assistive technologies october/november 2010

By Dominic Musgrave

LIGHTNING fast connections between roboticlimbs and the human brain may be withinreach for injured soldiers and other amputeeswith the establishment of a multi-milliondollar research centre.Led by scientists at Southern MethodistUniversity and funded by a Department ofDefense initiative, the $5.6million Neuro-photonics Research Center will develop two-way fibre optic communication betweenprosthetic limbs and peripheral nerves.Marc Christensen, Center director andelectrical engineering chair at the University’sLyle School of Engineering, said theconnection will be key to operating realisticrobotic arms, legs and hands that not onlymove like the real thing, but also ‘feel’sensations like pressure and heat.He added: “Enhancing human performancewith modern digital technologies is one ofthe great frontiers in engineering“Providing this kind of port to the nervoussystem will enable not only realistic prostheticlimbs, but also can be applied to treat spinalcord injuries and an array of neurologicaldisorders. Every movement or sensation ahuman being is capable of has a nerve signalat its root. The reason we feel heat isbecause a nerve is stimulated, telling the

brain there's heat there.” Successful completion of the fibre optic linkwill allow for sending signals seamlesslybetween the brain and artificial limbs,allowing amputees revolutionary freedom ofmovement and agility. The goal of the Centeris to develop a link compatible with livingtissue that will connect powerful computertechnologies to the human nervous systemthrough hundreds or even thousands ofsensors embedded in a single fibre.Marc said that unlike experimental electronicnerve interfaces made of metal, fibre optictechnology would not be rejected ordestroyed by the body’s immune system.He added: “Team members have beendeveloping the individual pieces of thesolution over the past few years, but withthis new funding we are able to push thetechnology forward into an integratedsystem that works at the cellular level.“The ultimate combination of advancedoptical nerve stimulation and nerve-sensingtechnologies will create a complete, two-wayinterface that does not currently exist. It willrevolutionise the field of brain interfaces.Science fiction writers have long imaginedthe day when the understanding andintuition of the human brain could beenhanced by the lightning speed ofcomputing technologies.”

‘Lightning fastconnections maybe within reach’

A star-studded line-up of pop singers raised more than £500,000for Help for Heroes in a spectacular charity concert held atTwickenham Stadium. Performers included Robbie Williams, GaryBarlow, Tom Jones (pictured), Pixie Lott, Katherine Jenkins, TheSaturdays, Alesha Dixon, former Army officer James Blunt andAlexandra Burke. 60,000 fans packed the stadium, includingmilitary guests from the rehabilitation centre at Headley Court.

Picture: Gary Kearney

INNOVATION FOR INDEPENDENCE ISSUE 75 October/November 10 £6.95

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ContactsEditorialAndrew Harrod Group [email protected]

Dominic Musgrave Healthcare EditorEmail: [email protected] Tel: 01226 734407

Sales Christine Daly-Sadler Assistant Product ManagerEmail: [email protected] Tel: 01226 734412 Fax: 01226 734478

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[email protected] hour hotline: 01226 734695

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Whilst every effort ismade to ensure the accuracy of all contents,the publishers do notaccept liability for anyerror, printed or otherwise, that may occur.

www.assistivetechnologies.co.uk

If you’ve got a story for us please ring our healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave on 01226 734407 or email: [email protected]

Programme toboost healthwith innovativetechnologiesBy Dominic Musgrave

THE University of Warwick has joinedforces with NHS West Midlands tocreate the new Institute of DigitalHealthcare.

The five-year programme based inthe new International DigitalLaboratory is aimed at improvingpeople’s health and wellbeingthrough the use of innovativetechnologies.

The Institute is led by two co-directors, professor of eHealthinnovation Jeremy Wyatt andprofessor of healthcare technologyChristopher James.

Jeremy said the Institute is tackling anumber of issues, including the useof monitoring and communicationdevices to support people in theirown homes, and improving thecommunication within and betweenhealth and social care teams.

He added: “After many pilot studies,we are now in a position to designand carry out large scale rigoroustrials to answer key generic questionsabout how health systems shoulduse these technologies to improvethe quality, efficiency and safety of

their services for people with longterm conditions.

“We will be working with the localNHS, small businesses and others togenerate the evidence needed tohelp policy makers, clinicians andpatients decide how to invest in andmake best use of these new digitalhealthcare technologies.

“This unique partnership provides uswith insight to design, develop,deploy and evaluate a wide range ofhealthcare technologies to address arange of healthcare scenarios.”

As part of the Institute’s launch,there are a series of internationalconferences planned over the nextfew years. The first, Advances inDigital Healthcare: Telehealth andMobile Health, will take place onOctober 7.

The aim is to review researchactivities and achievement intelehealth and mobile health in theWest Midlands and beyond.

The conference will include invitedspeakers presenting on key aspectsof digital healthcare as well as avariety of oral presentations andposters.

A JOINT project is looking into howlistening to a regular beat could helpstroke survivors improve theirwalking and reduce the risk of a fall.

The new study by researchers fromthe University of Birmingham andthe University of Worcester has beenlaunched to find out how the use ofa metronome, a device used bymusicians to keep to a beat, couldaid stroke patients.

According to the Department ofHealth every year approximately110,000 people in England have astroke, which is the single largestcause of adult disability.

Dr Rachel Wright, post doctoralresearch fellow at the University ofBirmingham’s School of Psychology,said about 80 per cent of peoplewho have had a stroke suffer adegree of muscle weaknessassociated with one side, whichcould lead to an uneven walkingpattern.

She added: “An uneven walk canlead to a greater risk of a fall, andonce someone has suffered a fallthey can be fearful of falling again.

“This can prevent people fromparticipating in activities that theyonce enjoyed because they are soworried about falling over.

“Through this research we hope tolook at how the use of a metronomecan help to regulate a strokepatient’s walk and help them toachieve symmetry.”

Rachel is currently looking for stroke

survivors to take part in the research,which will take place at University ofWorcester’s state-of-the-art MotionPerformance Centre.

She added: “We hope that theresults will be used to design ahome-based exercise programmewhich stroke survivors can use aspart of their rehabilitation.”

The three-year project is beingfunded by The Stroke Association,and research liaison officer Dr SharlinAhmed says they are looking forwardto hearing how it progresses.

She added: “For many strokesurvivors walking speed is reducedsignificantly after a stroke andwalking with ease, in a straight linecan be incredibly difficult.

“It’s great that further research isbeing carried out in this area andnew techniques are being exploredto help stroke survivors with theirongoing recovery.”

Dr Rachel Wright assesses a patient

Metronome couldhelp stroke survivors

SEVERELY injured troops from Headley Court crewed aboat at the annual Cowes Week yachting regatta.

The boat 'British Soldier', operated by the charity Toe inthe Water, is now in its third season. It was launched togive military personnel recovering from injuries at thedefence medical rehabilitation centre the opportunity toaccelerate the process by competitive race sailing.

Seven of the 22-man squad were from Headley Court,with injuries ranging from shattered hands and missingcalf muscles to amputated limbs.

Tanya Brookfield, the charity's director and one of thefounders, said the rolling motion of the sea can often helpservice personnel that would otherwise struggle with theirbalance on terra firma.

She added: ‘We are not about disabled sailing; you won'tfind us using specially adapted boats or anything like that.It's all about putting these people up against able-bodiedcrews in a highly competitive race sailing environment.”

Private Dean Caudley, who lost his left leg in a roadside bombincident in Afghanistan, competes at Cowes Week.

Picture: Chris Fletcher

Injured servicemen crew boat at yachting regatta

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A TRIPLE amputee was among 60adrenaline seekers whoconducted a parachute jump overWiltshire to raise money forsoldiers, former soldiers and theirfamilies.

Corporal Andy Reid, from 3rdBattalion The Yorkshire Regiment,suffered severe injuries from animprovised device while serving inAfghanistan last autumn.

As a result of the explosion helost both legs and his right arm.He is receiving ongoing treatmentfor his left arm, which was alsodamaged and is now fitted with ametal plate.

Andy, who jumped with aspecially qualified tandeminstructor, said The Soldiers'

Charity helped adapt his homefor wheelchair use.

