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Clinical services are provided by Rehabilitation Engineering to all programs and services of TRC. We also provide services to clients of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre (OCTC), Ottawa General Hospital (OGH), Sisters of Charity of Ottawa Health Centre (SCOHS), and from the community as required. Over the reporting period, Rehabilitation Engineering has had increased involvement with the Technology Access Service (TAS), an Ontario Assistive Devices Program accredited augmentative communication clinic, and with the Gait and Motion Analysis (GAMA) Laboratory. We have improved the documentation and tracking of our projects through the development of a new database system with ROHCG Information Services. Most of our work is devoted to adapting and creating aids and devices to give more function and independence to persons with physical disabilities. Research and development is often required when solutions to technical problems are not simple or obvious. We work with clients and other professionals at our centre and other facilities to arrive at the best solutions.

Technology assessments mainly involve mobility device evaluations for the Assistive Devices Program (ADP), Ministry of Health, Ontario. Mobility devices undergo technical and clinical evaluations to determine safety and performance characteristics. Specific criteria and test procedures for determining eligibility for funding by ADP were developed through the ADP Equipment Evaluation Subcommittee of the Wheelchairs, Positioning and Ambulation Aids Standing Committee. In this reporting period, three walkers, two power wheelchairs, four manual wheelchairs, and one wheelchair accessory were evaluated. Also a product evaluation of an assistive device was completed for a private company, unrelated to the ADP program.

Support is provided to researchers appointed or affiliated with IRRD and to other researchers at the University of Ottawa. Engineering support ranges from providing consultation services, to creating complex instrumentation required for particular research projects. Examples of such projects include the development of an arthrometer, the development of an instrumented tilting and translating platform for Dr. Heidi Sviestrup's balance research, and the modification of a treadmill and harness for the body weight support research for spinal cord injured subjects. We have also been involved in several projects for the Microbiology Lab at the University of Ottawa. These projects include adapting a warm air hand dryer to make it portable by installing it on a custom cart, making custom stir bars for use with a centrifuge, designing and fabricating small skin sample holders, and improving on the design of a filtration system.

Rehabilitation Engineering has worked with ipos Orthopedics Industry in several areas pertaining to CAD/CAM in prosthetics: engineering design consultation on several projects, prototyping on two projects, and modification and manufacturing of two products. Negotiations with several companies regarding the commercialization of some of the assistive devices developed in Rehabilitation Engineering were initiated and are ongoing. As part of IRRD's international initiatives, we have participated in discussions with several delegations from Japan that resulted in a proposal for collaboration with the Human Support Technology Division of the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory. We have also been building a relationship with the Beijing Research Institute of Prosthetics and Orthotics (BRIPO), and are exploring potential collaborative research projects particularly in the area of wheelchair testing.

During this reporting period, Rehabilitation Engineering has been very active in developing devices for persons with physical disabilities. A wide range of devices of varying technical complexity have been developed, applying the most appropriate technology for the problem. More on selected projects.

A large television remote control unit was made for a person with visual and motor impairments. The features provided on the large remote are volume up/down, channel up/down, and an on/off switch. The regular remote controller is mounted alongside the larger unit to allow family members access to the full capabilities of the regular remote. A mounting bracket holds the modified remote and standard remote in position at the client's bedside.

When commercially available ventilator trays are not suitable or available for a particular model or type of mobility device, customization is necessary. The ventilator is a heavy piece of equipment, with the control knobs at the front under a lid and filters at the opposite end. To be portable, the ventilator is battery operated, so that a heavy external battery also has to be installed on the mobility device. Design considerations for the ventilator trays include the rigidity and stability of the mobility device the ventilator has to be installed on, access to controls and filters, and ease of removing the ventilator from the tray. Sometimes, due to space limitations, the external battery casing needs to be modified or the wheelchair itself may need to be modified to accommodate the extra battery. During this reporting period, custom ventilator trays and battery mounting systems have been designed for several power wheelchairs, a scooter, and an adult and a pediatric manual wheelchair.

This system has two separate components: a removable computer case and a tray mounting system. It was designed for ease of use, functionality, protection of the computer from damage and theft, and portability. The case was sized for a laptop computer with a synthesizer mounted underneath. It has a carrying handle and provides external access to computer ports, power cable, and volume control of the synthesizer. The case slides onto the tray and locks into place using a key. The tray can also be used for other purposes when the computer case is removed. To position the tray for use, the user guides the spring assisted motion using the case handle. Once the tray and case are horizontal, further positioning adjustments can be made by swivelling the tray over a range of 90 degrees. When not in use, the tray easily folds to the side of the scooter. The system has been designed to make it easy to remove so that the scooter can be further disassembled for transport.

This unique footrest design allows the user to tuck the footrest in under the wheelchair when it is not in use, for example during a transfer. When pulled out, it is positioned to reduce the turning space required for the wheelchair.

This joystick mount was designed so that very little force was required to swing the joystick away. To return the joystick to drive the chair, a latch is activated and the joystick automatically returns to position. This device is be suitable for someone with limited hand strength and range of motion.

This joystick holder is mounted on a scissor-type extension. When the joystick is not in use, the joystick is moved to rest on top of the armrest. When the joystick is in use, the holder is extended to position the joystick in front of the user. A small lever unlocks the joystick control box from its fixed position to allow it to slide laterally up to four inches. Hence, the joystick position can be fine tuned as required to accommodate postural changes that may occur over time.

After a custom footrest box was designed in Prosthetics and Orthotics, a swing away and locking system was added in Rehabilitation Engineering. To hold the footrest box locked in place during use, a simple pin mechanism was used. When released the footrest is free to swing away to facilitate transfers.

The back of a manual wheelchair was modified so it can be easily removed. This makes the wheelchair more compact when the back is removed and, therefore, easier to transport in the trunk of a car.

An arthrometer was made to measure the range of motion of joint contracture under applied controlled forces in rats for a research study conducted by Dr. Guy Trudel. Special posts were designed to be anchored vertically to the leg bones. These posts slide inside the arthrometer's guides where the centre of rotation is set over the knee joint. A pressure gage measures the force applied to the arthrometer's arms while a protractor measures the angle of the joint.

This mouth stick was designed to help move a 3.5 inch computer disk into and out of a disk drive. The device is suitable for someone who uses a mouth stick for keyboard access, but also requires access to a disk drive. The mouth stick was developed as a part of a Carleton University fourth year engineering student design project.

The voice onset monitor as described in our previous annual report has gone through clinical testing and a second prototype has been developed. The purpose of this device is to provide portable feedback to people monitoring their voice onset. People who stutter, for example may have very abrupt voice onset curves. This monitor provides visual feedback while the user is trying to develop a more gradual or gentle onset. In the prototype shown here, the visual display has been greatly enhanced. This ongoing development project is being conducted with Communication Disorders at TRC.

This docking station was designed to provide easy access to select a mouth stick for computer access from a laptray.

A switch consisting of a series of small touch pads was designed to enable a person to drive a power wheelchair with the touch of a thumb. An arm support was made which provides lateral, height and angle adjustments to position the arm properly. A carved hand support was made to position the hand in a way that optimizes the thumb range of motion over the touch pads. An electronic control box was made to interface the touch pads to the wheelchair controller thereby replacing the joystick. A visual display was also made to give feedback when the thumb is touching one or two pads. The switch was made to be quickly removed to prevent it from being damaged during wheelchair handling when the wheelchair is not being used.