tulane university biomedical engineering spring design show march 3, 2012

Tulane University Biomedical Engineering

Spring Design Show March 3, 2012

Team Laminar Flow Ʃ One Hand Wheel Lock Control First Place Winners

Introduction

Many wheelchair users have limited or no mobility in one arm. Common wheelchair locking systems require force application of both locks on either side of the chair. If an individual is unable to lock one side due to lack of mobility in his/her arm, the chair is either unstable or requires the help of an attendant.

Although electric wheelchairs provide an adequate solution, many individuals are unable to afford the costly alternative.

Current available single-hand wheel locks for manual wheelchairs use a single lever attached to a single cable to move the locks in the same direction. This is an not an ideal solution due to the need for customizing the lock for each individual depending on which hand has mobility.

In conjunction with the cooperation of a stroke patient and an administrator at St. Margaret's Nursing Home, the DualLocks system was developed. This wheelchair locking system allows for the simultaneous locking and unlocking of wheelchair locks from one side. This system is side independent meaning that no matter which side is engaged or disengaged, both wheels simultaneously lock or unlock.

Team Members: Kristina Farragut, Atman Dave, Matthew Giannetti (Not pictured)

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Summary of Impact:

Execution of the proposed device would allow for several advantages from a patient, caretaker, and institutional standpoint. Due to the device's ability to simultaneously lock both wheels with a single application force, the patient would be able to lock both wheels more quickly than locking each individually. This is not only provides convenience (and possibly a gained sense of independence from the caretaker), but also provides an additional factor of safety for the user.

Close Up View of Locking Mechanism Back View of Modified Wheelchair

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The ability to lock/unlock both wheels by engaging/disengaging one wheelchair lock is also advantageous to the caretaker, who in absence of this device would have to reach down twice to lock/unlock both wheels. The caretaker may also be alleviated from taking care of the patient all together if the only difficulty was locking both wheels. Institutions that care of one-handed patients would have to worry less about liability issues related to patient injuries due to inability to lock both wheels.

Observations and discussions Announcement of first place winners

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Team Tortoise Guitar Playing Aid Second Place Winners

Design Goal

To design a device that will enable our client to play the bass guitar in an position with minimal pain and discomfort. The team is designing a holder that will aid our client while he plays the guitar.

Our client is using a wheelchair and is a stroke patient with severe osteoarthritis and a bilateral amputee. Our client currently lays the guitar flat on his lap while he plays, causing pressure on his legs and pain in both his neck and arms.

This guitar holder is a device that will allow our client to play his bass guitar in an upright position with minimal discomfort while removing all pressure from his legs.

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Team Members: Xiao Zhou, Andria Civitella, Michele Garner, Shishi Rosemary Wu


Design Criteria

Device Features: Device must attach and detach from the client's wheelchair without causing damage to the chair and with the aid of one assistant. The device must hold the guitar in an upright playing position, hold the full weight of the guitar without causing damage to or affecting musical capability of the guitar. The device must remove all pressure from the client's legs.

Ease of Use: The guitar holder was designed for easy positioning by implementing the design on the movable wheelchair arms.

Simplicity; The guitar holder has two main components:: one to support the body and one to support the neck of the guitar.

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Front view of guitar holder

Client Demonstration


Adjustability: The guitar holder was designed to adjust to potential changes in ideal playing position. The design takes advantage of the adjustability already designed into the wheelchair to allow for changes in the angle of support.

Safety: The team performed static analysis with the client's safety as a number one priority. The team plans to build the devices from aluminum Because of its high strength and low weight.

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Close view of Design Client and Team Members

Team HELP Ψ Walking Assistive Therapeutic Trolley Third Place Winners

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The Challenge

The Client is a 12 year-old child with cerebral palsy. He has little trunk and neck control, and needs support in order to keep him upright. Our client’s father wants to help him walk, and therefore, he has developed a home-made system to help the client practice walking. However, the system is missing key elements such as a handle, a lock, and a progress monitoring mechanism.

