14 DAY TRIAL // Engineers at the University of Southampton (USouthampton) have recently developed a new type of crutch, one that features sensors alerting its wielder if it's using it properly or not. The force sensors on the new instrument can tell if the pressure applied on it is correctly distributed or not, and the three accelerometers can detect how the patient walks. Behind the study are USouthampton School of Electronics and Computer Science experts Professor Neil White and Dr. Geoff Merrett, who worked together with Southampton General Hospital physiotherapist Georgina Hallett, AlphaGalileo reports.
The instrument can also detect the amount of force that is being applied to the leg that is supposed to be protected by wearing the crutch, and also if the patients hold their hands properly on the crutch. The sensors and accelerometers are wirelessly connected to the computer. The data received is processed for accuracy, and a visual display alerts the patient if the position he or she is having is correct or not. The new device should not be too expensive, the team reveals, because it makes use of commercially available components, and accelerometers comparable to those found in Nintendo Wii consoles.
“A growing number of people are in need of physiotherapy, but reports from physiotherapists indicate that people do not always use crutches in the correct manner. Until now, there has been no way to monitor this, even though repeated incorrect use of the crutch could make the patient's injury worse,” Professor White explains the need for the new, innovative device.
“These crutches will make it much easier for patients to be taught how to use them properly, and how much weight they are allowed to put through their injured leg. This will help them to get out of hospital faster and also reduce their risk of further damaging an already injured leg by putting too much or too little weight through it,” Georgina Hallett adds. According to the scientists, the new crutch is at this point designed to be used solely in hospitals, under professional supervision.
However, they have plans to introduce models that can be taken and used by patients at home. They could be of tremendous use for people recovering from accidents, and could also be used in large numbers in retirement homes, by senior citizens.