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This is a design project of senior industrial engineering students sponsored by the General & Age Related Disabilities Engineering (GARDE) Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) focusing on adults with disabilities. The design and construction of a removable respirator and oxygen tank adapter for a scooter wheelchair is going to help a young adult woman that suffers from bilateral hip dysplasia and obliterating bronchiolitis. These are degenerative conditions that are not commonly found together. Hip dysplasia forces the subject to require a scooter wheelchair for daily transport and obliterating bronchiolitis requires the subject to use a Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) respirator and oxygen tank all the time. This project has the purpose to help the subject to achieve independence from her care takers by being able to move without the help of others or with minimum help. Achieving independence from an assistant and improving the overall life quality of the user, will be obtained by developing the right cost-effective design for an automated wheelchair adapter to hold an oxygen tank and its corresponding respirator. The use of the adapter for the CPAP respirator will enable the subject to move to further places without assistance, thus increasing her independence from other subjects and engaging on a more active lifestyle. The created device would be evaluated by the identified user and by health professionals prepared to work with people with the above-mentioned conditions. It is the intention of the students design team to deliver the developed device by the end of the Spring semester after being evaluated and tested as needed.
Author(s):
Francisco Alejandro Granado Santos
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Puerto Rico
Monica Jorge
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Puerto Rico
Mayra Mendez Pinero
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Puerto Rico