PurposeThe team is redesigning the existing system to accommodate for the missing elements:

Providing our client more therapeutic value during each practice session.

Providing the therapist more control over direction of the pathway that the client walks.

Locking the trolley for positioning purposes and prevent undesired movementduring therapy.

Allowing the therapist to monitor the client progress after each therapeutic session.

Team Members: Luke Dantin, Stephen Pagones, Nguyen Hoang, Elliot Neal


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Overhead Features of the Design Top View

Functional Requirements: Weight limit: 300 lbs.; Spatial limit: 24 inches (2 feet) below the attachment to existing system;Progress Monitor: Measure the amount of bodyweight support during gait training to quantify the patient progress;

Locking Mechanism: Necessary to station the trolley carriage and limit undesired motion during therapy; Safety: Provides a factor of safety 3.0;

Durable: Able to withstand the environmental elements; Features: Progress Monitoring, directional control of walking path, locking mechanism


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The system is designed for an 11 year old child with cerebral palsy. He has little trunk and head control; he is unable to walk or communicate verbally. However, he communicates with his smile and emotions. His father has designed and overhead support device to practice walking. The system aims to keep the client upright while he strengthens his muscle while walking. However. The design required an engineering perspective to refine its design. The team developed an independent support system that can integrate with the father's system. The developments include a lock for stationary exercise, a handle to allow the therapist to assist and guide the child, a more compact, robust and lower friction trolley and track, and a scale to monitor the child's progression through continued therapy. All of these developments attach to the existing system by integration with the I-beam gait training to quantify the patient progress;

Demonstration of Product Drawing of Design

A-Team Mr. T’s Gold Wheelchair Desk

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The client is a 6-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. He has a tendency to lean backward due to his medical condition. He loves classical music and his favorite color is orange. He travels in his wheelchair.

Team members: James Griff Poindexter, Theresa Yee Team Members: Sithira Rathnayaka, Mei Wang


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Design Criteria

Gives the client independence while having fun

Teaches the client cause and effect

Develops muscle tone in the abdominal area

Safe to use. Easy to set up. Easy to store

Interior Components of the DesignDesign Exterior


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The Design

The desk: contains all the electrical parts of the device. It is also functional as regular feeding table or play table. The desk is custom designed to fit the dimensions of our client’s wheelchair. It is light, durable and easy to clean

The button: when depressed, music will be played. The button is big, bright, and orange to attract our client’s attention

The radio: is waterproof. It has AM/FM/MPX radio. It is compatible CD, CDR, CDRW, MP3 and WMA It also has a remote control.

The attachment to wheelchair: Heavy duty Velcro® tape attaches the desk to wheelchair arms. It is easily adjustable to fit the needs of our client if he changes wheelchair models as he grows.

Desk attaches to wheelchair Team member demonstration of product

Team Critical Mass H Custom Rocking System

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The Client is an 8 year old boy who is developmentally delayed with ataxia and a seizure disorder. It is important that he remain active to maintain strength, control walking, grow, and explore his environment. He is a Saints fan. He enjoys the sensory stimulation from rocking while standing on a favorite kitchen chair.

This kitchen chair was the main focus of the design. Once the chair rocked past the critical angle, the chair and our client would fall to the floor.

Motivations: Keeping his attention and providing an incentive to utilize the device regularly was extremely important in the design. Due to his seizures, safety while using the device was of utmost importance.

Team Members: Ben Bullock, Caroline (Michelle) Fryar, Mathew Triscott,, Michael Coletti


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Design Criteria: The device shouldProvide more stimulation and enjoyment than the current household object Be approachableNot require parental supervisionSafety in event of seizure or a potential fall while on the deviceBe adjustable to accommodate growthFoster and maintain muscle developmentBe compact and portable

Device Solution: Designed to utilize the benefits of hydraulic lifts with two primary capacities—reset initial pulling force up to 16.5 lbs. and controlled return to original position after sudden handle release.Adjustable heights of vertical supports, hard stops at the critical anglePadded in case of fallTextured handle

Further ModificationsAddition of counting componentSound producing component for audible rewardAluminum frame replacing wood frame (optional)Interchangeable handle textures

Client practicing on rocking system


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Technical Description: Two hydraulic lifts placed at a 70° angle allow the two wooden vertical uprights to rock backwards (toward the base) to maximum tilt of 20°, enforced by wooden blocks at the base of the verticals. The blocks are triangular and are designed to stop the uprights firmly and distribute the load against them evenly into the base. The hydraulics provide a 6.5 lb. resistance for the client when using the device.

