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Sprigle,
Stephen
Sprigle,
Stephen
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0000-0003-0462-0138
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ItemIn-seat activity of wheelchair users measured over multiple epochs dataset(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-01-18) Sprigle, Stephen ; Sonenblum, Sharon ; Feng, ChenPressure ulcers, by definition, are caused by external forces on the tissues, often in the regions of bony prominences. Wheelchair users are at risk to develop sitting-acquired pressure ulcers, which occur in the regions of the ischial tuberosities, sacrum/coccyx or greater trochanters. As a means to prevent pressure ulcers, instruction on performing pressure reliefs or weight shifts are a part of the rehabilitation process. The objective of this study was to monitor the weight shift activity of full-time wheelchair users with acute spinal cord injury over multiple epochs of time in order to determine consistency or routine within and across epochs. A second objective was to evaluate the accuracy of self-reported pressure relief frequency within each measurement epoch. A wheelchair in-seat activity monitor was used to measure weight shifts and other in-seat movement. The data was classified into multiple in-seat activity metrics using machine learning. Seventeen full-time wheelchair users with spinal cord injury were measured within multiple epochs, each lasting more than 1 week. Across all in-seat activity metrics, no consistent pattern of activity changes emerged. None of the in-seat activity metric changed in any one direction across a majority of subjects. Subjects tended to over-estimate their frequency of performing pressure reliefs. Self-reported pressure relief behaviors are not reliable, and therefore, cannot be used to evaluate preventative behaviors either clinically or within research. This study had the capability of fully investigating in-seat movements of wheelchair users. The results indicated that in-seat movement does not reflect a routine, either in pressure reliefs, weight shifts or other functional in-seat movements. This study has illustrated the complexity of assigning causation of pressure ulcer occurrence to seated behaviors of wheelchair users and identifies the need for improved clinical techniques designed to develop routine behaviors to prevent pressure ulcers.
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ItemVideo: Skeletal Displacement and Shear Strain Example During Head of Bed Elevation(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019) Sonenblum, Sharon E. ; Sprigle, StephenThis realtime MRI video demonstrates the caudal displacement of the spine relative to the skin when the head of the bed is elevated 30 degrees. Friction with the sheets keeps the skin from slipping. This video is a great teaching tool to demonstrate internal shear strain in the adipose near the sacrum and coccyx, and it serves as a nice counterpart to the published article: Sprigle, S. and S. Sonenblum, Visualizing Tissue Strain Under the Sacrum and Coccyx in Different Supine Postures: A Case Series. Adv Skin Wound Care, 2019, in which static measurements of skeletal displacement are reported.
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ItemVideo Demonstrations of Component- and Systems-Level Test Methods for Wheelchair Propulsion Characterization(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-11) Huang, Morris ; Misch, Jacob ; Sprigle, StephenThe five videos included in this repository demonstrate the fundamental test methods used to characterize performance of various wheelchair components. The Anatomical Model Propulsion System (AMPS) was designed to emulate the weight distribution and force application of a human wheelchair user. Three canonical maneuvers were identified to quantify the effects of rolling resistance, drive wheel scrub, and caster swivel. The ‘AMPS straight.mp4’ file shows the straight maneuver. ‘AMPS left FW turn.mp4’ demonstrates a fixed-wheel turn, where one wheel is locked and scrubbing against the floor as the chair drives the other wheel. The ‘AMPS CCW.mp4’ shows an alternating zero-radius maneuver designed to cause caster swivel by driving the wheels in opposing directions. Also included in this directory are videos representing the standalone coast-down and scrub torque component tests. ‘Caster Wheel Coast-down Test Video.m4v’ shows the coast-down cart loaded with weights and instrumented with accelerometers to log the deceleration of the cart. This test measures the force of rolling resistance acting on the cart. The final video, ‘scrub test demo.mp4’, shows the test rig used to measure scrub torque. A ZwickRoell materials testing machine pulls the steel cable attached to a pulley system, which rotates the load arm and effectively scrubs the tile or carpet swatch against the fixed wheel. These videos were taken in 2017 to use as demonstrations for future researchers and collaborators. More information can be found in Morris Huang’s dissertation located at http://hdl.handle.net/1853/59253.
