LIFT-SUPPORT/FALLS-INTERVENTION SYSTEM FOR THE ELDERLY

THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL DETERMINE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITYAND NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS TO DEVELOP A CEILING-MOUNTED, BATTERY-POWERED, MOBILE PATIENT LIFE-SUPPORT AND FALLS-INTERVENTION SYSTEM. THIS ACTIVE SYSTEM WILL PRESERVETHE INHERENT SAFETY FEATURES OF THE PASSIVE FALL-SAFE FALLS-INTERVENTION SYSTEM ALREADY BEING DEVELOPED. ALTHOUGHDIRECTED TOWARD ELDERLY POPULATIONS, THIS NEW SYSTEM WOULD ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANT APPLICATIONS TO REHABILITATION POPULATIONS. THE PASSIVE FALL-SAFE SYSTEM HAS THE CAPABILITY FOR REDUCINGTHE ENERGY FOR IMPACT AND POTENTIAL INJURY DURING ACCIDENTALFALLS BY MORE THAN 95 PERCENT. THIS NEW PHASE I EFFORT WOULD BE A NATURAL EXTENSION OF THE EARLIER PROGRAM. A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED, FABRICATED, AND TESTED TO DETERMINE ITS PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS ACTIVE, MOBILE FALL-SAFE DEVICE WILL UTILIZE THE SAME OVERHEAD TRACK AND SUPPORT GARMENTS AND WILL PRESERVE THE INHERENT FAIL-SAFE FEATURES THAT WERE DEVELOPED EARLIER FOR THE PASSIVE DEVICE. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ACTIVE SYSTEM WOULD EXTEND THE APPLICATION OF THE FALL-SAFE SYSTEM TO ELDERLY PATIENTS' ROOMS AND DAILY CARE OF REHABILITATION POPULATIONS, PROVIDE FOR SAFER PATIENT LIFTING AND CARE, ANDREDUCE NURSING ATTENDANT INJURY.