Technology Development at REAR Lab
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- Assistive Toilet Seat Transfer System
- Erythema and Bruise Detector
- Offset Pivot Wheelchair
- Portable Pediatric Therapy Stairs
- Tissue Interrogation Device
- WiSAT
- Wound Measurement Device
Assistive Toilet Seat Transfer System
Millions of people struggle with the sit-to-stand motion. Transferring between sit and stand is a frequently performed daily task. Among the activities requiring this transferring movement, getting on and off the toilet is one of the most essential. Currently, the solution is to install taller toilets with handrails. These solutions create stigma and have great cost implications. This product must assists users with toilet transferring, is assembled easily and works compatibly with the existing toilet. Prototypes have been created and tested.
Erythema and Bruise Detector
This Point of Care technology is being designed for people who require non-contact and simple assessment of bruises, erythema and Stage I pressure ulcers. The many potential users include nurses, podiatrists, prothetists, social workers home health professionals, physicians and therapists. This device has potential application in the fields of forensics, abuse, geriatrics, nursing, and pressure ulcer prevention. See the fact sheet for the Erythema and Bruise Detector here
Offset-Pivot Wheelchair
The overall purpose of this project was to design manual wheelchair technology that can meetthe unique needs of aging users across the continuum of residential environments whileaddressing the needs of family caregivers and facility staff.
See the fact sheet for the Offset- Pivot Wheelchair here
Portable Pediatric Therapy Stairs
Tissue Interrogation Device
Many medical conditions impact the mechanical properties of tissue. Measuring and monitoring tissue properties can be both challenging and difficult, especially within different care environments. A method for directly measuring tissue stiffness and viscosity would advance clinical diagnosis and tracking of pathological conditions. Some devices exist which estimate tissue stiffness or Young’s modulus, but these methods result in qualitative descriptions of these properties, and can be cumbersome and difficult to use. As a result, they have not gained wide clinical acceptance. This device is patented by Stephen Sprigle
See the fact sheet for the Tissue Interrogation Device here
Wheelchair In-seat Activity Tracker (WiSAT)
This device targets the prevention of pressure ulcers (PrUs) by informing wheelchair users about their weight-shifting activity as a means to promote healthy behaviors and prevent pressure ulcers. WiSAT will have impact on wheelchair users, their clinicians, and researchers. Such a product can empower wheelchair users with knowledge about their behaviors associated with PrU prevention. The WiSAT’s impact will extend beyond wheelchair users by also meeting the needs of clinicians and researchers by allowing real-world data to be collected easily and quickly. During rehabilitation interventions, clinicians educate persons SCI about PrU prevention. One aspect of this education is the training of a pressure-relief regimen that seeks to regularly shift weight off the load-bearing tissues of the buttocks.

Wound Measurement Device
The Wound Measurement Device (WMD) is a low-cost and high-precision wound measurement device that offers an option to current low- and high-tech devices. A prototyping platform based upon a commercial cell phone, AT&T Tilt PDA, has been clinically tested. This device is now marketed and commercially available as WoundZoom
See the fact sheet for the wound measurement device here