Repositioning system for slouching posture self-correction by wheelchair users

用于轮椅使用者自我矫正弯腰姿势的重新定位系统

• 批准号: 506341-2016
• 负责人: Joseph, Alain
• 金额: $ 5.44万
• 依托单位: Nova Scotia Community College
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=641321
• 关键词: Repositioning; system; slouching; posture; self

The wheelchair is among the most recognizable forms of assistive technology, and arguably the mostimportant. Over 60% of Canadian wheelchair users are older adults, a demographic expected to double by theyear 2050, according to Statistics Canada. Efforts are continuing in the field of assistive technology to movetechnology-related prototypes, resulting from development in the academic sector, to productcommercialization within this business sector. In this context, MacKenzie Atlantic (MA), a NS-based companyspecializing in manufacturing a highly diverse set of products ranging from steel stampings, precisionmachined products, as well as fixtures and gauges used in the aerospace, defence, marine and renewable energyindustries, is looking to expand its business into assistive devices in long-term care facilities. For this purpose,the company has designed a slouch correction aid that can benefit from research collaboration with NovaScotia Community College (NSCC). In the medium-term, this will spin off a new business creating aids andsupportive technologies for the healthcare industry, particularly in relation to the needs of our aging populationand injury prevention.NSCC will contribute its expertise and facilities in bio-mechanics, suited for validation design improvement aswell as laboratory and field data collection. The proposed device is anticipated to enhance the independence ofwheelchair users who are not able to correct their slouching posture, and help reduce back injuries amongwheelchair users as well as workplace injuries for caregivers, in long term care facilities. This will translateinto an increased workers' productivity in long-term facilities and a better condition in the growing agingpopulation. Nonetheless, the proposed device also helps preventing sores while sitting. Knowing that the costof treating a pressure sore is about $5,000 per month for each person living in the community, and that mostpeople get multiple sores at one time, this quickly becomes a challenge in the health care system. The proposeddevice therefore represents a new product line for MA with markets across North America and beyond.

轮椅是辅助技术中最知名的形式之一，也可以说是最重要的。根据加拿大统计局的数据，超过60%的加拿大轮椅使用者是老年人，预计到2050年，这一人口数量将翻一番。在辅助技术领域，正在继续努力将学术部门开发的与技术有关的原型转化为商业部门的产品。在这种情况下，麦肯齐Atlantic（MA）是一家位于NS的公司，专门制造高度多样化的产品，从钢冲压件，精密加工产品以及用于航空航天，国防，海洋和可再生能源行业的夹具和量规，正在寻求将其业务扩展到长期护理设施中的辅助设备。为此，该公司设计了一种懒散矫正辅助工具，可以从与新斯科舍社区学院（NSCC）的研究合作中受益。从中期来看，这将衍生出一个新的业务，为医疗保健行业创造辅助和支持技术，特别是与我们老龄化人口和伤害预防的需求有关。NSCC将贡献其在生物力学方面的专业知识和设施，适用于验证设计改进以及实验室和现场数据收集。预计该装置将提高无法纠正其懒散姿势的轮椅使用者的独立性，并有助于减少轮椅使用者的背部损伤以及长期护理机构中护理人员的工伤。这将有助于提高工人在长期设施中的生产力，并改善日益老龄化的人口的状况。尽管如此，所提出的设备也有助于防止坐着时的疼痛。我们知道，治疗压疮的费用大约是每个住在社区的人每月5,000美元，而且大多数人一次会有多个压疮，这很快就成为医疗保健系统的一个挑战。因此，拟议的设备代表了MA的新产品线，市场遍及北美及其他地区。