Low Force Wheelchair Handrim

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Many surfaces can be difficult for manual wheelchair users to negotiate. Carpets, lawns, door thresholds, loose soil, etc. can make manual propulsion challenging. These surfaces can be especially troublesome to the many wheelchair users that have low strength, or are elderly, or have wrist, shoulder, elbow pain or injury. The exercise of self-propulsion is very important to the long-term heath of wheelchair users. Nextek is pursuing a lightweight, unobtrusive, and inexpensive manual wheelchair wheel with a low force handrim that may help users negotiate these troublesome surfaces. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Low Force Wheelchair Handrim could provide manual wheelchair users with a mechanism that improves their ability to self-propel over challenging surfaces.