He added: “I just want to proveto people and other soldiers thatjust because you're injured itdoesn't stop you having a normallife doing things. Whatever youwant to do you can still carry onand do it.

“When you jump, you can’t seethe ground. It's just a massiveadrenaline rush as you popthrough the clouds and you seethe earth rushing towards you.

“It was awesome. I always knew Icould get back and do this sort ofthing but I never thought itwould be this soon.”

Those taking part jumped from

up to 13,000 feet (4,000m), withapproximately 45 seconds offreefall. At 5,000 feet (1,500m),the instructor opened theparachute, giving a five-minutecanopy ride over the Wiltshirecountryside.

Andy added: “I wouldn't callmyself a hero. There are people inworse condition than myself. ButI hope I do inspire other people toget on with their lives. It’s been abit of a challenge. Getting upthere into the plane and learningwhat to do. It has been achallenge, every day's a challengereally, but you just take them onboard and get over them.”

The event aimed to raise at least£12,000 for charity.

Army amputee takesthe plunge for charity

Occupationaltherapistsuspendedfor 12 monthsAN occupational therapist has beensuspended from the HealthProfessions Council Register for ayear.

Victoria Headley failed to meetadequate standards in clinicalreports, failed to prioritise workload which resulted in patients’discharges being delayed and failed to communicate effectivelywith patients while employed by the Central Essex CommunityServices.

A panel of the HPC’s conduct andcompetence committee heard howVictoria admitted to conducting aninappropriate relationship with aclient who was receiving treatmentfrom the Acorn programme, anintense psychotherapy programmefor women.

It further heard that she wasallocated a caseload of 25 per centof that expected of other band five occupational therapists in theservice.

Panel chair Jacki Pearce said thatdespite full time support andsupervision from the line manager,the registrant failed to workeffectively and to manage hercaseload.

She added: “The Panel has beenpresented with evidence whichindicates that the registrantcooperated fully throughout theformal supervision period and thatthere were some improvements inthe registrant’s practice duringsupervision, but these were notsustained.

“The Panel has concluded that theregistrant’s failings amount to a lackof competence as opposed to adeliberate act on the part of theregistrant.”

Victoria was neither present norrepresented at the hearing.

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Hip op praise for hospitalBASILDON Hospital has beenpraised for the way it cares forpatients needing hip operations.

An in-depth report, published bythe Royal College of Surgeons, hasfound the hospital’s “shared care”approach to dealing with hipfracture patients, has resulted infewer patients dying as a result ofthe operation.

The approach sees different medicsgoing together on ward rounds tohelp assess patients and put themat ease.

As a result the hospital’s mortalityrisk ratio has gone from thenational average of eight per centto just under five per cent.

Rob Wakeman, a lead clinician inorthopaedic surgery and aconsultant orthopaedic surgeon atBasildon Hospital, works with DrShilpa Raje, a consultantgeriatrician, to assess patients.

He said: “The shared careapproach is important, as it allowsour patients to get a better all-round health assessment.

“We can spot any potentialproblems, which might affectrecovery, such as chest infections.

“If good medical care andrehabilitation follow promptsurgery, it allows early recoveryand the patient can get homequicker.”

The report shows that at BasildonHospital:

� 85 per cent of patients have apre-operative assessment by ageriatrician, physician or specialistnurse (compared to 62 per centnationally).

� 97 per cent of patients have aspecialist fall risk assessment(compared to 63 per centnationally).

� 99.7 per cent of patients have abone health assessment and

treatment, before going home.More than 80 per cent havecontinual bone health assessmentsonce admitted to hospital(compared to 76 per centnationally).

� 98 per cent of patients have abone health protection and fallsassessment to prevent furtherinjury (compared to 71 per centnationally).

Rob added: “Hip fractures arethreatening to overwhelm traumaand orthopaedic units, and it is the

responsibility of clinicians andmanagers to work together tocome up with solutions to improvepatient care in their hospital.

“We are seeing lots of evidencefrom around the UK that bigimprovements in the quality of hipfracture care can be achieved in ashort space of time.

“It is vital that those few units thatare still under-performing use thisguidance and the examples of bestpractice to improve services in linewith the rest of the UK.”

Rob Wakeman

Mobility study invitation to stroke patientsSTROKE patients are being invited totake part in a study which is lookingat rehabilitation and mobility.The new scheme being run fromLincoln County Hospital in conjunc-tion with Nottingham Clinical TrialsUnit, is aimed at improving physicalmobility, confidence, motivation andself-belief in stroke patients.The outdoor mobility programme hasbeen developed to help torehabilitate people after a stroke,

and all participants will receivewritten and verbal help on mobility,including information on localtransport.Half of the participants will alsoreceive individually-targeted outdoormobility therapy.The aim of the study is to seewhether this kind of outdoor therapycan help people to get out of thehouse more often and overcometheir mental as well as physical

difficulties following a stroke.Consultant physician Dr Simon Leachis heading the study, which is beingcarried out in collaboration withNottingham Clinical Trials Unit.Senior occupational therapist atLincoln County Hospital, DebbieMcRobbie, is working closely with DrLeach to coordinate the research.She said: “Many of the strokepatients I see have problems gettingback to normal activities after their

stroke, especially going outside oftheir houses.“This project is a fantasticopportunity for stroke patients toreceive help in getting out and aboutmore often and also take part insomething that will improve localrehabilitation services.”The study is running from now untilApril 2011. All information collectedwill be entirely confidential and usedonly for the purpose of this research.

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By Dominic Musgrave

THE scientists at the Georgia Instituteof Technology say the strongerconnection, created by manipulatingsignals the body's own cells use toencourage growth, could allow theimplants to last longer.

Implants coated with "flowerbouquet" clusters of an engineeredprotein that mimics the body's owncell-adhesion material fibronectinmade 50 per cent more contact withthe surrounding bone than implantscoated with protein pairs orindividual strands.

The cluster-coated implants werefixed in place more than twice assecurely as plugs made from baretitanium, which is how joints arecurrently attached.

Researchers believe the biologically-inspired material improves bonegrowth around the implant andstrengthens the attachment andintegration of the implant to thebone.

The work also shows for the firsttime that biomaterials presentingbiological sequences clusteredtogether at the nanoscale enhancecell adhesion signals.

Professor Andres Garcia said theenhanced signals result in higherlevels of bone cell differentiation inhuman stem cells, and promotebetter integration of biomaterialimplants into bone.

He added: “By clustering theengineered fibronectin piecestogether, we were able to create anamplified signal for attractingintegrins, receptors that attached tothe fibronectin and directed andenhanced bone formation around

the implant.

“Total knee and hip replacementstypically last about 15 years until thecomponents wear down or loosen.For many younger patients, thismeans a second surgery to replacethe first artificial joint.

“With approximately 40 per cent ofthe 712,000 total hip and kneereplacements in the United States in2004 performed on younger patients 45-64 years old, improvingthe lifetime of the titanium jointsand creating a better connectionwith the bone becomes extremely

important.”

In this study, Georgia Tech School ofChemistry and Biochemistryprofessor David Collard and hisstudents coated clinical-gradetitanium with a high density ofpolymer strands kin to the bristles ona toothbrush.

Andres and Tim Petrie, a formergraduate student, modified thepolymer to create three or five self-assembled tethered clusters of theengineered fibronectin, whichcontained the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence to

which integrins binds.

The researchers also tested thefixation of the implants by measuring the amount of forcerequired to pull the implants out ofthe bone.

Implants coated with three and five-strand tethered clusters of theengineered fibronectin fragmentdisplayed 250 per cent highermechanical fixation over theindividual strand and pairs coatings,and a 400 per cent improvementcompared to the unmodifiedpolymer coating.

Researchers in America have developed an improved coating technique that could strengthen theconnection between titanium joint-replacement implants and a patient’s own bone. DominicMusgrave found out more.

Coating could allowimplants to last longer

Andres Garcia and David Collard The titanium implant attachment with the protein coating on

£1m unit improves stroke survival chancesSTROKE patients' survival chancesand recovery in Leicestershire havebeen improved thanks to a new £1munit.

The new facility at Leicester Royal, which has 36 beds on two wards as well as physiotherapyand occupational therapy areas, means patients do not have to travel elsewhere to betreated.

