UAIPD 13-0042

UAIPD 13-0042 Wheel Chair Cushion Monitor

Inventor: Edward Sazonov

Current Problems• Approximately 25% of acute spinal cord injury

(SCI) patients develop a pressure ulcer • Up to 80% of patients, overall, developing one at

some point during their life• Pressure ulcers most commonly develop over

bony prominences – Sacrum, ischium, heels, and trochanters as the

most common locations • Prevention is the optimal treatment for pressure

ulcers in SCI patients – Seated patients must be repositioned every 20 to

30 minutes to avoid prolonged pressure exposure– Pressure mapping is currently used to track weight

shifting– Methods for pressure mapping are very expensive

and not very accurate

• Novel cushion monitoring system – Detects prolonged pressure areas– Automatically mechanically

adjusts patients to prevent pressure ulcers

– Displays real time feedback to devices such as smartphones or tablets

Technology

• Automatic detection and adjusting of patients

• Real time feedback through user-friendly devices

• Measures patients body weight and physical activity – Does not require removing patient from

chair• Works with both manual and powered

chairs

Advantages

• Dr. Edward Sazonov– Associate Professor– Electrical and

Computer Engineering– 30+ publications– 2 patent applications

Inventor

esazonov@eng.ua.edu

Office for Technology Transfer720 2nd Ct E

Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

OTT@UA.eduwww.OTT.UA.edu