An “infinitely” vertically adjustable handle accounts for future growth and is adjusted by loosening four wingnuts and positioning the handle to the desired height. It operates using two 4 inch hanger bolts on each side that protrude through the carved slots in the middle of the sliding cuts of wood that the dowel rod is fastened to on either end.

Upright position

Backward position

Closeup view of rocking system base

Team TNPL548 Ω Staged Alarm System

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Team Members: Robert Lathrop, Matthew Van Houten, Erica Winterer, Jordan Bryan

The client has suffered multiple strokes, severely limiting his ability to control motor functions. He is dependent on a lung ventilator, impeding his ability to audibly signal for help. The family has to remain present and frequently check on him. He is working to regain control of his right hand and arm, but must still rely on family members for help. Currently there is no way for the client to contact his family if he needs help. He would like to be able to control the lights, TV, and computer in his room without assistance. Several products exist which could help him interact with his environment, but there is no comprehensive solution.

Team Goals: Design an alarm system which will allow the client to alert the family when he is in distress.

Provide solutions which give the client independent control of his environment.

Functional Requirements: UsefulnessSafetyIndependenceDurability


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Button Pressed

Phone Family Member

Indoor & Outdoor Alarm

Indoor Alarm

Stage 1: Multistage Alarm

Stage 1: Design FeaturesMulti stage progressive alarm

Basic stamp micro-controller interfaces between two separate wireless doorbell systems as well as a phone

Easily accessible activation and disabling buttonsAdjustable timing of the progression of itemsOption to change local phone number dialed

Buttons

Design DevelopmentA staged alarm system integrates multiple commercially available products. It incorporates the use of basic stamp micro-controller to interface between two independent indoor and outdoor doorbell systems, as well as a phone. To initiate the system, the user depresses a large button. First, the indoor doorbell rings for 20 seconds. Next, both the indoor and outdoor doorbell alarm together for 20 seconds. Finally, the system calls a predetermined phone number, while the doorbells are still ringing. The responder may turn the alarm off by depressing a reset switch.

Telephone connection


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Stage 2: Integrated Environmental Controllers

Benefits Integrates easily with existing household technologyImproves independencelarge buttons provide easy and convenient use

Stage 3: Enlarged Trackball

Largest commercially available trackball

Ruggedly built

Left and right mouse click buttons to avoid unwanted clicks

Over sized buttons accommodate users with less fine motor skills

Offers entertainment and therapeutic value

Demonstration

View of Design Components

Team Math Blasters P Incentive Exercise Bicycle

Team members: Sarah Davis, Patrick Mackay, Molly Kelly-Goss, Kimberly Larkin

The client is the Chartwell Center for children with autism and related cognitive disorders. The elementary students are 6 to 11 years of age. The classrooms are small and in multiple locations. Autistic individuals display atypical responses to sensory stimuli, are easily distracted or fixated, and are restricted in behavior and motor control. An exercise bike was constructed previously, but needed modifications to improve the product.

Previous Design: The previous exercise bike was too bulky, heavy, and difficult to transport. Wiring was uncontained, confusing and clipped. The seat cover was removed and hard to clean. The traffic light mounted on the bike gave visual feedback concerning the proper speed. However it proved to be a distraction.

