SEAT DESIGN FOR OPTIMAL LOAD TRANSFER TO SOFT TISSUES

压疮仍然是一种常见的并发症和昂贵的临床 问题. 利用计算机辅助技术改进座椅设计， 提供具有成本效益的座椅系统的潜力， 压疮发展。 这项研究的目的是提高 通过研究人体生物力学的定制座椅设计方法 将体内信息应用于一个 计算机辅助设计过程。 研究假设是， 可以使用系统设计的支撑表面来增强可行性， 以优化对Barcock软组织的负荷转移， 畸变 在初步研究中，计算机辅助的原型 座椅系统（卡斯）的设计是为了控制支撑面的形状， 测量界面力。 提出了一种自适应控制算法 并在原型上实现。 使用组织模拟进行评价 测试机构证明了这种方法的可行性。 所得 最佳支撑表面显示出所需的界面力和组织 刚度特性 拟议调查的具体目的是：（1）完成 卡斯开发并在人体上实现控制算法; (2)验证支撑表面的特性， 优化程序;（3）确定临床疗效 在聚氨酯泡沫中实现最佳轮廓。 初始 使用10名身体健全的受试者（5名男性和5名女性;年龄18至18岁）进行实验。 40)将进行微调控制算法。 的 优化标准基于体内力-偏转测量 人体臀部的软组织 该算法被设计为迭代地 更新支撑形状，以优化使用力和组织的载荷转移 刚度测量。 中间和最终支撑面力， 组织硬度分布将使用多变量 向量分析（Hotelling的T2统计），用于定量 对比 最佳的支撑面将雕刻成聚氨酯 使用基于个人计算机的制造系统制造泡沫。 组织 受试者臀部的刚度分布，而坐在 将定制轮廓泡沫与刚性支撑上的泡沫进行比较， 卡斯。 该评估将确定使用 顺应性材料，以实现规定的组织承重 特色 拟议调查的第二阶段是 临床处方定制轮廓泡沫垫脊髓 受伤者和老年人。 上述协议将 对20名截瘫受试者（10名男性和10名女性），20名 四肢瘫痪受试者（10名男性和10名女性）和30名老年受试者 (15男性和15名女性，年龄等于或大于65岁）， 轮椅的流动性。

Pressure sores continue to be a common complication and costly clinical problem. Improved seat design using computer-aided technology has the potential to provide cost-effective seating systems that reduce risk of pressure sore development. The goal of this research is to improve custom seat design methods by investigating the biomechanics of the human buttocks-seat interface and applying the in vivo information to a computer-aided design process. The research hypothesis is that tissue viability can be enhanced using support surfaces systematically designed to optimize load transfer to buttock's soft tissue and reduce tissue distortion. In a preliminary study, a prototype of a computer-aided seating system (CASS) was designed to control support surface shape and measure interface forces. An adaptive control algorithm was developed and implemented on the prototype. Evaluation using tissue simulating test bodies demonstrated the feasibility to this approach. The resulting optimal support surfaces displayed the desired interface force and tissue stiffness characteristics. The specific aims of the proposed investigation are to: (1) complete the CASS development and implement the control algorithm on human subjects; (2) verify the characteristics of the support surfaces during and after the optimization procedure; (3) determine the clinical efficacy of realizing the optimal contours in polyurethane foams. An initial experiment using 10 able-bodied subjects (5 male and 5 female; ages 18 to 40) will be conducted to fine tune the control algorithm. The optimization criteria are based on in vivo force-deflection measurements of human buttocks' soft tissue. The algorithm is designed to iteratively update support shape to optimize load transfer using force and tissue stiffness measurements. Intermediate and final support surface force and tissue stiffness distributions will be analyzed using multivariate analysis of vectors (Hotelling's T2 statistic) for quantitative comparison. The optimal support surface will be carved into polyurethane foam using a personal computer based manufacturing system. The tissue stiffness distribution of the subject's buttocks while seated on the custom contoured foam will be compared to that on the rigid support of the CASS. This evaluation will determine the appropriateness of using compliant materials to implement the prescribed tissue load bearing characteristics. The second phase of the proposed investigation is to clinically prescribe custom contoured foam cushions for spinal cord injured, and elderly subjects. The protocol described above will be conducted on 20 paraplegic subjects (10 male add 10 female), 20 quadriplegic subjects (10 male and 10 female), and 30 elderly subjects (15 male and 15 female, age equal to or greater than 65), who depend on wheelchairs for mobility.