Doctors said the changes would

increase the number of patients whoreceived thrombolysis clot-bustingdrugs, which must be given withinthree hours of the onset of a stroketo be most effective.

It also means patients can receive abrain scan more quickly.

Martin Fotherby, head of the strokeservice at Leicester's hospitals, saidscans must be carried out within anhour to diagnose what type of strokea patient has suffered, so treatment

can be better targeted.

He added: “The benefits for ourpatients are enormous. Stroke is theleading cause of adult disability sowhen someone suffers a strokegetting them the right treatment assoon as possible is crucial.

“The changes mean there is always aspecialist stroke team to assess andtreat patients 24 hours a day.

“It also means more patients who are

suitable will be able to havethrombolysis treatment. It can makea big difference to their chance ofrecovery.”

The clinic which deals with transientischaemic attacks (TIA), known as aminor or mini stroke, has also movedto the infirmary.

The changes to stroke services willalso see 15 new stroke rehabilitationbeds being offered to city patientsfor targeted therapy.

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A ROMANIAN orphan has receivedsurgery to straighten her severelydeformed leg at the NuffieldOrthopaedic Centre following a six-month fundraising campaign byhospital staff.Nicoletta Vizi, 19, first met paediatricconsultants Mrs Rachel Buckinghamand Mr Andy Wainwright when theytravelled to the country last year totreat orphans. They flew out with the charityFoundation for the Relief of DisabledOrphans (FRODO) in June 2009 andspent a week assessing around 20children, including Nicoletta. Tworeceived surgery while others weregiven specialist physiotherapy.Due to the complexity of Nicoletta'scase the surgeons felt that shewould benefit from being operatedon in the UK as she walked withdifficulty, dragging her right leg thatwas almost back to front.Staff at the hospital, led by directorof HR Bev Edgar, co-ordinated a

fundraising campaign andsuccessfully raised the £5,000needed to bring Nicoletta to the UK,and she has had the four-houroperation needed to straighten herleg.Vanessa Cummings, chief executiveof FRODO, said: “Thanks to the skilland caring attitude of surgeons AndyWainwright and Rachel Buckingham– and the whole team at the Nuffield– Nicoletta's dream has come true. “When she first saw her leg inplaster – her straight leg – she burstinto tears. Tears of joy, and sincethen has not stopped smiling. Herlife for the future offers all sorts ofnew possibilities, and this is one girlwho is going to take them on.”Nicoletta will fly back to Romaniashortly, and will remain in a plastercast for six weeks. She will thenrequire physiotherapy to enable herto gain strength with her leg in thenew position.

Nicoletta withHR director Bev

Edgar andFRODO chief

executiveVanessa

Cummings.

Orphan’s dreamcomes truethanks to team

MANCHESTER Metropolitan Universityis launching a degree in acupunctureby popular demand.Academics say the ancient Chinesehealth treatment is increasingly beingused in the NHS and professionaltraining is necessary.Pennie Roberts, head of theUniversity’s health professionsdepartment, said: “BSc (Hons)Acupuncture is aimed at providing a

qualification in acupuncture to serve as a basis for professionalpractice.“The National Institute of ClinicalExcellence has recommended thetreatment for dealing with back painand its use has become verywidespread in the NHS. Many physio-therapists are learning acupunctureas a way of treating muscle or boneinjury.”

Acupuncture degree launched

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OT history hasimportant roleto play – authorBy Dominic Musgrave

A NEW book from an Aberdeenacademic explores the history ofoccupational therapy and what canbe learned from its roots in therehabilitation of patients.

Dr Catherine Paterson, known asIrene, has spent the last 20 yearsresearching the origins anddevelopment of occupational therapyin Scotland and has publishedOpportunities not Prescriptions: TheDevelopment of OccupationalTherapy in Scotland 1900-1960.

Little has been written about thegrowth of occupational therapynorth of the border, but Catherinebelieves an appreciation of thehistory of the profession has animportant role to play in helping newoccupational therapists understandwhy craftwork was so important inthe profession’s early days.

She said: “It is almost 80 years sincethe Scottish Association ofOccupational Therapists was formed,and over 70 years since the firstcourse in occupational therapy inScotland was started.

“In that time the profession hascome a long way – my researchshows that occupational therapists inthe early days worked closely withenthusiastic holistic doctorsconcerned about the mental, socialand spiritual needs, as well as thephysical needs, of patients.

“Initially occupational therapy wasbased, although not exclusively oncraft work, carefully selected andgraded to enhance the patient’sphysical, psychological and social

abilities at a time when patientsspent long periods of time inhospital. Today there is a muchgreater emphasis on facilitating earlydischarge and support in thecommunity.

“However, there is a view of theprofession simply as getting peopleout of hospital as quickly as possible.For me, occupational therapyinvolves much more than this and Ihope my research demonstrates thatthe lessons learned in the early yearsshould not be forgotten.”

Catherine stressed that she was notadvocating a return to the days ofbasket weaving, but that meaningfuloccupation, including creativeactivities, relevant to today’s societyhave an important role to play inenhancing everyone’s health andwell-being.

She added: “While it is easy todismiss the practises of the past andsay things have moved on, the needto be creative is basic to everybodyand I wanted those coming into theprofession today to understandwhere we were coming from andthat even in the early days there wasa body of theory that lay behind thetherapeutic aspect of creativity.

“This was recognised by psychiatristsin the days before effectivemedication and by physicianstreating patients who had to spendmonths or even years in sanatoria toovercome tuberculosis. It wasparticularly important during the twoworld wars, when the need to returninjured servicemen to active serviceor to the civilian workforce wasparamount.”

SENIOR orthopaedic technicianBridget Mackey has retired afterclocking up over 40 years’ service forthe NHS.Bridget's career started in 1968where she worked at the formerRadcliffe Infirmary Hospital in thedark room developing x-rays. Whatwas meant to be a summer job whilewaiting for her exam results turnedinto something slightly longer, andshe never left the NHS.Her career saw a move to work as aplaster technician at the NuffieldOrthopaedic Centre (NOC) in 1974,and since then she has workedacross various sites, including helping

to set up a new plaster room in theaccident and emergency departmentat a Milton Keynes hospital. Shereturned back to the NOC in 1996.Bridget, who can also boast a 100per cent attendance record, said: “Ihave seen many changes over theyears but one of the main ones willhave to be the opening of newhospital building in 2007. I shall missall my colleagues and also manypatients – some of whom I havedealt with from childhood throughto their adult years. I plan to travel toboth India and Australia during myretirement and look forward tospending time in my garden.”

Bridget serves NHS for over 40 years

Researchers look to games consolesTECHNOLOGY used in gamesconsoles such as the Nintendo Wiimay help stroke survivors improvecommunication skills.Stroke survivors, whose spoken andwritten language skills have beenimpaired, may be helped by a newstudy by researchers at CityUniversity’s Centre for Human-Computer Interaction Design andDepartment of Language andCommunication Science.They are exploring the use ofmotion sensing technologies, suchas the Nintendo Wii, in therehabilitation of people withaphasia – a language impairment,commonly caused by a stroke.Senior lecturer Stephanie Wilsonsaid: “Gesture tracking andrecognition technologies arebecoming a ubiquitous part of new

computing and gaming environ-ments. We will evaluate thesuitability of such technologies inaphasia rehabilitation.”The aim is to develop an affordable,computer-based technology to helpstroke survivors, who have limitedspoken or written output, learnphysical gestures that can be readilyinterpreted by others. Known as Gesture Recognition inAphasia Therapy (GReAT) – it willrun for 18 months, and a prototypesystem that enables users topractise gesturing, receive instantfeedback, and master themovements through repetition willbe created. The research is incollaboration with The StrokeAssociation and funded by £300kfrom the Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council.

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STRATHCLYDE spin-out companyPAL Technologies has developed thedevice in response to new evidencefrom Australia and the US thatpeople sitting for long periods,even those who meet internationalguidelines for physical activity, areat increased risk of disease.

The activPAL technology can recordexactly when a patient is moving,standing or sitting down, providingimportant information about theirphysical activity levels to doctorsand physiotherapists.

