STTR Phase I: A novel wall-mounted gait assist system to reduce the risk of injuries on stairs and level surfaces

STTR 第一阶段：一种新型壁挂式步态辅助系统，可降低楼梯和水平面上受伤的风险

• 批准号: 2304063
• 负责人: Bradley Burke
• 金额: $ 27.5万
• 依托单位: 2INNOVATE LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2024-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2304063&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; novel; wall; mounted

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is a novel mechanical system which improves the safety of the elderly and disabled while walking on level surfaces and stairs. The novel, wall-mounted system will reduce the risks of injury by mechanically supporting individuals during ambulation, rehabilitation, and eventual in-home gait assistance. The system aims to reduce one of the top reasons for emergency room (ER) visits (nearly 3,000 ER visits in the United States each year) by preventing falls in the home. The solution may also be used in medical facilities to safely ambulate convalescent or acute care patients, especially on stairs. In addition to reducing direct patient injury risks, the technology improves economic and productivity measures by reducing the number of therapists/nurses, relatives, and support workers caring for people with disabilities or those at risk of falls. This STTR Phase I project will demonstrate a novel, mechanical, wall-mounted gait assist that can safely reduce injuries and the risks of falling while walking across flat surfaces and stairs. A harness with an elastic-like tether, mobile trolley, and mechanical braking mechanism for maintaining patient safety will be completed. The individual is connected to a trolley travelling along a wall-side rail providing the variable forces needed to support a patient’s weight in order to minimize risks of injury. In the event of a fall, the trolley’s brake automatically activates, absorbing the shock with a vest/tether to prevent the user from falling to the floor. Following design engineering and prototype completion, a pilot proof of concept study will be conducted during Phase I to demonstrate the potential for patient use in safely walking without falling and causing injury.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小型企业技术转让 (STTR) 第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是一种新颖的机械系统，可提高老年人和残疾人在水平表面和楼梯上行走时的安全性。这种新颖的壁挂式系统将减少对老年人和残疾人的伤害。该系统旨在减少急诊室 (ER) 就诊的主要原因之一（美国每年有近 3,000 例急诊室就诊）。该解决方案还可以用于医疗机构中，以帮助康复期或急症护理患者安全行走，尤其是在楼梯上。除了减少直接患者受伤风险外，该技术还可以通过减少人员数量来提高经济性和生产力。 STTR 第一阶段项目将向治疗师/护士、亲属以及照顾残疾人或有跌倒风险的人员展示一种新型机械壁挂式步态辅助装置，可以安全地减少步行时的伤害和跌倒风险。穿过平坦的表面和楼梯。将完成一种带有弹性系绳、移动手推车和机械制动机构的安全带，用于维护患者安全，该安全带将连接到沿着墙边导轨行驶的手推车，提供支撑患者体重所需的可变力。为了最大限度地减少跌倒的风险，手推车的制动器会自动启动，通过背心/系绳吸收冲击力，以防止用户跌落到地板上。在设计工程和原型完成后，进行了试点验证研究。将在期间进行第一阶段旨在展示患者安全行走而不会跌倒和造成伤害的潜力。这反映了奖项的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。