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Biomedical subjects

D A Carus

Publications and source records attributed to D A Carus.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

The design of a five-degree-of-freedom powered orthosis for the upper limb.

In response to the need for a sophisticated powered upper-limb orthosis for use by people with disabilities and/or limb weakness or injury, the MULOS (motorized upper-limb orthotic system) has been developed. This is a five-degree-of-freedom electrically powered device having three degrees of freedom at the shoulder, one at the elbow and one to provide pronation/supination. The shoulder mechanism consists of a serial linkage having an equivalent centre of rotation close to that of the anatomical shoulder; this is a self-contained module in which power transmission is provided by tensioned cables. The elbow and pronation/supination modules are also self-contained. The system has been designed to operate under three modes of control: 1. As an assistive robot attached directly to the arm to provide controlled movements for people with severe disability. In this case, it can be operated by a variety of control interfaces, including a specially designed five-degree-of-freedom joystick. 2. Continuous passive motion for the therapy of joints after injury. The trajectory of the joints is selected by 'walk-through' programming and can be replayed for a given number of cycles at a chosen speed. 3. As an exercise device to provide strengthening exercises for elderly people or those recovering from injury or surgery. This mode has not been fully implemented at this stage. In assistive mode, prototype testing has demonstrated that the system can provide the movements required for a range of simple tasks and, in continuous passive motion (CPM) mode, the programming system has been successfully implemented. Great attention has been paid to all aspects of safety. Future work is required to identify problems of operation, and to develop new control interfaces.

Arm↗
PubMed1996

Dynamics of the upper limb during performance of the tasks of everyday living--a review of the current knowledge base.

This paper provides a brief review of the published literature on the subject of kinematics and kinetics of the human arm and shoulder mechanism, specifically when performing the tasks of everyday living. Surprisingly, only a small number of papers covering functional analysis of the arm were found, and the majority of these were concerned only with the kinematics of the elbow and lower arm. Differences in experimental method and a lack of consensus as to how to model the joint axes of the human arm make the results difficult to compare. Results are normally only presented in the form of angular excursion of the arm segments, with only one paper providing data on angular velocities and accelerations. The results of the different analyses suggest that the human arm is adaptive (due to its inherent mechanical redundancy), showing the ability to perform the same tasks using differing kinematic strategies. Therefore, the principal interest for the designer of upper limb orthoses should be the work-space defined by the start and end points of the hand, and the maintenance of the desired hand orientation when performing these tasks.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

Development of a universal wheelchair narrower.

A wheelchair user's mobility may be hampered by narrow doorways and restricted turning spaces. Mobility may be improved by undertaking expensive building alterations in the wheelchair user's own home and work environment. However, other environments, including modes of public transport, may still present considerable difficulties. One way of improving mobility is to reduce the overall width of a wheelchair with the occupant still seated within it. This is achieved by using a clamp, known as a "wheelchair narrower" which can be fitted and operated either by the wheelchair user or an attendant. The narrower takes advantage of the inherent design of a wheelchair which permits folding for storage. A universal wheelchair narrower was manufactured and tested at Tayside Rehabilitation Engineering Services. It was designed to be used on 69% of wheelchairs issued through the National Health Service in Scotland. Tests revealed that wheelchairs could be narrowed by between 38 and 127 mm depending upon the type of wheelchair. Active wheelchair users reported that the device was particularly useful when travelling.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1988

A simple inexpensive post-operative management regime following surgery for Dupuytren's contracture.

A simple regime has been devised for the post-operative management of patients following surgery for Dupuytren's contracture; this includes splintage of the hand for two weeks and active and passive mobilisation by the patient according to precise instructions. Selective help was provided by minimal occupational therapy in 5 of 50 patients. The results of the method were assessed prospectively by subjective criteria and objective assessment by measuring the deformity of the finger joints, lateral and tip pinch and grasp and shear forces.

Dupuytren Contracture↗
PubMed1986

Custom moulded plastic spinal orthoses.

A review of fifty patients with wide ranging clinical conditions who had been fitted with one-piece moulded plastic spinal orthoses was carried out to determine prescription criteria for these orthoses. The review showed that patients with scoliosis (idiopathic and paralytic), kyphoscoliosis, as well as a selected number of patients with low back pain derive benefit. Patients with kyphosis and localized vertebral body disease are unlikely to gain benefit since they commonly cannot tolerate the excessive skin pressures which occur as a consequence of the corrective and distractive forces applied by the devices.

Back Pain↗
PubMed1985

Clinical assessment of hand strength using a microcomputer.

A microcomputer based system has been designed for precise, objective quantification of hand strength. Pinch, grasp and shear strengths are measured using force transducers. The system, which is quick and easy to operate, not only measures these strengths accurately, but also collects, stores and displays this data numerically or in graphical form, at the touch of a button. The data can be manipulated to answer any type of statistical question related to any group of patients. The assessment of hand strength in ninety-six people, representing normal hand function, by means of this system, is reported.

Adolescent↗