1A1-E24 Realization of Patient-Transfer Tasks Using Nursing-Care Assistant Robot RIBA and Its Safety Measures

In aging societies, there is a strong demand for robotics to tackle with problems caused by the aging population. Patient transfer, such as lifting and moving a bedridden patient from a bed to a wheelchair and back, is one of the most physically challenging tasks in nursing care, the burden of which should be reduced by the introduction of robot technologies. To this end, we have developed a new prototype robot named RIBA having human-type arms with tactile sensors. RIBA succeeded in transferring a human from a bed to a wheelchair and back. The tactile sensors play important roles in sensor feedback and detection of instructions from the operator. In this paper, after outlining the concept and specifications of RIBA, we will explain the tactile information processing, its application to tactile feedback and instruction detection, and safety measures to realize patient transfer. The results of patient transfer experiments are also reported.

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Design and Compliant Control of a Piggyback Transfer Robot

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics ◽

10.1115/1.4052700 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-54

Author(s):

Yuxin Liu ◽

Shijie Guo ◽

Yuting Yin ◽

Zhiwen Jiang ◽

Teng Liu

Keyword(s):

Subjective Evaluation ◽

Objective Evaluation ◽

Patient Transfer ◽

Test Results ◽

Passive Stiffness ◽

Control Approach ◽

Challenging Tasks ◽

Compliant Control ◽

Stiffness Control ◽

Transfer Tasks

Abstract Patient transfer, such as lifting and moving a bedridden patient from a bed to a wheelchair or a pedestal pan, is one of the most physically challenging tasks in nursing care. Although many transfer devices have been developed, they are rarely used because of the large time consumption in performing transfer tasks and the lack of safety and comfortableness. We developed a piggyback transfer robot that can conduct patient transfer by imitating the motion when a person holds another person on his/her back. The robot consisted of a chest holder that moves like a human back. In this paper, we present an active stiffness control approach for the motion control of the chest holder, combined with a passive cushion, for lifting a care-receiver comfortably. A human-robot dynamic model was built and a subjective evaluation was conducted to optimize the parameters of both the active stiffness control and the passive cushion of the chest holder. The test results of 10 subjects demonstrated that the robot could transfer a subject safely and the combination of active stiffness and passive stiffness were essential to a comfortable transfer. The objective evaluation demonstrated that an active stiffness of k= 4 kPa/mm along with a passive stiffness lower than the stiffness of human chest was helpful for a comfort feeling.

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Evaluation of Different Patient Transfer Devices in Reducing Biomechanical Exposures among Professional Caregivers

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931218621214 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 933-937

Author(s):

Jaejin Hwang ◽

Veera Aneesh Kuppam ◽

Subhramanya Suryanarayana Raju Chodraju ◽

Jie Chen ◽

Jeong Ho Kim

Keyword(s):

Upper Extremity ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Patient Transfer ◽

Erector Spinae ◽

Low Back ◽

Pull Force ◽

Engineering Controls ◽

Full Force ◽

Transfer Tasks

This study systematically investigated the efficacy of commercially-available patient transfer devices (a slide sheet, slide board, air-assisted device, and conventional draw sheet) in reducing biomechanical exposures during standardized lateral patient transfer tasks. A repeated-measures laboratory study with 10 experienced caregivers (9 females and 1 male) was conducted to measure the muscle activity in the upper extremity (flexor digitorum superficialis, extensor digitorum communis, biceps, triceps, and trapezius) and low back (erector spinae), and hand pull force and during standardized lateral patient transfer tasks with four different commercially-available transfer devices. The results showed that there were significant differences between the transfer devices in muscle activity (p’s < 0.01) and hand pull force (p < 0.01). The air-assisted device showed the largest reduction of muscle activities and hand pull force. The slide board also showed lower muscle activities and hand full force as compared to the slide sheet and conventional draw sheet; however, limited differences in muscle activity and hand pull force were found between the slide sheet and conventional draw sheet. These findings indicate that the air-assisted device and slide board may be effective engineering controls to reduce the biomechanical exposures and associated injury risks in the upper extremity and low back among caregivers.

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The biomechanical evaluation of patient transfer tasks by female nursing students: With and without a transfer belt

Applied Ergonomics ◽

10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102940 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 82 ◽

pp. 102940

Author(s):

Kin Cheung ◽

Jay Dai ◽

Chun Lok Cheung ◽

Hung Kai Cho ◽

Yan Lam Chow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Patient Transfer ◽

Biomechanical Evaluation ◽

Transfer Tasks

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2A2-U06 Development of High-functionality Nursing-care Assistant Robot ROBEAR for Patient-transfer and Standing Assistance

The Proceedings of JSME annual Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (Robomec) ◽

10.1299/jsmermd.2015._2a2-u06_1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 (0) ◽

pp. _2A2-U06_1-_2A2-U06_3

Author(s):

Changan JIANG ◽

Shinya HIRANO ◽

Toshiharu MUKAI ◽

Hiromichi NAKASHIMA ◽

Kazuya MATSUO ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nursing Care ◽

Patient Transfer

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Effects of passive back-support exoskeletons on physical demands and usability during patient transfer tasks

Applied Ergonomics ◽

10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103373 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 93 ◽

pp. 103373

Author(s):

Jaejin Hwang ◽

Venkata Naveen Kumar Yerriboina ◽

Hemateja Ari ◽

Jeong Ho Kim

Keyword(s):

Patient Transfer ◽

Physical Demands ◽

Transfer Tasks

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Effect of Parameters on Lumbar Compressive Force during Patient Transfer

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112411622 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (24) ◽

pp. 11622

Author(s):

Xiaohan Xiang ◽

Yoji Yamada ◽

Yasuhiro Akiyama ◽

Hibiki Nakamura ◽

Naoki Kudo

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Quantitative Assessment ◽

Compressive Force ◽

Assessment Method ◽

Patient Transfer ◽

Lumbar Region ◽

Low Back ◽

Transfer Tasks

Patient transfer (PT) tasks are a significant cause of low back pain (LBP) in caregivers. Adopting proper motion strategies is an effective and inexpensive approach to reduce the risk of LBP. However, since the standardization of PT tasks is not specified in ISO 11228, there is an increasing need to develop a quantitative assessment method for the lumbar safety of caregivers. Therefore, we aim to determine the effect of representative factors, extracted from caregivers’ movements and of external force, on peak compressive force (CF) in patient transfer tasks using the lumbar compressive force as a criterion. The CF at the lumbar region is estimated using a biomechanical simulator, and regression analysis is performed between the estimated CF and representative factors. The results imply that peak CF occurs in the incipience of transfer and occurs after the occurrence of the peak trunk angle. The results also indicate that the peak CF can be reduced by preventing the representative factors from simultaneously reaching the maximum values. In this study, we provide a method of reducing peak CF by estimating the timing and magnitude of the peak to help caregivers assess the severity of LBP risk in actual PT, which is expected to contribute to the standardization of PT tasks.

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