的能量(大卡：千卡) 轮椅。类似于汽车每加仑汽油的里程数，我们将计算每加仑汽油行驶的里程数(米) 能源单位(m/J和m/千卡)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，传动比(更高的m/J)将比更低的传动比(H2)更有效 对于倾斜的地形，传动比(较高的m/J)将比较高的传动比(H3)较低的传动比更有效 对于铺着地毯的地形，传动比将比更高的传动比更有效(更高的m/J)，以及(H4)退伍军人 在6MPT期间，在坚硬的地形上移动轮椅将更有效率(更高的米/千卡) 当使用较高的传动比与较低的传动比时。除了稳态措施外， 我们还将探讨齿轮传动对推进启动的影响，并预计较低的齿轮传动比将 对所有地形的启动都是有利的。 然后，我们将招募12名退伍军人来尝试一种新的多速人体工程学轮椅，它有两个手环 每侧--一个在低档，另一个在高档。拟议的系统不需要 手动或电动换挡。取而代之的是，老兵可以使用低档来启动 移动，然后通过简单地推动另一只手的轮缘来“在飞行中转移”。退伍军人将回到 实验室并在设计不断改进时提供反馈。量与质 将收集数据以确定此方法的可行性，并促进 符合人体工程学的多速轮椅。 在整个项目中，我们的团队将与退伍军人管理局的技术转移计划和 TechLink Center为这项工作寻找行业合作伙伴。我们的团队已经证明了有能力 将康复产品开发成商业许可产品。我们将遵循一个类似的舞台大门 在这个开发项目中的过程，以最大限度地增加我们成功将 模块化多速符合人体工程学的轮椅。