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ItemButtock tissue response to loading in men with SCI dataset(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-01-26) Sonenblum, Sharon Eve ; Sprigle, StephenObjective/Background: Despite the fact that most people with a spinal cord injury who use a wheelchair for mobility are considered at-risk for pressure ulcer (PrU) development, there still exists a spectrum of risk amongst this group. Efforts to differentiate risk level would benefit from clinical tools that can measure or predict the buttocks response to loading. Therefore, the goal of this study was to identify how tissue compliance and blood flow were impacted by clinically-measurable risk factors in young men with SCI. Methods: Blood flow at the ischial tuberosity was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry while the seated buttock was unloaded, and loaded at lower (40-60 mmHg) and high (>200 mmHg) loads. Tissue compliance of the buttock was measured using the Myotonometer while subject were lifted in a Guldmann Net. Results: Across 28 participants, blood flow was significantly reduced at high loads, while no consistent, significant changes were found at lower loads. At 40-60 mmHg, blood flow decreased in participants with a pressure ulcer history and lower BMI, but stayed the same or increased in most other participants. The buttock displaced an average of 9.3 mm (2.7 mm) at 4.2 N, which represented 82% (7%) of maximum displacement. BMI was related to the amount of buttock tissue displacement while smoking status explained some of the variation in the percent of max displacement. Conclusion: Wide variability in tissue compliance and blood flow responses across a relatively homogeneous population indicate that differences in biomechanical risk may provide an explanation for the spectrum of PrU risk among persons with SCI.
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ItemAssistive Technology Outcomes Measure (ATOM) v2.0(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018) Sprigle, Stephen ; Harris, Frances
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ItemAssessment of the ISO Impact Damping Test(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012) Sprigle, Stephen ; Chung, Bummo ; Meyer, TobiasThe ISO impact damping test characterizes wheelchair cushion abilities to reduce impact loading on issues and to help maintain postural stability, reporting the number of rebounds greater than 10% of the peak impact acceleration and the ratio of the 2nd to 1st rebound. Based upon our analysis, 3 critical issues have been identified. 1) Impact magnitude should be part of the analysis. 2) Impact should be used instead rebound accelerations. 3) Oscillation from impact is not a simple 2nd order damped harmonic, instead several natural frequencies are embedded in the damped oscillation. In conclusion, ISO should utilize impact accelerations and more complex analysis to characterize the damping properties of wheelchair cushions.
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ItemThe Accuracy Of New Wheelchair User Predictions About Their Future Wheelchair Use(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010-06) Hoenig, Helen ; Griffiths, Patricia ; Harris, Frances ; Caves, Kevin ; Sprigle, StephenThis study examined the accuracy of new wheelchair user predictions about their future wheelchair use. We used an existing database of 71 new manual wheelchair users with data obtained at baseline, 3-‐ and 6-‐months to examine the specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive value of user predictions about anticipated amount and locations of wheelchair use. At 3-‐months, the correlation between predicted and actual use was strong, with 90% of those who thought they would still be using the wheelchair still using it, and 60% of those who said they would not be using it indeed were not using the wheelchair. By 6-‐months the predictive utility diminished substantially. Only 70% of subjects accurately predicted their continued use, while only 50% correctly predicted they would not be using their wheelchairs. This study demonstrates the importance of better understanding the potential mismatch between the anticipated and actual patterns of wheelchairs use.
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ItemMobility Metrics for Manual Wheelchair Use in Everyday Life(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010-06) Lopez, Ricardo A. ; Sonenblum, Sharon Eve ; Sprigle, StephenIn this study, a method for the robust detection of manual wheelchair movement with accelerometer-based data logging is used to obtain metrics of wheelchair mobility that complement mean- and total-distance-only based measurements. It is found that these metrics, that include distance, time and number of activity bouts, provide better understanding of everyday use of manual wheelchairs by shedding more light into how users operate their wheelchairs in their daily lives.
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ItemStudy on Alleviation Pressure Cushion(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010-06) Kong, Linghua ; Sprigle, Stephen ; Davis, Kim ; Wang, ChaoThe alleviation pressure (AP) cushion is a dynamic cushion system with three bladders at the pelvic region. The bladders can be deflated and inflated in a certain sequence to relieve the pressure on the ischial tuberosiites (IT) and coccyx/sacrum. The design of the foam base, bladder and pneumatic and electronic system of the AP cushion is discussed in this paper. And testing is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the AP cushion.
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ItemBlood Flow and Pressure Changes That Occur With Tilt-in-Space(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010-06) Sonenblum, Sharon Eve ; Sprigle, StephenThe objective of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical responses to tilt in persons with SCI. Changes in blood flow and loading at the ischial tuberosities (ITs) across different amounts of tilt were measured with Laser Doppler flowmetry and interface pressure. Pressure reduction at the IT was not present at 15°, but did occur with tilts to 30° and greater. Unlike pressure, blood flow increased with all tilts from an upright position. Only 4 of 11 participants had a considerable increase (≥10%) in blood flow at 30° tilt, whereas 9 participants did during maximum tilt (i.e., 45°-60°). Based on the results of this study, tilting for pressure reliefs as far as the seating system permits is recommended to maximize the potential for significant blood flow increases and pressure relief. The use of interim small tilts is also supported, as they also provide some benefit.