SBIR Phase I: IBEX - Restoring Functional Mobility in the Elderly through In Bed Exercise

9860355小企业创新研究一期项目将创新床上锻炼器（IBEX）。目的是恢复和/或防止卧床不起的老年患者功能活动能力的丧失。老年人的功能活动能力丧失通常是由于长时间卧床休息时大腿和腿部肌肉的快速肌肉萎缩。功能活动能力下降对生活质量有重大影响，并可显著预测死亡率。卧床不起的老年患者依靠物理治疗师在床边提供适当的锻炼，这些锻炼通常太少，无法维持或恢复大腿和腿部的肌肉。此外，物理治疗师无法维持足够的力量和强度来充分锻炼大腿和腿部肌肉。第一阶段的研究包括第二代原型机的设计、制造和卧床病人的中试。研究目标是证明IBEX在II期临床试验中的可行性和安全性。目前估计有30万美国人的市场总成本为14亿美元。IBEX将通过维持和恢复卧床病人的功能活动能力来减少这些医疗保健费用。IBEX将用于医院、养老院和家庭护理机构。

9860355 This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will innovate an In-Bed Exerciser (IBEX). The objective is to restore and/or prevent the loss of functional mobility in bedridden-elderly patients. Functional mobility loss in the elderly often results from rapid muscular atrophy of the thigh and leg muscles during prolonged bed-rest. Decreased functional mobility has a drastic effect on quality of life and has been found to significantly predict mortality. Bedridden-elderly patients depend on physical therapists to provide appropriate exercise at bedside in sessions that are often too infrequent to maintain or rehabilitate deconditioned thigh and leg muscles. Furthermore, physical therapists are unable to sustain sufficient force and intensity to exercise the thigh and leg muscles adequately. Phase I research consists of the design, construction and pilot testing with bedridden patients of a second-generation prototype. The research objectives are to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of IBEX for Phase II clinical trials. The estimated total market of 300,000 Americans is currently served at a cost of $1.4 billion. IBEX will reduce these health care costs by both maintaining and restoring the functional mobility of bedridden patients. IBEX will be used in hospitals, nursing homes and home care settings.