Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-128).

Full time wheelchair users are at a height disadvantage during many function activities, such as transferring or reaching. Retrieving objects from the ground or a higher shelf while seated in the wheelchair can be both difficult and unsafe. Lateral transfers between surfaces at different heights can be difficult and unsafe. Sit-to-stand transfers are made simpler with a higher seat. This research project seeks to assist reach and transfers by designing a system to raise and lower a wheelchair seat over a 4'' range. The project included several needs assessment: 1) by conducting interviews and surveys, identify design needs from different stakeholder groups; 2) analysis of stakeholder groups' feedback and synthesis into design criteria; and 3) creation of design concepts for the adjustable height wheelchair seat; 4) evaluation of the design by setting up heuristic evaluation criteria and perform user testing; 5) design revision design based on user's performance and feedback. The design process included fabricating and testing of various concepts, validating design through user testing, and addresses technology transfer of the device.

Wheelchair prescription is a highly complex clinical practice. Evidence exists that long term success of wheelchair prescription is not always achieved and that rehabilitation professionals are experiencing increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability and cost containment in this area of service delivery. Occupational therapists within a spinal injury unit in South Australia conducted a quality activity to evaluate their wheelchair prescription practice. The quality activity involved consecutive sampling techniques to collect data on 128 wheelchair users who had a wheelchair prescribed between November 1993 and January 1996. / Demographic data related to the wheelchair user, the technology and the environment were collected at the time of the wheelchair prescription. Outcome measures were used at the time of wheelchair prescription and repeated at 3 months and again at 12 months post prescription. Outcome measures included 5 point self-rating scales for satisfaction with the wheelchair and sitting comfort. Rating scales were also used to measure postural symmetry, wheelchair skills and wheelchair maintenance knowledge. / In 1999, a 5 year follow-up was commenced to investigate what factors influence wheelchair prescription outcome after five years. Wheelchair users involved in the quality activity were invited to participate in this 5 year follow-up. Of these, 94 people agreed to participate in the 5 year follow-up. A repeated-measures study design was employed with outcome measures used during the quality activity repeated in an identical fashion. Additional measures were used to gain information regarding wheelchair abandonment. / Analysis involved Multiple Regression techniques for the prediction of outcomes where rating scales were used and Logistic Regression techniques where dichotomous variables were used. The possibility of early predictors of a successful long-term outcome was explored. / This study found wheelchair prescription outcomes changed significantly over 5 years with all outcomes except for wheelchair skills demonstrating a significant decrease over time. Significant positive associations were found between wheelchair user's satisfaction and comfort and between postural symmetry and wheelchair maintenance knowledge. / Reported level of comfort at 3 months post wheelchair prescription was found to be an early predictor of a successful long-term outcome. Abandonment rates were found to be lower than general assistive technology rates reported elsewhere. / Findings from this research support the importance of the direct relationship or 'fit' between the wheelchair user and the technology as a key factor in the achievement of successful short and long-term wheelchair prescription outcomes. Wheelchair prescription outcomes changed over time as a result of a change in this relationship. That is, as the condition of the wheelchair deteriorated or the person's needs changed, the 'fit' between the person and the wheelchair changed affecting important outcomes such as wheelchair user satisfaction comfort and posture. / Findings from this study provide valuable information an a little researched area. In this way, these findings may be useful in informing prescription practices which promote the provision of wheelchairs that meet the unique needs of the wheelchair user at the time of prescription and into the future. / Thesis (MApSc(OccupationalTherapy))--University of South Australia, 2004

Thesis (M.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of British Columbia, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-83).

A small percentage of wheelchair users are unable to transfer from their wheelchair to a vehicle during transportation. Reasons for an occupant to remain in the wheelchair during transport may be the inability to safely transfer to a vehicle seat, the occupant's requirement of a specialist postural management wheelchair seating system or reliance on life support equipment attached to the wheelchair. The Rehabilitation Engineering Unit at Rookwood Hospital deal with people who require either a specialist postural support wheelchair seating system, life support equipment or both. To cater for such equipment the wheelchairs have to be modified to some degree and sometimes completely custom made. In performing modifications to the wheelchairs the Rehabilitation Engineering Unit take on the manufactures responsibilities, one of which is to ensure that the wheelchair is safe for use in transport. Standard crash tests for production wheelchairs are destructive so are impractical to use for bespoke wheelchair designs meaning that the Clinical Engineers at the Hospital have to rely on their best engineering judgement as to whether a wheelchair design is crash worthy or not. It was proposed that by using computer crash simulation techniques an informed judgement of the crashworthiness of the bespoke wheelchair designs could be attained. A series of computer models of occupied wheelchairs were created and validated against physical crash data performed on surrogate wheelchairs. These validated wheelchair computer models were then used to examine a series of different crash scenarios that provided the Clinical Engineers at Rookwood hospital with an informed process for virtually assessing the crashworthiness of their wheelchair designs. The validation results showed that the wheelchair crashworthiness could feasibly be predicted by computer simulation. This thesis concluded that attaching equipment to the wheelchair can increase both its horizontal displacement and the forces on the tiedowns securing the wheelchair to the vehicle chassis. Skewed impact simulations also highlighted the poor lateral restraint ability of the 4-point webbing tie-down system and also the importance of sufficient lateral support on the wheelchair for occupant protection.

M. Tech. Electrical Engineering. / Modelizes, simulate and analyse the behaviour of an ordinary manual propelled wheelchair (MPW) when equipped with a mechatronic drive module. This serves as a preliminary study towards investigating whether a suitable mechatronic drive module could be designed and easily plugged on an ordinary MPW without any difficulties to obtain full propulsion of the chair with the use of a joystick for navigation purposes. For modelling purposes, a dynamic systems modelling method called Bond Graph was used.

For people bound to a wheelchair, the ability to elevate one's legs is as much a comfort concern as it is a health concern. The elevation of one's legs changes the user's sitting position, thereby increasing their comfort level while at the same time increasing circulation, ultimately aiding in the prevention of pressure sores and lower extremity swelling. Unfortunately, the motion of current legrests on manual wheelchairs does not accurately match the motion of the user's lower leg. This mismatch of motion causes the legrest to push up on the leg, shortening it while applying torque to the hip. An elevating/articulating wheelchair legrest that consisted of a planar sixbar linkage coupled with a worm gear set was designed and manufactured to address the shortcomings of standard elevating legrests. The legrest prototype elevates and articulates simultaneously from a single user interface, allowing the user's leg to be straight in the elevated position. The prototype design was evaluated by a potential user, his nurse, and the Director of Rehabilitation Engineering at the Massachusetts Hospital School. The collective response from this evaluation was very favorable. The design was successful in meeting the design specifications. Further modifications are needed before the design is ready for the commercial market.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 277-280). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

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