In addition, the company hasworked with Strathclyde professorNanette Mutrie to enable thedevice to prompt users to movearound when they have beensitting down for long periods.

The technology was first developedat the University of Strathclyde'sBioengineering Unit by professorMalcolm Granat and colleagues.

Malcolm, who is now based atGlasgow Caledonian University,said: “There is now strong scientificevidence that sedentary behaviouror ‘sitting down’ isn't in fact aneutral health position, it actuallyhas a significant, negative impact.

“Simply put, humans aren'tdesigned to sit down for longperiods of time. As a species weare meant to be on the move and

not, as research shows the majorityof us to be, sitting down for morethan 60 per cent of our wakingday, which is typical in Scotlandand the US.”

It is hoped the technology could bea weapon in the battle againstdiseases linked to a sedentarylifestyle, and is already being usedby researchers in the US andAustralia to prove the link between‘couch potato’ behaviour andmorbidity.

Nanette, Dr Claire Fitzsimons andDr Alison Kirk of the University ofStrathclyde’s Physical Activity forHealth Group received fundingfrom the Strathclyde Links project -an initiative to support small tomedium sized enterprises inaccessing University research andexpertise - to help PAL Technologiesfurther develop their device.

Preliminary results from thecollaboration suggest that thetechnology, which has the capacityto deliver a short, incremental buzzto remind the wearer how longthey have been sitting, is helpful inincreasing people’s awareness ofhow long they have been sitting,and may decrease long periods ofsitting.

In a pilot study a sample of 24older adults used the device. As a

result, 10 out of 24 reduced theirtotal sedentary time and two thirdswere able to reduce their numberof prolonged sitting bouts whenusing the Activator.

Malcolm added: “Knowing theright way to live one’s life in termsof health is one thing, but actuallybeing able to change our behaviourto improve our health is another.For example, the idea that weshould be more physically active isknown, but most of us struggle togain adequate activity.

“Technology that provides feedback

– such as the pedometer – can helpus be aware and even increase ouractivity levels. A new technologychallenge is to help us be aware ofhow much time we spend sittingdown.

“The Activator has the potential toprovide a prompt that makes usaware of our sitting down time andtherefore help us reduce theamount of time we sit down. Thistechnology could provide a stronglink to real behaviour change interms of sitting down time andactive time.”

A new technology designed to tackle sedentary lifestyles and help reduce cases of obesity, heartdisease and diabetes is undergoing clinical trials in Scotland. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

New device prompts users to move around

A NEW piece of software thatconnects powered wheelchairs tothe internet using an iPhone or iPodhas been launched.

Dynamic Controls’ iPortal alsoincludes a ‘chair doctor’ diagnosticsfeature that interprets any problemswith the wheelchair, and an on-chaircharger so devices never run flat.

CEO Charlotte Walshe said: “Wepredict iPortal will change the qualityof life of thousands of people byconnecting their powered wheelchairto the internet.

“iPortal is a revolutionary approachto wheelchair displays and provideskey information such as batterycapacity and seat adjustments.

“We had people queuing to viewthe iPortal and we have alreadyregistered lots of sales interest from

customers in Europe, UK andAustralia.”

The system was unveiled last year atRehacare in Germany, and supportsiPhone 3G, 3GS and iPod Touch V2.0and 3.0.

Software connectschairs to the internet

Conference keynotespeaker is announcedPROFESSOR Martin Ferguson-Pellis isthe keynote speaker at the RecentAdvances in Assistive Technology andEngineering (RAATE) conference.

The Dean of the Faculty ofRehabilitation Medicine at theUniversity of Alberta trained inbiomedical engineering at theUniversity of Strathclyde, and has held senior positions atUniversity College London and the Royal National OrthopaedicHospital.

The programme for the conference isdedicated to the latest innovationsand developments in assistivetechnology features sessions ontechnology support for dementia andfor stroke, user-centred design,access, ambient assisted living andtelecare.

Researchers will be presenting

findings from a range of projects,including work to develop a narrativesupport tool to enable children with complex communication needs to discuss their day at school; new devices for incontinence;how to make exam papers accessibleto pupils with disabilities; assistivetechnology for people with locked-in syndrome; and a progressupdate on the government’s Whole Systems Demonstratortelecare pilots.

The event takes place at the WarwickUniversity conference centre onNovember 29 and is organised byCoventry University’s Health Designand Technology Institute, withsponsorship from Toby Churchill,the Foundation for AssistiveTechnology and the Posture andMobility Group.

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Researchers developelectronic sensorAMERICAN researchers havedeveloped an ultra sensitive, highlyflexible, electronic sensor that couldbe used in artificial electronic skin forprosthetic limbs.

The scientists at Stanford Universityhave sandwiched a preciselymoulded, highly elastic rubber layerbetween two parallel electrodes thatcan detect the slightest touch.

The key innovation in the newsensor is the use of a thin film ofrubber moulded into a grid of tinypyramids according to Zhenan Bao,an associate professor of chemicalengineering who led the research.

She said previous attempts atbuilding a sensor of this type using asmooth film encountered problems.

“It detects pressures well below thepressure exerted by a 20-milligrambluebottle fly carcass weexperimented with, and does so withunprecedented speed,” Zhenanadded. “Previously we found thatwith a very thin continuous film,when you press on it, the materialdoes not have room to expand.

“So the molecules in the continuousrubber film are forced closertogether and become entangled.When pressure is released, theycannot go back to the originalarrangement, so the sensor doesn'twork as well.”

She added that the speed ofcompression and rebound of therubber is critical for the sensor to be

able to detect – and distinguishbetween – separate touches in quicksuccession.

The thin rubber film between thetwo electrodes stores electricalcharges, much like a battery. Whenpressure is exerted on the sensor, therubber film compresses, whichchanges the amount of electricalcharges the film can store. Thatchange is detected by the electrodesand is what enables the sensor totransmit what it is "feeling".

Zhenan added: “It’s the same as forhuman skin, which has a wholerange of sensitivities. Fingertips arethe most sensitive, while the elbowis quite insensitive. If we can makethis in higher resolution, thenpotentially we should be able tohave the image on a coin read bythe sensor A robotic hand coveredwith the electronic skin could feel asurface and know rough fromsmooth.”

The project was partially funded bythe National Science Foundation andthe Office of Naval Research.

Zhenan Bao

Orthoticsteam’s workcommendedTHE occupational therapy orthoticsteam at Musgrove Park Hospital hasbeen highly commended for its workin the Trust Excellence Awards.

The team introduced a new systemfor spinal patients that improvedtheir experience and made thehospital systems more efficient.

The MKS Modular Spinal BracingSystem is an innovative addition tothe spinal service. Patients are nowfitted with a bespoke brace tosupport their spine and no longerneed to have it fitted in theatre –saving them and the surgical teams alot of time.

Team leader Wendy Hooper said:“This new system is much better forpatients: shorter anaesthetic time,less time to fit, lighter and cooler towear.

“It also saves critical theatre time andensures that our surgeons are nothanging around waiting for thebrace to be fitted.

“As the first hospital in the UK to dothis we have now been runningcourses for other health professionalsto show them how to implement it.”

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THE bioengineering team led by DrTom Joyce began investigating theArticulating Surface Replacement(ASR) hip prosthesis manufacturedby American-based Du Puy as farback as February 2008.The research revealed a number offailings in the design of theimplant and explained how andwhy the metal joint was beingworn away, releasing high levels oftoxic metals into the patient’sbloodstream. Their findings havebeen pivotal in bringing about thedecision by De Puy to officiallywithdraw their ASR hip prosthesis.Tom told Assistive Technologiesthousands of patients are beingrecalled in an effort to determinethe extent of the problem andoffer support to those who havebeen left with the crippling side-effects. He added: “The thinkingwas that a metal-on-metal ball andsocket joint should be far moreeffective and hard-wearing forpatients than the older style metal-on-polymer system where thesofter polymer tended to wearaway quite quickly, releasingparticles and eventually causing theartificial joint to fail.

