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Sprigle,
Stephen
Sprigle,
Stephen
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0000-0003-0462-0138
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1 - 10 of 66
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ItemWheelchair in-seat monitoring design considerations(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-10) Sprigle, Stephen ; Sonenblum, Sharon Eve ; Deshpande, Yogesh ; Jordan, KathleenWheelchair in-seat activity trackers are developed to monitor and provide feedback about the pressure redistributing movements of wheelchair users, including weight shifts and other postural shifts that redistribute buttocks pressures. From a design perspective, in-seat activity trackers reflect myriad design decisions that impact performance, function, and usability. Many, if not all, of these decisions involve interconnections across system components, and can have significant impact on tracker operation and user-experience. Technology developers will have to manage many benefits and trade-offs that accompany design of each subsystem. Two documents were created based upon real-world use of in-seat trackers to briefly identify design criteria and constraints that should be considered.
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ItemProcedure to categorize wheelchair cushion performance using compliant buttock models(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-09) Sprigle, Stephen ; Deshpande, YogeshPurpose: Wheelchair cushion prescription often seeks to address tissue integrity in addition to other clinical indicators. Because hundreds of wheelchair cushion models are available, a benefit would result if cushions were classified in a more valid manner to help guide selection by clinicians and users. The objective of this research was to develop an approach to evaluate and classify wheelchair cushion performance with respect to pressure redistribution. Materials and methods: Two anatomically-based buttock models were designed consisting of an elastomeric shell that models overall buttock form and a rigid substructure that abstracts load-bearing aspects of the skeleton. Model shapes were based upon elliptical and trigonometric equations, respectively. Two performance parameters were defined, pressure magnitude and pressure redistribution. The pressure magnitude parameter compared internal pressure values of the test cushion to a flat foam reference material, resulting in three classifications, superior, comparable, and inferior. Surface sensors were used to distinguish cushions with high, moderate or low pressure redistribution performance. Ten wheelchair cushions were evaluated by both models using two loads that represent a range of body weights expected for 41–43 cm wide cushions. Results and Conclusion: A classification matrix is proposed using both models and performance parameters. Two cushions met criteria for the highest level of performance, and one cushion was deemed to have inadequate performance for therapeutic value. The proposed method has a sensitivity to discern differences, compatibility with different sized cushions, and a versatility in classification. As such, it stands as an improvement over existing classification approaches.
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ItemThe Design of a Family of Parametric Anatomically-Based Compliant Buttock Models to Evaluate Wheelchair Cushion Performance - Fabrication Package(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-07) Deshpande, Yogesh ; Sprigle, StephenThe evaluation of wheelchair cushion performance is of interest to a variety of stakeholders. Over the years, several buttocks models have been used to evaluate wheelchair cushion performance. These vary in design and purpose, and can be generally classified as either rigid or compliant. To date, published studies using buttock models have been limited to using a single size model. Thus, they were designed to evaluate one size of cushions. A need exists to define a series of models that can be used to evaluate cushions of varying sizes. The objective of this project was to develop a family of compliant buttock models that are based upon the anatomical parameters of persons with varying body sizes. This paper will detail the designs, describe the anatomical basis for the design and provide the rationale for the design decisions. Supplemental material includes greater detail; the full CAD files and model fabrication instructions are available in an open access repository for persons who wish to fabricate the models.
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ItemAssistive Technology Outcomes Measure (ATOM) v2.0(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018) Sprigle, Stephen ; Harris, Frances
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ItemSurvey of Users of Wheelchair Seat Elevators(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017) Sprigle, StephenThis is a technical report to document and share the data collected using an on-line anonymous survey of wheelchair users who use seat elevators..
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ItemDesign of a Robotic System to Measure Propulsion Work of Over-ground Wheelchair Maneuvers(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014) Liles, Howard ; Huang, Morris ; Caspall, Jayme ; Sprigle, StephenA wheelchair-propelling robot has been developed to measure the efficiency of manual wheelchairs. The use of a robot has certain advantages compared to the use of human operators with respect to repeatability of measurements and the ability to compare many more wheelchair configurations than possible with human operators. Its design and implementation required significant engineering and validation of hardware and control systems. The robot can propel a wheelchair according to pre-programmed accelerations and velocities and measures the forces required to achieve these maneuvers. Wheel velocities were within 0.1 m/s of programmed values and coefficients of variation (CV) < 2%. Torque measurements were also repeatable with CV <10%. By determining the propulsion torque required to propel the wheelchair through a series of canonical maneuvers, task-dependent input work for various wheelchairs and configurations can be compared. This metric would serve to quantify the combined inertial and frictional resistance of the mechanical system.
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ItemLow Profile Tension Seat for Wheelchair Users who Propel with One or Both Feet(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012-03) Sprigle, Stephen
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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.