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Seeking information about assistive technology: Exploring current practices, challenges, and the need for smarter systems

DANEMAYER, Jamie
HOLLOWAY, Cathy
CHO, Youngjun
BERTHOUZE, Nadia
SINGH, Aneesha
BHOT, William
DIXON, Ollie
GROBELNIK, Marko
SHAWE-TAYLOR, John
September 2023

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Assistive technology (AT) information networks are insular among stakeholder groups, causing unequal access to information. Participants often cited fragmented international marketplaces as a barrier and valued info-sharing across industries. Current searches produce biased results in marketplaces influenced by commercial interests and high-income contexts. Smart features could facilitate searching, update centralised data sources, and disseminate information more inclusively.

 

International Journal of Human - Computer Studies, Volume 177, September 2023, 103078

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103078

Additive manufacturing techniques for smart prosthetic liners

OLDFREY, Ben
TCHORZEWSKA, A
JACKSON, R
CROYSDALE, M
LOUREIRO, R
HOLLOWAY, Catherine
MIODOWNICK, M
January 2021

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Elastomeric liners are commonly worn between the prosthetic socket and the limb. A number of improvements to the state of the art of liner technology are required to address outstanding problems. A liner that conforms to the residuum more accurately, may improve the skin health at the stump-socket interface. Previous work has shown that for effective thermal management of the socket environment, an active heat removal system is required, yet this is not available. Volume tracking of the stump could be used as a diagnostic tool for looking at the changes that occur across the day for all users, which depend on activity level, position, and the interaction forces of the prosthetic socket with the limb. We believe that it would be advantageous to embed these devices into a smart liner, which could be replaced and repaired more easily than the highly costly and labour-intensive custom-made socket. This paper presents the work to develop these capabilities in soft material technology, with: the development of a printable nanocomposite stretch sensor system; a low-cost digital method for casting bespoke prosthetic liners; a liner with an embedded stretch sensor for growth / volume tracking; a model liner with an embedded active cooling system.

 

Medical Engineering & Physics, Volume 87, January 2021, Pages 45-55

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2020.11.006

 

 

 

Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America : new advances in prosthetics and orthotics

KRAFT, George H
BOSWELL, Mark H
Eds
February 2006

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"This issue reviews the biomechanical assessment of the lower limb as well as discussing new dynamic lower limb orthoses used to compensate for weakness. Although lower limb amputations are less common than in the past, they still occur, and new developments are discussed. These include new developments in postoperative management, new socket designs and suspensions, new prostheses, and microprocessors for knee units. One of the newest concepts discussed is the use of the Lokomat robotic gait orthosis for gait retraining. The most striking of the new developments in upper limb prosthetics is the work done on myoelectric designs with myoelectric implants as a means of control. These are discussed in detail by a physician and prosthetist familiar with these topics. Other important topics are also covered. These include scoliosis treatment using spinal orthoses, orthotic management of the limb suffering from neuropathic pain, and the use of prosthetics in pediatric amputations"
Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, Vol 17, No 1

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