“What our research showed wasthat if the ball and socket were notperfectly aligned then the metalwore away quite vigorously – theinitially ultra-smooth surfacesroughening and then grindingaway against each other - torelease nano-sized particles intothe body that were then absorbedinto the bloodstream and tissues,causing far greater damage.“Since we are all different sizesand shapes and we all walk andstand differently only in a minorityof cases were the joints actuallyfunctioning correctly.”Concerns first began to arise whena number of patients reportedgroin pain, some not long aftertheir arthritic hips had beenreplaced with ASR prostheses.Working with orthopaedic surgeonDavid Langton, based at NorthTees University Hospital and nowworking towards a PhD inBioengineering under thesupervision of Tom, the Newcastleteam studied over 100 explantedhip joints sent to them from acrossEurope. Initially, all the patientswere women – a scenario whichhas now been explained by the

fact that women tend to besmaller with a wider pelvis and thisthrows the joints even further outof alignment.Blood tests revealed high levels ofcobalt and chrome ions in theblood stream of ASR patients. TheASR is made from cobalt-chromealloy so this implicated the artificialhip. Using a state-of-the artmachine, the team studied thesurface of the artificial hip jointsand found that instead of beinghighly polished with a mirror-likesurface, the failed devices hadbecome roughened. This caused the lubrication of the

joint to fail so that, with each step,the patient was producingrelatively high volumes of metallicwear debris.Tom added: “The total hipreplacement has been dubbed the‘greatest success in orthopaedics ofthe 20th century’ and is aprocedure that has changed thelives of millions of people aroundthe globe. “Last month’s news by De Puybrought to an end an importantchapter in the history of hipreplacement, a procedure that untilnow has been almost entirely amedical success story.”

Newcastle University has played a key role in exposing the failings of an artificial hip joint that hasbeen implanted into 93,000 patients worldwide. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

University exposes failings of hip joint

Dr TomJoyce

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DE MONTFORT Universityresearchers will play a key role inthe £1.65m project, which will seefive homes custom fitted with avariety of devices and sensors inorder to evaluate the effectivenessof assisted living technologies.

The devices will use an openstandard, to be developed at theUniversity, which will enable themto connect to each other andshare information.

Chi Biu Wong, Dr Eric Goodyerand professor Philip Moore are theUniversity’s team members on theproject.

Eric said the objective of the studyis to develop an open softwareframework to enable the devicesto be connected together so theycan share information and call forhelp through a care monitoringcentre or home-based care systemif necessary.

He added: “We live in an ageingsociety and increasing numbers ofolder people want the opportunityto continue living independently intheir own homes.

“There’s a lot of technology outthere that aims to help people dothis, and this project will develop away of ensuring that these devicescan be connected and worktogether towards this goal.

“The current generation ofassisted living devices, such as

alarm pendants, have proved to beinvaluable. Many thousands ofpeople are able to continue livingin their homes, giving them abetter quality of life and releasingscarce health and care serviceresources for other purposes.”

The project will also develop amobile telecare device which canmonitor the well-being of olderpeople when they are away fromtheir home and can raise thealarm if the person gets lost orneeds medical assistance.

Volunteers will have their homesequipped with the latest assistedliving devices, such as personalalarms, safety equipment and a

range of sensors. They will also beinvolved at an early stage,assisting the design team toensure that the technology fittedinto their homes is user friendlyand acceptable.

Eric said motion detectors and fallsensors will also be an importantpart of the project.

He added: “Any new system willuse modern communicationtechniques such as the Internet,broadband and mobile phones sodata security is a key issue, as isthe privacy of users.

“It is essential that all equipmentconforms to recognisedcommunications standardsensuring the data is secure anddelivered directly from the user’shome to a registered secureoperating centre under the controlof health or care practitioners.

“The most important element ofthis project is the development ofan end-to-end network protocolthat can operate over allreasonable communicationnetworks without intervention bythird parties.”

Funded by £800,000 from theTechnology Strategy Board’sAssisted Living InnovationPlatform, the ‘DistributedIntegrated Care Services andSystems’ (iCARE) project will beled by the Co-operative Estates.

‘Smart homes’ which help older people live more independently andcan summon assistance in life-threatening emergencies are beingdeveloped in Leicester. Dominic Musgrave reports

Eric Goodyer

£1.65m project aims todevelop ‘smart homes’

OT’s English‘was notgood enough’AN OCCUPATIONAL therapist hasbeen suspended from the HealthProfessions Council Register for ayear because his English was notgood enough.

Jegadeesan Thangaraj scored belowthe level required for registration onan English test as part of theInternational English LanguageTesting System (IELTS).

The HPC’s Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics states thatregistrants must maintain acontinuous, up-to-date and accuraterecord of their CPD activities.

A panel of the conduct andcompetence committee heard howJegadeesan had an average score of6.5, falling below the requiredstandards of 7.0.

Chair Nicola Bastin said: “The Panelis satisfied that the evidence showsthat the registrant failed to meet therequired standard with regard to hisproficiency in English. The Panel alsofinds that the registrant scored only5.5 with regard to reading,breaching the requirement that noindividual element in the test scoreslower than 6.5. The aggravatingfactors are that the situation waspotentially very serious and theprotection of public compromised.”

The IELTS is a proficiency testaccepted by the HPC as proof of anappropriate standard of English. It isa requirement of the HPC that allhealth professionals who do notspeak English as a first languageneed to score at least a 7.0, with noindividual element (listening, reading,writing and speaking) lower than6.5. Jegadeesan was not present orrepresented at the hearing.

The Exeter MobilityCentre held an open dayto give the localcommunity, patients andtheir relatives a chanceto learn more about whatgoes on behind thescenes.

The event includedopportunities to meetfrontline staff, see how aprosthetic limb is madeand hear frominspirational patientssuch as father of fiveand retired schoolteacher Frank Letch, whowas born with majorupper limb deficiencies.

Picture: Clinical supporttechnician Jeff Lyne

New product aims to cutindustry back injuriesWORKPLACE equipment providerSlingsby has launched an innovativenew product to help reduce backinjuries in the healthcare industryafter research revealed that one infour nurses suffers frommusculoskeletal problems.

The company is supplying speciallyadapted Work Positioners to alltypes of healthcare organisationsthat can be used to take the strainoff nurses and improve efficiency ina wide range of day to dayprocesses.

The adapted product is specificallydesigned to be easy to use,adaptable, able to lift objects fromground level to head height as wellas being small and manoeuvrableso it can fit into areas where space

is limited.

Sales director Christian Slingsbysaid: “Many healthcare staff riskback injuries due to the nature ofthe work which sees them dealingwith increasing numbers of bariatricpatients, constantly movingequipment and regularly having toadopt and hold awkward positionsso we have specifically created thisproduct to alleviate the problem.

“The idea originally came fromnurses that historically had tosupport a patient's weight whenadministering epidurals so wedesigned a solution that would suitpatients of all sizes and now we arecontinually finding additional usesfor it.”

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By Dominic Musgrave

AN innovative computer systemwhich allows the long-term sick to manage their conditionwithout health professionals could revolutionise primary health care in Britain, it has beenclaimed. Devised by the University ofSheffield, the SMART system acts asthe user’s ‘personal therapist’,providing the advice and healthchecks that usually require a visit to adoctor’s surgery. They say the pioneering technologycould potentially save the NHSmillions by flagging up seriousdeterioration before an emergencyhospital admission is required.The system works by using smartphone technology to record theuser’s activity and amends their dailyschedules depending on the users’own assessment of their progress. A separate computer also tracks keyhealth indicators, such as weightchange and blood pressure, whilealso providing advice andinformation on the user’s condition. Dr Annette Haywood, from theUniversity’s School of Health andRelated Research (ScHARR), said:“SMART will give patients theopportunity to improve their physicalfitness remotely from healthprofessionals. “They will be encouraged to managetheir own care independently andlearn more about their condition as

they use the system. “It is an innovative system which willcomplement their existing care andhave the potential to recognise whenadditional professional assistance isneeded.”Three versions of the system arecurrently being developed to covervictims of strokes, heart failurepatients and sufferers of chronicpain. SMART will provide a vital source ofinformation for health careprofessionals who can tap into thestored data and observe fluctuationsin patients’ conditions.The system tackles one of the majorchallenges in health care byproviding convenient care in thehome, as laid out in Lord Darzi’s NHSnext stage review – which called onthe NHS to use technology to make“care closer to home a reality formany patients”. Sue White, director of long termconditions at the Yorkshire andHumber NHS Health, Innovation andEducation cluster, added: “I stronglysupport this type of assistivetechnology. It will allow people withlong-term health problems to carryon with their lives without constantvisits to the hospital and the doctor’ssurgery. Secondly, it can helpimprove productivity and efficiency inthe health system and provide bettervalue for money for every pound wespend on care. This is very importantwhen health budgets are underpressure.”

