A Study on the Effects of Heavy Backpack and Development of a Preventative Prototype

Posture is a bigger concern than most think. With growing workload for school children, the weight of this issue is increasing every day. It can not only affect a child in the present but also have long-term effects on their body and render their spine vulnerable to injuries. Therefore the solutions can be either to decrease their workload, that is, decrease the weight of their backpack, or to constantly guide them to a better posture for the betterment of their spinal shape and thus their health. The aim of this paper is to find which part of the spine is affected the most by the heavy load and develop a prototype: a monitoring system that is effective in guiding a child to constantly keep their posture in check and is also simple enough to be worn every day

Pengaruh Beban Ransel Terhadap Keluhan Low Back Pain pada Mahasiswa FK-UMI Tahun 2018

Latar belakang: Low back pain (LBP) merupakan salah satu gangguan muskuloskeletal yang paling sering diderita dan menjadi penghambat dalam melakukan aktivitas sehari-hari. Penggunaan ransel merupakan faktor terpenting yang menyebabkan nyeri punggung bawah di kalangan pelajar. Berat ransel telah meningkat secara signifikan karena perlunya membawa perlengkapan akademik. Hal ini menyebabkan peneliti tertarik untuk melakukan penelitian di bidang tersebut untuk mengetahui pengaruh berat beban ransel terhadap keluhan low back pain pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Muslim Indonesia tahun 2018. Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian analitik observasional dengan pendekatan cross sectional yang dilakukan secara online menggunakan kuesioner melalui google form di tempat responden masing-masing. Hasil: Dari 147 sampel, hasil yang didapatkan bahwa mahasiswa yang membawa beban ransel (carry less) ≤ 10% dari berat badan (beban ringan) dan tidak terjadi low back pain sebanyak 77 responden, minimal disability 29 responden, dan moderate disability 3 reponden. Sedangkan mahasiswa yang membawa beban ransel (carry less) ≥ 10% dari berat badan (beban berat) dan tidak terjadi low back pain 16 responden, minimal disability 21 responden, dan moderate disability 1 responden. Kesimpulan: Hasil uji statistik Pearson Chi- Square menunjukan ada hubungan antara beban ransel dengan kejadian low back pain. Karena nilai significance lebih besar dari 0.1 sehingga terdapat hubungan antara berat beban ransel terhadap kejadian low back pain

Optimizing the WPI Assistive Technology Resource Center: Marketing and Documentation

The Assistive Technology Resource Center at WPI was established in 1999 as a regional center for the design and development of devices to aid persons with disabilities. As the ATRC grows, there is need for the Center to market itself to potential clients, project sponsors and to WPI students. This project focused on developing a marketing tool and a document describing all past major design projects completed within the ATRC. Distribution of these documents will enable the ATRC\u27s to better fulfill its mission of combining educational goals and community service

18th Annual Symposium of the School of Science, Engineering and Health

Message from the Dean We in the School of Science, Engineering and Health welcome you to this 18th Annual Symposium, and our first as Messiah University. Here you will see our students, faculty and staff showcase innovation, creativity, teamwork and professionalism in our academic departments. Basic and applied research in science and health fields stem from curiosity, acquired skill, and a desire to test and improve processes from foundational principles. The outcomes of scientific research expand intellectual understanding and have tremendous impact on quality of life, environmental health, and human flourishing. We miss having you as guests on our campus but warmly welcome you to enjoy this day virtually. Angela Hare Dean School of Science, Engineering and Health, Messiah Universit

Advanced Technology Lift Assist Systems - ATLAS

EMS personal work hard every day to save lives. A big part of the job is helping to lift people who are notinjured but have fallen and can’t get up by themselves. There are currently no procedures or tools that areconsistently used by EMS in this specific situation. This leads to the response often being ad hoc costing more time, resources, and manpower that can be vital if multiple emergencies happen at the same time. Along with this the job of lifting an individual that is overweight is no easy feat and is one of the primary factors that leads to EMS personal having one of the highest back injury rates of all professions. The goal of this project is to design and manufacture a marketable product that can be used by EMS personal as a lift assist device for these situations. The product should be able to safely lift the person to a seated or standing position with little to no effort by the EMS team

Laminar Flow Face Shield

The scope of this project was to design a personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects the wearer from SARS-CoV-2 without inhibiting communication and was comfortable to wear for long periods of time. SARS-CoV-2, commonly known as COVID-19, is a contagious respiratory virus that spreads through droplets produced when someone who is infected by the virus coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets may land on the mouths or noses of nearby people or may be inhaled in the lungs, infecting those who come in contact with the virus. The current guidelines to help slow the spread of COVID-19 are to wear a mask that covers the mouth and nose when around others [1]. However, this causes the wearer\u27s voice to be muffled and be difficult to understand, covers the wearer\u27s facial expressions, inhibits others from picking up on important facial cues, and can become uncomfortable after long periods of wear. An alternative that meets these needs would be a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), which is currently sold by several companies in various forms. Many are quite comfortable and allow the user’s face to be seen, but the price is the biggest downfall, most costing over $1,000. Our goal was to design a comfortable, affordable, and effective powered air purifying respirator for Cal Poly professors. We were able to create a respirator that costs only$140, filters out 99.93% of COVID-19 sized particles, and is generally well received in functionality by the general public. This document comprises the results of the critical design process, including background research, specifications, concept development and final design, testing and manufacturing plans, and project timeline

