Modified Walker to Lift a Late-Stage Dementia Patient
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Faculty Mentor Name
Jeff Burmeister
Faculty Mentor Department
Bioengineering
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
Shelly Gulati
Additional Faculty Mentor Department
Bioengineering
Abstract/Artist Statement
The project is a modified walker that eases the load placed on caretakers while assisting a late-stage dementia patient to stand from the seated position, sit from the standing position, and walk with guided support. The walker will feature handlebars for patient self-support, two locking gas springs, and a lever arm used by the caretaker to lift and sit the patient from under the armpits. B-Locking Gas Springs will be positioned beneath the lever arm, supported by a crossbeam, to provide a mechanical advantage during use. This walker is designed specifically for a patient with late-stage dementia. When a caretaker pushes down on one side, the patient would be lifted from the other side. To make the design cost-efficient, gas springs were used so that there would be no need for another power source other than the caretaker. The gas spring along with the caretaker’s force would be combined to yield a mechanical advantage for the walker. The weight needed to lift the patient will be decreased by 61.5% and the weight needed for the patient to be held at the top will be decreased by 76.9%. The calculations for the force of the gas spring on the patient and the force needed for the caretaker to push down on were determined by modeling a parametric study in MatLab. The walker is primarily designed to be used in a residential setting and the walker would help reallocate the weight to a safer position for a caretaker when they are lifting the patient.
Location
School of Engineering & Computer Science
Start Date
4-5-2018 2:30 PM
End Date
4-5-2018 4:00 PM
Modified Walker to Lift a Late-Stage Dementia Patient
School of Engineering & Computer Science
The project is a modified walker that eases the load placed on caretakers while assisting a late-stage dementia patient to stand from the seated position, sit from the standing position, and walk with guided support. The walker will feature handlebars for patient self-support, two locking gas springs, and a lever arm used by the caretaker to lift and sit the patient from under the armpits. B-Locking Gas Springs will be positioned beneath the lever arm, supported by a crossbeam, to provide a mechanical advantage during use. This walker is designed specifically for a patient with late-stage dementia. When a caretaker pushes down on one side, the patient would be lifted from the other side. To make the design cost-efficient, gas springs were used so that there would be no need for another power source other than the caretaker. The gas spring along with the caretaker’s force would be combined to yield a mechanical advantage for the walker. The weight needed to lift the patient will be decreased by 61.5% and the weight needed for the patient to be held at the top will be decreased by 76.9%. The calculations for the force of the gas spring on the patient and the force needed for the caretaker to push down on were determined by modeling a parametric study in MatLab. The walker is primarily designed to be used in a residential setting and the walker would help reallocate the weight to a safer position for a caretaker when they are lifting the patient.