‘Therapist’ mayrevolutioniseprimary care

INADEQUATE rehabilitation servicesare undermining improvements inhospital care for people who havehad a stroke, says a new report.Only forty four per cent of hospitalsin England, Wales and northernIreland have access to earlysupported discharge services, eventhough it has been shown toimprove recovery, according to theSentinel Stroke Audit by the Royal

College of Physicians. Natalie Beswetherick, the CharteredSociety of Physiotherapy’s director ofpractice and development, said:“There is real frustration amongphysiotherapists at the lack ofprogress. Early access tophysiotherapy and ongoing, tailoredrehabilitation can play a key role inhelping stroke survivors maximisetheir mobility and independence.”

Rehab services ‘inadequate’

A ROYAL Marine who lost both legsand an arm in a landmine explosionin Afghanistan three years ago istaking part in a a trek acrossAmerica.Mark Ormrod is part of a six-manteam taking part in the eight-weekGumpathon, a 3,530-mile coast tocoast journey to raise money forinjured servicemen and women inboth the UK and USA. The 26-year-old was injured in a land mineexplosion in Afghanistan onChristmas Eve 2007.

The team will cover up to 23 miles aday, while Mark, the first tripleamputee of the war in Afghanistan,has a target of a minimum of onemile. His injuries were the catalyst fororganiser, Colour Sergeant DamianTodd, to turn his idea for thechallenge after watching ForrestGump in 1994, into a reality.Charities to benefit include TheInjured Marine Semper Fi Fund in theUSA and Help for Heroes and TheRoyal Marine Charitable Trust Fundin the UK.

Mark set for trek across America

Mark with theteam takingpart in theGumpathon

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By Dominic Musgrave

A NEW product which its inventorclaims will do for the crutch, walkingstick and Zimmer frame what Dysonhas done for the vacuum cleaner hasbeen launched.

Shock-absorbing, anti-slip Flexyfootis designed to replace the oldfashioned ferrule (or rubber tip) onthese aids and revolutionise walkingfor the injured or infirm.

It gives 50 per cent more grip onfloors and ground surfaces thanferrules, and eases the aches andpains associated with constant stressand impact on joints.

With its patented air-sprungtechnology, Flexyfoot bends and canrotate by 360 degrees, meaningusers can easily turn on their walkingaids.

David Goodwin, who has previouslydesigned award-winning productsfor the likes of Procter and Gamble,London Underground and Parkerpens, was inspired to inventFlexyfoot by his family.

Both his sister, who has MS, and his95-year-old mother complained tohim about the difficulties anddiscomfort of using their walkingsticks. They also found the rubberfeet wore down much too quicklyand were difficult to change.

He said: “It’s a substantialopportunity. Four million ferrules aresold in the UK annually, but themarket is very staid and most aidsare very institutional.

“I wanted to create a product basedon great design, innovativetechnology, good looks andfunction.”

Robert Simonis FRCS, consultantorthopaedic surgeon at St Peter’sHospital in Surrey, who trialledFlexyfoot, added: “It is safer, quickerand easier to use than a standardcrutch ferrule. The tread is alwaysflat on the ground, maximising gripand preventing slippage.

“Shock absorbency and free rotationreduces strain on the arms andupper body. Patients of all ages,shapes and sizes find them more

comfortable and having used themwill not go back to using an oldfashioned crutch.”

Flexyfoot is being aimed atphysiotherapists, occupationaltherapists and surgeons. In additionto increased mobility, comfort andsecurity, fewer follow-upappointments are likely due to fewerslips and falls. Users are alsoreporting reduced musculoskeletalproblems.

New product set to‘revolutionise walkingfor injured or infirm’

New procedurebenefitingknee patientsPATIENTS requiring knee replace-ments are benefiting from state-of-the-art high-tech computer navigatedsurgery at Goole and DistrictHospital.The procedure is being under-takenby orthopaedic consultant AndrewEdwards, who has recently started atNorthern Lincolnshire and GooleHospitals NHS Foundation Trust.Computer-navigated surgery is astate-of-the-art surgical techniquewhich increases the accuracy of kneereplacement surgery, aiming toincrease the longevity andfunctioning of the artificial joint.Andrew said: “Everyone is differentand so are their knees. Computernavigated surgery takes into accounteach patient’s shape and size andallows me to use what is essentially amini GPS system, to register exactbio-mechanic anatomy of the leg andknee joint to ensure the replacementis as accurate as possible.”The system works by mapping theposition of the bones which make upthe patient’s knee joint using sensorswhich are placed on either side ofthe knee. These create a detailedimage and provide real-timeinformation on a computer screen.Andrew added: “I use this inform-ation to accurately guide the implantinto position. I do the surgery; thetechnology just provides me with anaccurate map. Accuracy is key to thistype of procedure as it can impact onthe wear of the artificial joint. This isparticularly important as we aretreating younger and more activepeople nowadays. The computernavigation is invaluable in complexknee replacements for examplewhere a patient has suffered limbdeforming fractures in the past andsubsequently developedosteoarthritis.”Andrew is only one of a feworthopaedic surgeons using the high-tech equipment. He trained incomputer navigated surgery at theElective Orthopaedic Centre in Surrey,Hamburg and Switzerland.

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By Dominic Musgrave

BUDDING young designers havebeen putting their best feet forwardto try to improve the lives of womenwith rhumatoid arthritis.

Students from the University ofCentral Lancashire pooled theirtalents to stage the Preston-basedinstitution’s first Footwear DesignChallenge in conjunction withArthritis Research UK.

The event saw designers fromindustry, health practitioners andstakeholders contributing tobreakthrough footwear concepts forwomen living with rhumatoidarthritis, who currently struggle toget “nice” shoes.

Fiona Candy, senior lecturer atUCLan’s Northern School of Designsaid of the challenge said the ideacame following some research shedid alongside counterparts from theuniversity’s school of public healthand clinical sciences.

She added: “Findings from a recentstudy by myself and Dr LynneGoodacre revealed that the lack ofsuitable footwear is limiting forwomen with RA and impactssignificantly on the clothes they feelthey can wear, where they can go,

and what they can do.

“We wanted to break away fromstereotypical prescription footwearand, by designing in this inclusiveway, we came up with some creativedesigns to give women with RAmore confidence in social situations.

“An important aspect of this that avery unusual exchange ofinformation took place, in a veryshort time, between the designpartners and health professionalwhich has probably never happenedbefore.”

The competition brought togetherthree design teams, charged withcreating designs for shoes fit for asocial occasion which looked the partbut were suitable for peoplesuffering from the condition.

Each team was made up of threedesigners, an orthotist and apodiatrist – mediated by a womanwith rhumatoid arthritis, to ensurethat the design process knew thereal-life needs of sufferers.

They were told that condition oftenleads to problems with malformationof the feet and sufferers struggle tofind appropriate shoes wide enoughto wear for long periods or to socialevents.

Challenge bids to stepaway from stereotypicalprescription footwear

Closure plansfor Isle of Manpodiatry clinicsBy Louise Cordell

TWO podiatry clinics on the Isle ofMan will close and the servicesrelocated to the refurbished CentralCommunity Health Centre inDouglas, the Department of Healthhas confirmed.

The announcement follows aninternal review of the CommunityPodiatry Service, which included anevaluation of the clinical podiatryfacilities across the island.

The review, one of many regularlycarried out by the Department ofHealth to ensure that services are fitfor purpose and make best use ofhealth resources, identified that there were significant efficiencyimprovements to be gained from relocating the two smaller clinics held in Peel and Laxey.

Podiatry service manager Julia Devlinanticipated that an additional 30-40appointments could beaccommodated by the service eachmonth as a result.

