TRANSFERS: ASSESSMENT / TOOLS / ROBOTICS

  • Operating in off-line mode.
  • Displaying current, published revision of page TRANSFERS: ASSESSMENT / TOOLS / ROBOTICS, last modified by row25 on 2023-01-06 14:40

TransKinect Application for Transfer Technique Assessment:  Improper transfer technique predisposes wheelchair users to developing upper arm pain and injuries. A large body of research on the proper ways to transfer to avoid extraneous forces exists but these techniques have not been well disseminated into clinics. Up to 63% of Veterans who use wheelchairs have many transfer skill deficits including improper arm positioning, use of handgrips, and head-hips relationship.  We have developed TransKinect, an automated transfer assessment system for clinical settings that can help therapists and their patients to identify improper transfer motions and provide guidance on how to improve their technique. The system is based on the Transfer Assessment Instrument (TAI) a valid and reliable scale used to assess the quality of transfer technique but requires new therapists considerable time to learn and to make judgements on appropriate body positioning and mechanics.  TransKinect eliminates the need for background knowledge and training on the TAI and provides an objective measurement of body and joint motions using a portable, low-cost markerless motion capture sensor (Microsoft Azure).  In prior work, we developed machine learning classifiers for TransKinect that can differentiate proper from improper techniques with an average accuracy of 94% using the Azure measured data recorded during a transfer. These classifiers have been embedded in the system software which ‘watches’ a wheelchair user perform transfer and automatically computes the TAI score in real-time along with providing a report with education and training recommendations to therapists and their patients. Transkinect is currently being field tested at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center to understand the system’s utility, usability and effectiveness. We hope to show that the system can be successfully integrated into standard practice and will provide a useful and effective tool for automatically detecting deficits and aiding the therapist and patient in making improvements to their transfer technique that will reduce their risk of developing overuse related pain and injuries.

Transfer Assessment Instrument & Transfer Biomechanics 

Transfer Assessment Instrument & Transfer Biomechanics

Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument: Caregivers often perform assisted transfers to move individuals with disabilities from one surface to another. However, repeated transfers are associated with a high risk of musculoskeletal injury and pain for both the caregiver and their care recipient. Researchers at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories have developed a new outcome measure called the Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument (CATT), which aims to provide an objective indicator of transfer performance. The CATT has undergone extensive content validity testing and is currently undergoing reliability and validity assessments to determine if it can be used as a clinical tool to grade assisted transfer techniques. Future projects will continue to refine the CATT as well as work to develop training and educational materials for caregivers and their care recipients on proper assisted transfer techniques to increase safety and reduce the risk of injury during these tasks.

Click here  to wathch CATT study video

 

The Powered Personal Transfer System (PPTS) provides a no-lift solution for transfers between a bed and an Electric Powered Wheelchair (EPW). The novel robotic system consists of a hospital bed and a customized Group-2 EPW that work together to transfer a person with minimal assistance from the caregiver. We are currently recruiting caregivers and clinicians to test the usability of the prototype using a rescue dummy. Feedback received from usability testing will be used for further improvements in the prototype. Future work will include testing of the prototype to transfer wheelchair users between the bed and EPW using the PPTS

Click here to watch video.