Reinventing the wheel for a manual wheelchair.

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dc.citation.issue6
dc.citation.volume19
dc.contributor.authorFlemmer CL
dc.contributor.authorFlemmer RC
dc.coverage.spatialEngland
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-12T22:00:33Z
dc.date.available2024-08-12T22:00:33Z
dc.date.issued2023-11-02
dc.description.abstractPurpose Standard manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are inefficient and pushrim propulsion may cause progressive damage and pain to the user’s arms. We describe a wheel for a MWC with a novel propulsion mechanism. Methods The wheel has two modes of operation called “Standard” mode and “Run” mode. In Run mode, the wheelchair is propelled forward by pushing a compliant handle forward and then pulling it back, both strokes contributing to forward propulsion. We report the propulsive force and preliminary testing on a rough outdoor circuit by three able-bodied participants. Results In Run mode, the peak applied force is reduced to 30% and the maximum force gradient is reduced to 10% of that for standard pushrim propulsion, for the same work output. The travel time for the 1.06 km outdoor circuit is about 60% of that for a brisk walk and about 40% of that for pushrim propulsion. At a propulsion speed of 1 m/s, the cardiovascular effort in Run mode is 56% of that for pushrim propulsion. Automatic hill-hold in Run mode improves safety when ascending slopes. The mechanism has three gears so that it can be used by people with widely varying strength and fitness. Folding the handle away converts the operation to Standard mode with the conventional pushrim propulsion, supplemented by three gears. Conclusions Despite the increased weight, width and friction, the bimodal geared wheels facilitate wheelchair travel on challenging paths. This may bring significant improvement to the quality of life of MWC users.
dc.description.confidentialfalse
dc.edition.editionAug 2024
dc.format.pagination2166-2177
dc.identifier.author-urlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37916314
dc.identifier.citationFlemmer CL, Flemmer RC. (2024). Reinventing the wheel for a manual wheelchair.. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 19. 6. (pp. 2166-2177).
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/17483107.2023.2272851
dc.identifier.eissn1748-3115
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn1748-3107
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/71265
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherTaylor and Francis Group
dc.publisher.urihttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17483107.2023.2272851
dc.relation.isPartOfDisabil Rehabil Assist Technol
dc.rights(c) 2023 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-ND 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectManual wheelchair
dc.subjectbidirectional stroke
dc.subjectepicyclic
dc.subjecthandles
dc.subjectpropulsion
dc.subjectWheelchairs
dc.subjectHumans
dc.subjectEquipment Design
dc.subjectMale
dc.subjectAdult
dc.subjectBiomechanical Phenomena
dc.subjectDisabled Persons
dc.titleReinventing the wheel for a manual wheelchair.
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id484061
pubs.organisational-groupCollege of Health
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