She added: “The podiatry clinics atPeel and Laxey see relatively smallnumbers of patients and are nolonger viable; there's also arequirement to bring the premises’infection control facilities into linewith evolving best practice, which would require significant

investment.

“Amalgamating the smaller clinicsoutside Douglas with the three clinicsavailable at the Central CommunityHealth Centre, will enable us tomake the best use of staff resources,provide an even safer environmentfor patients, and also enable us toprovide 30-40 more appointmentsper month, so we will be able to seemore patients.”

David Anderson, MHK, minister forhealth, said the move would alsomake available the highest standardof podiatry service to patients whocurrently attend these clinics, givingthem access to state-of-the-art andto staff with multiple clinicalspecialities.

He added: “The department and the podiatry service is constantlylooking at ways to better manage its increasing workloads and deliver a service that meets the needs of as many patients aspossible.

“While we will always try to provideservices as locally as possible,sometimes it is not sensible to do so,and makes more sense to locateclinics in the most modern settings,where clinical staff can work as ateam to offer more and betterservices.”

A NEW nail trimming service islooking for volunteers to helpolder people.

Karen Whitefield, MSP for Airdrieand Shotts, and the ShottsHealthy Living Centre havelaunched a new ShottsCommunity Nail Trimming Servicewith the support of NHSLanarkshire.

The service is aimed at peoplewho are unable to cut their ownnails, but do not have any othermedical conditions or footproblems that would require themto be seen by a podiatrist.

Karen said: “There is a real needfor this type of service for peoplewho may be elderly and frail who,although they don’t need to see apodiatrist, are unable to cut their

toe nails.

“It may not seem like a seriousproblem but this can lead to agreat deal of pain and lead tomore serious problems.”

The service, which is being run asa pilot project, will be managedby the Shotts Healthy LivingCentre.

Manager June Vallance said: “Thiswill be the first nail trimmingservice of its kind in mainlandScotland.

“Hopefully we’ll get enoughvolunteers to make this a successand make a real difference to thelives of people who need thisservice.”

Training will be provided by NHSLanarkshire podiatrists.

Nail trimming servicelooks for volunteers

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OTTO Bock Healthcare haslaunched a new power wheelchairwith sit-to-stand functionality aswell as enhancements to its electricwheelchair for children

The Xeno restores the ability of theuser to complete daily actions suchas using a cash machine or ringinga doorbell, while a seat riserfunction has also been added toSkippi, a brightly coloured electricwheelchair designed specifically forchildren which makes adapting seatdepth and width easier.

Electrical seat tilt and backrestadjustment means the Xeno movesin tandem with the user’s body

during the transition to standingfunction, which takes 25 seconds,while also reducing the potentialfor friction.

Mobility product manager SimonTempest said: “Skippi’s speed andhigh degree of manoeuvrabilitymakes it ideal to support a child’surge to move around and exploretheir surroundings, while theaddition of the seat riser functionfurther enhances its functionality.

“By enabling the user to safely andindependently alternate betweenstanding and sitting positions, Xenohas a positive effect on circulation,joint function and digestion.”Otto Bock’s Skippi wheelchair

Enhancements for kids’wheelchair Skippi

AMERICAN researchers are developing a roboticwheelchair that will help children learn to ‘drive’. Laura Marchal-Crespo worked with a team ofresearchers at the University of California at Irvine tocarry out the study. The technique involves the trainee learning to chasea small robot along a line painted on the floor. Theforce feedback joystick used to steer the wheelchaircan also give physical assistance to the driver, at alevel appropriate to their ongoing performance. When caught, the robot performs a dance and thechair plays a little tune. The joystick haptic assistancewas found to enhance learning in both the non-disabled children trained with haptic guidance and inthe child with a severe motor impairment. She said: "The conventional approach for poweredwheelchair driver's training is expensive and labour-intense, typically requiring the hand-over-handassistance of a skilled therapist. “To lower the cost and improve accessibility totraining, we have developed a robotic poweredwheelchair system on which young children with adisability can safely develop driving skills at their ownpace with minimum assistance. Ultimately, weenvisage creating a training experience thatcompares favourably with the fun children experiencewith the best amusement park rides, but thatfacilitates the development of driving skill.”

Robotic wheelchairwill help childrenlearn to ‘drive’

SPECIALISED Orthotic Services has launched itsnew ‘T’ Max toilet seat for children unable to usea conventional toilet.The ‘T’ Max has been designed with a speciallyengineered-moulded seat complete with paddedfoam liner to fully support the child in the correctseating position. The seat comes with moulded sides which hugthe torso and a pommel for between the legs.Both these additions help maintain correctposture. The seat’s frame has been designed so it can beused with a conventional wc, alternatively it canbe supplied with a commode option dependingon the circumstances it is being used in.Managing director Gordon McQuilton said: “Wedecided to use our experience and expertise to

help children in other areas of their life bydeveloping a toilet seat.“We know dignity is something the disabled childholds important, It means they can use aconventional toilet with confidence.”The ‘T’ Max comes in three sizes – small, mediumand large. It is made from easily cleanablematerial and is simple to construct. It comes on manoeuvreable castors which lock sothere is no chance of it moving. It also comes complete with a headrest addingextra support, a footrest which helps with balanceand a tilt facility to ensure the chair is in optimumposition for comfort and balance for the user. Theseat can be used in the shower too as all fittingsare non-corrosive and comes in blue.

A CHILDREN’S charity has partnered with the NHSNational Innovation Centre to run an onlinecompetition.Whizz-Kidz has launched the ‘Young Inventors’microsite and is calling for young people’s ideasfor new technology that could help them in theireveryday lives, or how existing assistivetechnology could be improved. Entrants areencouraged to come up with ideas that have apractical application, and the winners will be

invited to the Healthcare Innovations Expo inLondon, where their designs will be developed byproduct designers and showcased.The charity is also highlighting the serious need for reform of wheelchair services bylaunching its Fast Forward campaign; askingsupporters to sign an online petition, backing a call to government and the NHS to ‘fast forward’ improvements to paediatric wheelchairprovision.

Call for young people’s technology ideas

New toilet seat launched

Our new-look features sections gives you the

opportunity to advertise your business on a page

designated to your own specific field:

To find out more ring Christine Daly-Sadler on 01226 734412

Podiatry, Sports Rehab and Children

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SWINDON Town Football Club has appointedKate Cady to the new position of head of sportstherapy. In this role, she will assume overall charge of theclub’s medical and physiological department.Kate, who holds a Masters in Sports andExercise Medicine, has previously provided, overa number of years, professional physiologicaland sports therapy support to the youth teamand the centre of excellence. She also travelled with the first team on the pre-season tour to Austria and conducted thephysiological assessment for all squad membersat The University of Gloucestershire, where sheis nurse leader and senior lecturer for the BSc(Hons) Sport Therapy degree programme. Katewill be adding chartered physiotherapist statusto her list of professional qualifications when shecompletes the degree course over the next 12months.

Capable Kate

By Dominic Musgrave

A GROUP of UK amputeeswere taken to Iceland with their prosthetists tocompete in the ReykjavikMarathon.

The group were given a tour of Össur’s Icelandic head office and manufacturingfacilities the day before themarathon.

Some of those competing hadrunning experience, such asRichard Whitehead, Team Össur athlete and currentworld record holder for the fulland half marathon, who

finished fifth in the halfmarathon.

Others specialised in differentsports, such as double cycling gold medalist JodyCundy, who took part in the10K race.

Clinical specialist RichardHirons said: “I think everyonecame back with a betterunderstanding of the peoplewho wear and use Össurproducts, and the part we all play in making thathappen.

“It was a very inspirationalevent and personally I

enjoyed the inclusive nature ofhaving our clinicians andamputees competingtogether.”

More than 70 Össur employeesalso took part in the Marathonto raise money for the IcelandDisabled Sport Association,with the company donating500 kronur for each kilometrean employee ran and a further£1,500 to Battle Back, a UKcharity which uses sport in theaftercare of wounded servicepersonnel in order to aid theirrehabilitation and return to anactive life.

The Ossur team

UK amputees go to Icelandto compete in marathon

Surveypromptscouncil to make free gym pass offerFREE gym passes are being offered bya Nottinghamshire council after asurvey found more than half of localadults did no exercise.

