ABSTRACT

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on enhancing the efficiency of using crutches to walk. Walking with crutches requires significantly more energy than walking without a crutch, yet most of the recent advances have only focused on making crutches more comfortable. Enhanced crutch walking efficiency is important because it can increase independence, improve stability, and reduce fatigue in the approximately six million individuals that rely on crutches for daily mobility. This project will result in a feasible design for a kinetic crutch tip that makes crutch walking more efficient without requiring any external power. It can also help users maintain control when walking down a slope by reducing their speed. The kinetic crutch tip is expected to help existing crutch users gain additional mobility and allow more people to use crutches instead of wheelchairs and other more sedentary assistive devices that do not encourage the same level of daily activity.

This project addresses several technology gaps as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. Conventional crutch tips have a standard point or constant radius tip that cannot assist the user during walking; all forward progression forces must be generated by the user pushing themselves forward over the crutch. In contrast, the kinetic crutch tip uses a special shape to predictably redirect the user's downward force into a propulsive force that assists the individual in forward ambulation. This assistance is provided passively, so no motors or power supplies are required. The assistance force helps the individual use less energy while moving forward over level ground and when walking uphill. The crutch tip shape can be rotated to reverse the assistance force and provide a more controlled descent down a hill by reducing the user's momentum. The scientific challenge of this project lies in determining precisely what roll-over crutch tip shape should be used for each of the four commonly used crutch gait patterns and how the tip affects the gait dynamics and energy used during each crutch gait. The focus will be on the unstable and fast-moving swing-through crutch gait predominately used by short-term crutch users and on the more stable and slow-moving 2- 3- and 4-point crutch gait patterns typically used by long-term disabled individuals. The combination of engineering, physical therapy, and business start-up expertise on this project enables the development of this new method to assist individuals that rely on crutches to walk. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students involved in this project will receive experiences in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The project engages two partners to advance this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality. Tao Life Sciences will guide the commercialization aspects by identifying the market segment(s) to focus on and will help in redesigning the research prototypes that have shown success in the lab for larger-scale testing focused on the identified customer segment. The engineering and design related to this project will be presented to the general public through a collaboration with the Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa, FL) where an exhibit will highlight research into assistive and rehabilitation technologies. Visitors will be able try out the different types of crutches and learn about the difficulties that individuals with impairments have in performing simple daily tasks.

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