I-Corps: PWP (Personal Wheelchair Platform)

Marquette University, Milwaukee WI

Investigators

Abstract

Mobility independence is vital to the quality of life of manual wheelchair users. There are approximately 3.6 million adult and 67,000 pediatric manual wheelchair users in the United States, according to the 2012 U.S. Census. As of 2014, the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimated that 85% of these patients experienced some level of upper extremity joint pain or injury, and research has correlated these ailments with the substantial strain of wheelchair use. Injury prevention starts with high quality, effective therapy and training based on current research. Physical therapists provide this care and rely on clinical knowledge and tools to diagnose and treat these patients. There is a need for more objective and reliable methods to evaluate and train manual wheelchair users. Currently available options, such as treadmills and bike trainers, pose safety concerns and lack the capacity to collect quantitative metrics of function, while integrated measurement systems are often cost-prohibitive. Time and financial limitations, as well as the increasing demand for their services, add to the challenges already faced by physical therapists. By investigating the needs, obstacles, and complications in the physical therapy practice, technology can be designed to maximize the impact on clinical and research outcomes in this field. Technological enhancement in this area will not only improve the quality of life of wheelchair users by reducing risk of pain and injury, but will improve daily mobility efficiency, as well as provide increased access to healthcare. The Personal Wheelchair Platform (PWP) is a cost-effective and easy-to-use stationary roller system for use in physical therapy practice. It allows manual wheelchair users to wheel safely in-place, simulating over ground bilateral propulsion based on user anthropometry. Accurate biomechanical metrics, monitored and recorded by integrated hardware and software, can be used by the clinician to develop treatment and training strategies in order to increase propulsion efficiency and reduce risk of injury to the upper extremities. Originally developed as a tool to assist in wheelchair biomechanics research, this product is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between research and clinical care while improving the quality of life and mobility of these patients. PWP allows wheelchair fitting, propulsion assessment (starting, stopping, turning, and steady-state), and customized training to be completed in the demanding clinical environment, promoting mobility independence, community integration and activity participation of wheelchair users while reducing healthcare costs related to sustained pain and injury. This project proposes to complete a comprehensive assessment of the needs of the physical therapy market, specifically targeting therapists who contribute to the care of manual wheelchair users. This will be accomplished through extensive customer discovery, with interviews systematically conducted to sample a distribution of the physical therapy market across the United States. Customer acquisition and clarification of the key value propositions for a minimum viable business product will assist in furthering business model development and launching PWP to the physical therapy market.