Mansfield District Council said theSports England poll found that 55people of over 16s in the area – about43,000 people – took no exercise.

Now the council is offering a day pass,including a fitness induction, at five ofits leisure centres.

Councillor Eddie Smith, portfolioholder for the environment, said thesurvey also reported fewer than 10 per cent of adults in Mansfield did the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times aweek.

He added: “We are making adetermined effort to get more peopleexercising, especially those whocurrently do nothing.

“You don't have to be a super-fitathlete to use the gym and aprogramme can be devised to suitpeople of all ages and levels of fitness.

“We hope this offer will encouragemore people to make that importantfirst step towards a healthier lifestyle.”

A nationwide poll by The CharteredSociety of Physiotherapy found 63 per cent admitted to not takingenough exercise but only 20 per cent of those questioned said they exercised only once a month orless.

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N‘Bloodgate’physiotherapistis struck offTHE physiotherapist at the centre ofthe ‘Bloodgate’ scandal has beenstruck off the Health ProfessionsCouncil Register.Stephen Brennan assisted in thefabrication of a wound or blood injuryto a Harlequins player during thecourse of the Heineken Cup quarterfinal match between Harlequins andLeinster Rugby Club on April 12 lastyear. A number of allegations weremade against him, including that hisfitness to practise is impaired byreason of misconduct.Panel chair Raymond Pattison said:“The dishonesty continued over anumber of years and ended not as aresult of Stephen Brennan’s ownvolition but because of the player’ssubsequent admission. The behaviourindulged in by Mr Brennan wasdishonest, premeditated andcontinued over a considerable periodof time. The Panel has no hesitation infinding Mr Brennan’s professionalreputation remains stained.”The panel heard that Stephen, whowas working as the head

physiotherapist for Harlequins at thetime of the allegations, admitted toconcealing the fabricated blood injuryafter examining the player’s mouth onthe field and noting there was no cutor bleeding. In evidence, he admittedto participating in other fabricatedinjury incidents on four earlier occa-sions, and that he had twice madepurchases of fake blood capsules.The Panel found that Stephen was awilling and active participant in theincident, and his participation wascrucial as it was his ability to accessthe pitch that enabled the fakecapsule to be passed to the player.Following the match he was also awilling participant in the attempt tocover up the incident, photographingthe player’s mouth and drafting threefalse witness statements to be usedfor the purpose of the disciplinaryinvestigations instigated by theEuropean Rugby Cup.Stephen Brennan attended the hearingand was represented by counsel. Aninterim suspension order was alsoimposed to cover the appeal period.

John Bailey and Don Gatherer

A NEW organisation combiningFormula One technology and theexperience of one of Britain’s mostrenowned research physiotherapistsaims to advance patientrehabilitation and conditioningtechniques. The GathererPartnership, created by DonGatherer and motorsportengineering expert John Bailey, willdevelop a range of innovativeproducts and support packages thatfor the first time, offer physiothera-pists accurate and objective datafor the management ofneuromusculoskeletal conditions.

Data such as peak force and fatiguerating of voluntary musclecontraction will enablephysiotherapists to assess the

patient’s true condition, determinethe need for surgery as well as theability to create and administerbespoke conditioning andrehabilitation programmes.

Don said: “Physiotherapy oftenrelies on subjective data that canaffect recovery levels and times.Our equipment will provideinformation on what the patientreally can achieve and how theircondition is developing over time.Extensive work undertaken withrugby players suggests we canimprove recovery times too.”

To acquire such objective data, TheGatherer Partnership isincorporating electronicmeasurement devices that aretypically found in F1 racing cars.

Plan to advance patient rehabilitation

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ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES I OCT/NOV 2010

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LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTIVE HELMETSScrum Type Helmet Sizes S M LAvailable in black with rear lace adjustmentFirm sponge covered with Lycra/nylonFastens with Velcro chin strap£39.05 + VATSmall: up to 56cmMedium: 56cm-58.5cmLarge: 58.5cm and above

Toppen 77 Sizes 46cm – 59cmAvailable in blue with red liningConstructed from soft sponge coveredwith Lycra/nylonOpen sections on top of head for increased comfortFastens with under chin strap£72.50+ VATThese helmets are not suitable for highrisk activities, e.g. skateboard/cycling

Enquiries:Denovo Healthcare LtdTelephone 01934 808416or [email protected]

NEW FROM G&M - CYBERSPINECERVICAL COLLARA FULLY adjustable C-Spineimmobilisation system inwhich the best features ofpast proven systems arecombined with modernmaterials to providecomfortable, easily fitted andexceptionally secure supportin all three planes ofmovement for the vulnerablecervical spine.

Adjustment is by means ofinnovative design semi-rigidstraps which are easy to setprecisely and are easilyreleased when required, andthrough providing simplecontrol over extension andflexion, with only one tool which is easy to use and supplied with the brace.

The whole brace is radio-lucent and MRI compatible, very comfortable to wear andextremely well tolerated by patients.

Enquiries: For further information telephone 0121 475 1101.

DOLLS’ collars are usually of a ‘bivalved’ design and we are able to fabricate thesefrom a variety of materials to produce orthoses with diverse degrees of control.

The sections can butt together, or can be manufactured as a clamshell design toprovide the required rigidity for the head and neck. The anterior section contains andcontrols the chin, with the posterior shellextending to the occipital region distally, and tothe superior angle of the scapula proximally.

This provides excellent control of flexion andextension and minimizes rotation making themvery suitable for use in torticollis, MND,spondylolithesis, and for ununited andpathological fractures. Additionally, as thesecollars are custom produced, they areparticularly effective with asymmetric patients.

Total contact between the neck, chin and upperthorax and the device ensures a great degree ofimmobilization especially in the mid-cervicalregion, and the less conspicuous appearancemeans that the collar may be more readily wornunder clothing.Enquiries:Telephone 01254 268788 for an orthometry chart.

CUSTOM DOLLS’ COLLARS TO MEASURE

OTTO Bock’s Stroke product range has beendeveloped in close collaboration withprofessionals and therapists to ensure bothoptimal function and wearing comfort.The main focus in all Stroke rehabilitation is tore-integrate people in to their social andprofessional environments, and all products inthe range are designed to facilitate activemovement.Our rehabilitation products include the NeurexaLine:Omo Neurexa shoulder brace (pictured). GenuNeurexa knee brace. Manu Neurexa wrist brace.The WalkOn Range, for users with drop foot andperoneal palsy, includes :WalkOn. WalkOn Flex. WalkOn Trimable. OttoBock also offers a choice of Stance Phase ControlOrthoses in both mechanical and electronicforms. Freewalk – a mechanical orthosis thatlocks the knee joint during the stance phase anddisengages itself for the swing phase, E-Mag Active – the first electronically controlledsystem knee joint with controlled stance phase and free swing phase that worksindependently from the ankle joint and foot sole.

Enquiries: Telephone 0845 430 1231.

STROKE PRODUCT RANGE FROMOTTO BOCK

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DEVELOPMENT of the Boma wheelchairwas entirely directed by the wishes ofpotential users and, as a result, we have anew form of vehicle for individuals with amobility impairment.Taking ideas from mountain biking,powered wheelchairs and off road vehicles,the Boma is unique in providing alightweight, accessible adaptable chair withexceptional off-road capability.Users with disabilities as diverse asparaplegia, MS, quadraplegia, CP, MNDhave enjoyed the freedom and exhilarationunique to using the Boma chair.Molten Rock, the designers, manufacturersand suppliers of the Boma chair, are keento support and help all those who want toget out into the great wide open, despiteany mobility impairments they may have.This spirit of adventure was recently demonstrated by Sally Hyder, who recently madean attempt on the summit of Ben Nevis.Although the team failed to reach the summit due to time restrictions, they were wellover half way, and in the course of the climb opened an entirely new route.

Enquiries: Telephone 01908 585648 or visit www.moltenrock.co.uk

WHEN IS A WHEELCHAIR NOT AWHEELCHAIR? WHEN IT’S A BOMA

If you would like togain exposure for

your product please contact:

Christine Daly-Sadler

on 01226 734412

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