End-of-life implications of electronic textiles - Assessment of a converging technology

Contemporary innovation in the converging technology sectors of electronics and textile aims at augmenting functionality of textiles, making them “smart”. That is, integrating electronic functions such as sensing, data processing, and networking into wearable products. Embedding electronic devices into textiles results in a novel category of products: electronic textiles (e-textiles). Whereas researchers and innovators are pushing forward technological development little attention has been paid to the end-of-life implications of such future products. E-textiles may not only entail promising business opportunities but also adverse environmental impacts. This study examines potential end-of-life implications, which could emerge once future e-textiles are disposed of. Using the methodological framework of technology assessment an overview of current innovation processes for e-textiles is established and an outlook on future applications areas is provided. Further, information on technologies and materials composition of e-textiles is mapped as a basis for assessing the prospective implications at the end of their useful life. The findings suggest that widespread application of e-textiles could result in the emergence of a new waste stream. There are various parallels to electronic waste, which causes profound environmental problems nowadays. Risks include potential release of toxic substances during the disposal phase. And, loss of scarce materials is to be expected if no recycling takes place. This would accelerate the depletion of resources. Recycling of textile integrated electronic devices will be difficult. From the analysis it can be deduced that today’s schemes for takeback, recycling and disposal would not be sufficient to cope with waste e-textiles in an environmentally benign manner. Instead, discarded e-textiles would find their way into solid waste and increase the existing environmental problems of waste disposal. The study concludes with recommendations for policy makers and technology developers on how a waste preventative technology design could be achieved

Use of stance control knee-ankle-foot orthoses : a review of the literature

The use of stance control orthotic knee joints are becoming increasingly popular as unlike locked knee-ankle-foot orthoses, these joints allow the limb to swing freely in swing phase while providing stance phase stability, thus aiming to promote a more physiological and energy efficient gait. It is of paramount importance that all aspects of this technology is monitored and evaluated as the demand for evidence based practice and cost effective rehabilitation increases. A robust and thorough literature review was conducted to retrieve all articles which evaluated the use of stance control orthotic knee joints. All relevant databases were searched, including The Knowledge Network, ProQuest, Web of Knowledge, RECAL Legacy, PubMed and Engineering Village. Papers were selected for review if they addressed the use and effectiveness of commercially available stance control orthotic knee joints and included participant(s) trialling the SCKAFO. A total of 11 publications were reviewed and the following questions were developed and answered according to the best available evidence: 1. The effect SCKAFO (stance control knee-ankle-foot orthoses) systems have on kinetic and kinematic gait parameters 2. The effect SCKAFO systems have on the temporal and spatial parameters of gait 3. The effect SCKAFO systems have on the cardiopulmonary and metabolic cost of walking. 4. The effect SCKAFO systems have on muscle power/generation 5. Patient’s perceptions/ compliance of SCKAFO systems Although current research is limited and lacks in methodological quality the evidence available does, on a whole, indicate a positive benefit in the use of SCKAFOs. This is with respect to increased knee flexion during swing phase resulting in sufficient ground clearance, decreased compensatory movements to facilitate swing phase clearance and improved temporal and spatial gait parameters. With the right methodological approach, the benefits of using a SCKAFO system can be evidenced and the research more effectively converted into clinical practice

The effect of prefabricated wrist-hand orthoses on performing activities of daily living

Wrist-hand orthoses (WHOs) are commonly prescribed to manage the functional deficit associated with the wrist as a result of rheumatoid changes. The common presentation of the wrist is one of flexion and radial deviation with ulnar deviation of the fingers. This wrist position Results in altered biomechanics compromising hand function during activities of daily living (ADL). A paucity of evidence exists which suggests that improvements in ADL with WHO use are very task specific. Using normal subjects, and thus in the absence of pain as a limiting factor, the impact of ten WHOs on performing five ADLs tasks was investigated. The tasks were selected to represent common grip patterns and tests were performed with and without WHOs by right-handed, females, aged 20-50 years over a ten week period. The time taken to complete each task was recorded and a wrist goniometer, elbow goniometer and a forearm torsiometer were used to measure joint motion. Results show that, although orthoses may restrict the motion required to perform a task, participants do not use the full range of motion which the orthoses permit. The altered wrist position measured may be attributable to a modified method of performing the task or to a necessary change in grip pattern, resulting in an increased time in task performance. The effect of WHO use on ADL is task specific and may initially impede function. This could have an effect on WHO compliance if there appears to be no immediate benefits. This orthotic effect may be related to restriction of wrist motion or an inability to achieve the necessary grip patterns due to the designs of the orthoses