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.

明尼阿波利斯自适应设计与工程（制造）计划最近开发了人体工程学 使用链条驱动系统将手动边缘放置在人体工程学位置的轮椅，同时保持 后驱动轮后部以稳定支撑。我们的符合人体工程学轮椅的前手 边缘定位允许沿着更长的手动边缘的弧形长度推动，而无需 牺牲轮椅稳定性或肩部人体工程学。 符合人体工程学轮椅的连锁驱动器允许个性化的齿​​轮比例适合每个轮椅 用户的需求；但是，我们尚未研究此功能。那，这项提议的工作的目标 是（1）探索不同齿轮选项对资深轮椅用户稳态的影响 推进效率，（2）开发多速符合人体工程轮椅，以允许较低的齿轮 在困难的情况下（启动运动，在地毯上移动）和更高的齿轮 状态运动在平面上。 我们将招募18名具有SCI/D的退伍军人，参加符合人体工程轮椅的交叉研究 具有三个齿轮比（3：2（低），1：1（正常）和2：3（高））。我们将使用两个测量 评估效率的方法：（1）在推车中心进行的工作以移动焦耳的轮椅 （j）和（2）老兵探索的能量的测量（KCAL：千瓦）以移动 轮椅。类似于汽车每加仑英里的英里，我们将计算以米（m）的距离 能源单位（m/j和m/kcal）作为我们的效率测量。我们假设（H1）更高的齿轮 与较低的齿轮比率（H2）较低的齿轮在硬级地形上的比率将更有效（更高的m/j） 倾斜的地形比较高的齿轮比（H3）较低的齿轮的比率更有效（更高的m/j） 地毯地形比更高的比率比较高的齿轮比率更高（M/J），而（H4）退伍军人 在硬级地形上6mpt时移动轮椅时，将更有效（更高m/kcal） 与较低的齿轮比相比，使用较高的齿轮比。除了稳态测量外， 我们还将探讨齿轮对推进计划的影响，并预计将较低的齿轮比率为 有益于在所有地形上的启动。 然后，我们将招募12名退伍军人尝试一个新的多速人体工程学轮椅 每侧 - 一个齿轮中一个，另一个是更高的齿轮。提出的系统不需要 齿轮之间的手动或电动转移。相反，退伍军人可以使用下部装备来发起 动作，然后简单地推开另一只手，“飞行”。退伍军人将返回 实验室并随着设计的设计提供反馈。定量和定性 将捕获数据以确定这种方法的可行性并促进商业化 多速人体工程轮椅。 在整个项目中，我们的团队将与VA的技术转移计划和 TechLink中心为这项工作找到一个行业合作伙伴。我们的团队已经证明了 将康复产品开发成商业许可的产品。我们将遵循类似的舞台门 该开发项目的过程最大化我们成功商业化的机会 模块化多速人体工程轮椅。