Specific Design Goals Increase transportability of the bike. Avoid compromising stability or safety of bike while decreasing size. Minimize noise Create easily adjustable and removable wiring that is easy to troubleshoot

Provide appropriate stimulatory feedback and avoid negative reaction Provide non-distracting visual feedback for Chartwell staff members Establish user confidence and independence


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This year’s design is an upgrade of last year’s product, a stationary bicycle with sensory feedback. The exercise bike provides both an incentive to exercise and to engage in a sensory experience. In order to motivate the children, music is played through headphones when the student is going the correct speed. Too fast or too slow and the music will pause. This fun feature gives the students a personalized work out. A staff member does not have to be present to encourage the children to go faster or to encourage t their efforts.

The bike has a smaller modem interface that does not require keeping track of CDs. Other modifications include adjustable handles, two front wheels for transportation, a removable seatback with a seatbelt harness, and a smaller footprint than the original frame.

New design

Casters for easy transportAdjustable handles


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Incentive Console: Discrete LEDs mounted at the front of the bike turn on when the student is pedaling above a desired speed to provide visual feedback for the staff members. This feature allows the staff to see at a glance whether or not the child is exercising at the appropriate level. The electronics are sealed in a child-proof box, accessible only to the staff. The box has been insulated and covered to hide sharp edges and electronic components. The box is also easy to remove and open by the staff in order to allow basic troubleshooting

LED’s mounted in front console

Demonstration

Team Winning Z Coordinated Communicator System

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Communicator System

Our client has worked with a previous team to develop a touch screen device to assist him in daily tasks. However, the current device is bulky and broken. Our client desires a similar product that incorporates the following features in order to eliminate the use of certain remote controls: Phone, MP3 player, TV remote, PA system, and back door opener.

Android Smart Phone: The project is designed to simplify the life of a quadriplegic gentleman and improve his quality of life. To accomplish this, the team set up his Android based smartphone as a remote control for his TV. The phone has a device plugged into the headphone jack which transmits a signal to the TV to change channels.. The client can decide what he wants the remote to do by using an app on his phone called Irdroid.

PA System: A second way to improve his quality of life was by constructing a PA system that amplifies his voice up to a level high enough for him to be heard in a crowded room. The team used a lapel microphone to speak into, which can attached whenever he needs it. The microphone is plugged into an amplifier followed by a speaker which outputs the volume to suitable levels.

Team Members with Client: Kristina Butron, Clarice Balconi-Lamica,John Weems, Michael Butron (not pictured)


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Solution: An Android-based touchscreen phone

The product has allowed the client a way to simplify the number of remotes he needs to use. The Idroid app has buttons large enough for him to easily push and does not rely on fine motor control. The PA system addresses the client's concern that he is difficult to hear in crowded, public locations. The system amplifies his voice without any noticeable delay.

A current Android based phone is already equipped with an MP3 player which eliminates 2 of the 5 design requirements. The TV remote and PA system are achieved via Apps downloaded from the open Android market.

The back door opener utilizes the phone's ability to connect to a Wi Fi network. In addition, an Android phone guarantees the longevity of the project because Apps can be easily downloaded onto a new Android phone and hardware can easily be replaced. This solution will eliminate 2 of our client's remotes and provide additional benefits such as a built in voice activated assistant and new Bluetooth headphones to allow him to listen to music and make phone calls.

Client with design


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TV RemoteThe IRDroid App and an infrared transmitter were used. This gives our client the following abilities: Power on/off, volume up/down, channel up/down and mute. The transmitter is connected to a Bluetooth receiver that is positioned at an optimal angle to allow maximum TV control. PA SystemA downloaded microphone App amplifies the client’s voice via his wheelchair speakers. In order for him to easily plug/unplug the speakers from the phone independently. Team Winning created a crank device. With the simple turn of a lever, the 3.5mm speaker jack plugs into and out of the phone.

Front view of productClose up view of device attached to arm of wheelchair

People Page Biomedical Engineering Spring Design Show 2012

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Dr. David Rice, have a great retirement for a job well done!

So much action. I need a rest.

tulane university biomedical engineering spring design show march 3, 2012

Documents

hand wheel lock control

wheelchair locks

team laminar flow

team tortoise guitar

wheelchair users

common wheelchair

stroke patient

place winners introduction