Evaluation of a Passive Back-Support Exoskeleton During In-Bed Patient Handling Tasks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alluri CSV ; Hawke AL ; Hwang J ; Zheng L
• Description:
  This study evaluated the effects of a back-support exoskeleton on the trunk and hip joint angles, lower back muscle activity and heart rate during four patient handling tasks: assisting a patient from sitting to lying, laterally repositioning the patient and turning the patient in two directions. Eight participants performed these tasks with and without the exoskeleton. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in the lower back muscle activity, but less pronounced effects for other tasks involving minimal trunk flexion. Hip flexion angles were reduced for all tasks when the exoskeleton was worn. The amount of reduction in the muscle activity and changes in the trunk and hip angles varied by task. The exoskeleton did not affect the heart rate across all tasks. The exoskeleton appeared to be more effective in tasks requiring substantial trunk flexion, indicating its potential benefits for reducing lower back muscle strain during such activities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Cardiovascular System Ergonomics Health Personnel Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Patient Handling Back-support Exoskeleton Biomechanics Electromyography Exoskeletons Health Care Workers Heart Rate Lifting MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Patient Handling

  More +
• ISSN:
  1080-3548
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Illinois ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  30
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070022
• Citation:
  Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2024 Dec; 30(4):1226-1233
• Contact Point Address:
  Jaejin Hwang, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Northern Illinois University, USA
• Email:
  jhwang3@niu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b53495eb98bc869c97fcd35ddef92ec8f7ffb24c4372b7e3045fb87c2a5ec0b62ebc6479e86e950398fd25ce7e943703476b935ec06a379543d7b144500166cd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208328/cdc_208328_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.99 MB ]