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Biomedical subjects

B R Seeger

Publications and source records attributed to B R Seeger.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Wheelchair occupant restraints in motor vehicles.

The issue of safety for wheelchair users in motor vehicles has been raised in Australia by parents of young people with disabilities. Investigations revealed that wheelchair users were not covered by any legislated safety requirements, and each case received special dispensation from compliance with regulations covering the able-bodies population. Dynamic testing of restraint systems at the University of Michigan had revealed that existing systems were unsafe. Dynamic tests confirmed those findings on systems used at that time in Australia. Testing led to the design, development and marketing of a new wheelchair occupant and restraint system which remains a system of choice for use by organisations where the same people use the same buses in the same position each day. Australian Standard 2942-1987, Wheelchair Occupant Restraint Assemblies for Use in Motor Vehicles, has since been developed. It establishes design and performance requirements for these restraints and includes details of dynamic testing procedures. This paper describes the development of the above restraint system and the subsequent Australian Standard.

Restraint, Physical↗
PubMed1991

Toy Control Program evaluation.

The Toy Control Program for the Apple IIe microcomputer is a software and hardware package developed for the training of single-switch scanning skills. The specially designed scanning programs provide on screen visual feedback and activate a battery-powered toy to reinforce performance. This study examined whether the training of preschool subjects in single-switch scanning skills with the Toy Control Program would result in increased task completion scores and increased levels of attention to task, as compared with conditions of toy activation only and microcomputer programs with screen reinforcement only. The results showed that the subjects paid significantly more attention to the toys as reinforcers (p less than .01). No significant difference was found for the performance results of the three conditions. These findings support the use of a program like the Toy Control Program, which integrates the instructional capabilities of a computer with the reinforcement potential of a toy and the creativity of a therapist.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1990

Comparative evaluation of chargers for wheelchair gel cell batteries.

This study was undertaken as part of our ongoing work to upgrade wheelchair quality. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine which battery chargers would ensure that the user's batteries are fully charged each night and also ensure that the battery lifetime was not diminished. Five commercial chargers were tested on a standardised pair of gel cell batteries of a type commonly used to power wheelchairs. Results of this study indicate a clear preference between chargers. As a result, we have changed the chargers we purchase. We anticipate that our clients will now experience longer life from their wheelchair gel cell batteries.

Electric Power Supplies↗
PubMed1989

Functional electrical stimulation for upper limb strengthening in traumatic quadriplegia.

The hypothesis of this study was that the functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted exercise of partially paralyzed arm muscles would result in significantly greater muscle strength in the arms of spinal cord injured quadriplegics than equal periods of conventional isotonic exercise. Single muscles were studied in seven subjects in a crossover design consisting of equal periods of FES-assisted exercise and conventional exercise. It was concluded that for these subjects using this exercise regime, neither FES-assisted exercise nor conventional exercise produced improvements in maximum voluntary force that were either statistically or functionally significant. The results, although disappointing, have helped these subjects to be more realistic about the potential therapeutic benefits of FES.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Testing of gel-electrolyte batteries for wheelchairs.

A simple test rig was developed to measure the capacity of the lead-acid gel-electrolyte batteries used to power wheelchairs. Results of 166 tests revealed a wide scatter of battery life with different users and also showed that, in many cases, the two batteries used in a wheelchair became unequal in charge capacity after some time in use. It is recommended that pairs of batteries should be charged in series to overcome this problem.

Electric Power Supplies↗
PubMed1987

Development of an Australian standard for wheelchair occupant restraint assemblies for motor vehicles.

An Australian Standard for Wheelchair Occupant Restraint Assemblies for Motor Vehicles has been produced. Titled Australian standard 2942-1987, Wheelchair Occupant Restraint Assemblies for Use in Motor Vehicles, it establishes design and performance requirements for these restraints, and includes details of dynamic testing procedures. Under the Standard, a lap belt is the basic occupant restraint required with the wheelchair restrained independently of the occupant. The Standard, instead of specifying a "standard" design for wheelchair occupant restraint assemblies, is intended to ensure effective crash protection for wheelchair occupants with a minimum of restriction on the design of restraints. It requires that instructions for installation and use of restraints be provided. Also included in the Standard is an advisory section providing general information for restraint users such as the types of wheelchairs best suited for use in vehicles. This appears to be the first national Standard for wheelchair occupant restraint assemblies for motor vehicles, and may well form the basis of similar standards elsewhere.

Australia↗
PubMed1985

Lumbar extension in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: effect on lateral curvature.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that a lumbar pad producing extension of the lumbar spine is of value in posture support seats for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Our method was to establish whether or not an increase in lumbar lordosis produced any increase in resistance to static lateral curvature of the supine lumbar spine. Nine boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were studied at an age when they were about to go into a wheelchair or had recently become wheelchair mobile. In each case the child lay supine on low-friction material on an x-ray table while the spine was flexed first to the right and then to the left, with and without a lumbar pad, by a predetermined force. The degree of lateral curvature was measured from anteroposterior radiographs. While lateral forces were applied when the boys were supine rather than seated, the results failed to show a difference in curvature with or without the lumbar pad.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Skill evaluator and trainer for electrically operated devices: an evaluation of the SET.

Our hypothesis was that the abilities of disabled people to control electrically-powered assistive devices could be reliably and objectively assessed by means of a portable, lightweight and inexpensive device, the Skill Evaluator and Trainer (SET), and that training on the SET would improve skill. Our approach was to use SET with a variety of interfaces and subject groups. SET produced a valid assessment of the skills of disabled people with particular interfaces, it improved skills when used as a training aid, and it was well accepted by clients and therapists.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Progression of equinus deformity in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

This study investigated the influence of orthoses, regular passive stretching, and surgery on progression of equinus deformity in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The extent of passive dorsiflexion on the right foot of ambulant and wheelchair-ambulatory patients was measured monthly with an electronic ankle goniometer calibrated to an accuracy of 1 degree. The mean rate of equinus progression was 0.4 degree per month during the 12-month study. Progression was less in those boys who had prior surgery and were older. Progression was slowest during the first five months of the study (when night splints were used more frequently) and greatest during a long vacation when regular passive stretching by physiotherapists and supervision of splinting were unavailable. These results, although based on a limited patient sample size, indicate that gains from use of orthoses and passive stretching can be lost in the absence of professional supervision.

Adolescent↗