S Knob: Innovation Projection Handrims in Wheelchair for Patients with Tetraplegia

Abstract

Propelling wheelchair in patients with tetraplegia will help them engage in social activities but they are not able to propel the wheelchair by themselves. This also affects them to perform the activities of daily living, social participation, and their mental health. The wheelchair with a projection pushrims will help propel the wheelchair easily, but this type of wheelchair is very expensive. Therefore, we invented the “S Knob” which can be installed around the handrim of the wheelchair for the patients. It’s not expensive, easy to install, and the patients or their family can install it by themselves at home. After installing S Knobs on the handrims, the participant with spinal cord injury can propel the wheelchair straight forward, backward, turn right-left and turn 360 degrees by themselves. Ninety percent of the patients are satisfied with this innovation, collected by satisfaction survey form. This innovation also decreases the cost of buying an expensive projection pushrims. However, this innovation cannot help the patient with tetraplegia propel the wheelchair on slopes or rough terrain, so his caregiver has to help in this part to prevent the injury from propelling the wheelchair.