Design, Analysis and Fabrication of an Adjustable Seating and Positioning System for The Cerebral Palsied

• Main Authors: Su, Wen-Chuan, 蘇文釧
• Other Authors: Chung Kao-Chi
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1997
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/10808330310259344441

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 醫學工程學系 === 86 === Early intervention for the C.P. initiating from 2 or 3 years old, who have received early rehabilitation treatment, seating and body supports with assistant technology as well as long-term training and education, has been demonstrated to provide promising outcomes in significantly improved abnormal muscle tone, reflex, body*s coordination and balanced control. The consequent clinical benefits, which have been demonstrated by the U.S. and other developed countries, are providing an up- right posture to offer and enhance the abilities of independence, education and social activities. In Taiwan, the rehabilitation management for severe disabilities has not well established, and it is strongly lack of research and development in the rehabilitation and assistant technology, particularly in specialized seating and functional postural supports. Therefore, it is important and urgently needed to develop an cost-effective seating and positioning system for clinical evaluation and prescription for the design and development of specialized seating and body support systems in rehabilitation management of the C.P. in our society.The purpose of this project is to design and develop an adjustable multi-function seating simulator and body postural measuring system to provide quantitative measurement and evaluation for clinical research and study, and to fabricate specialized seating and body support devices/ systems for customized fitting for the severe C.P. Initially, 28 severe C.P. children were clinically evaluated and measured for the determination of functional design and their seating anthropometry to provide system design criteria for the adjustable seating system. Finite element method (FEM) is used to analyze the system structure in welding and drilling regions with potential failures. The strain-stress analysis on the completed design and prototype was compared with an experimental testing using strain gauge to assure the structural safety. The adjustable seating and positioning system has been used in clinical research and seating clinics, (I) for the investigation of optimal seating and posture control, and (II) to provide individual measurement in the length of body segments and the degree of joints for customized design of seating and body support devices in severe C.P. children . The system has been found to be functional very well. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation program for each individual with moderate or severe C.P. is recommended through1) using a single-case experiment design method,2) initial seating & position evaluate using the adjustable system,3) fabricate the customized seating & support system,