Abstract
Occupational ergonomics in healthcare is an increasing challenge we have to handle in the near future. Physical assistive systems, so-called exoskeletons, are promising solutions to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Manual handling like pushing, pulling, holding and lifting during healthcare activities require practical and biomechanical effective assistive devices. In this article, a musculoskeletal-model-based development of an assistive exoskeleton is described for manual patient transfer in the surgery waiting room. For that purpose, kinematic data collected with an experimental set-up reproducing real patient transfer conditions are first used to define the kinetic boundary conditions for the model-based development approach. Model-based analysis reveals significant relief potential in the lower back and shoulder area of the musculoskeletal apparatus. This is corroborated by subjective feedback collected during measurements with real surgery assistants. A shoulder–arm exoskeleton design is then proposed, optimized and evaluated within the same simulation framework. The presented results illustrate the potential for the proposed design to reduce significantly joint compressions and muscle activities in the shoulder complex in the considered patient transfer scenarios.
Highlights
Prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), the main cause of sickness-related work absenteeism in many developed countries (23.4% in Germany [1] and 52% in Europe [2]), is a pressing challenge regarding occupational ergonomics, especially in the context of the ongoing demographic changes leading to the aging of the workforce
High WMSD incidence was found among radiologists [4], while [5] reported high prevalence of WMSDs among dentists in Germany
The exoskeleton design illustrated in this paper shows high potential for assisting in manual pushing and pulling
Summary
Prevention of WMSDs, the main cause of sickness-related work absenteeism in many developed countries (23.4% in Germany [1] and 52% in Europe [2]), is a pressing challenge regarding occupational ergonomics, especially in the context of the ongoing demographic changes leading to the aging of the workforce. This is especially important in the healthcare sector, which is already facing a shortage of qualified personal and where nursing staff must often carry out physically demanding activities, such as patient handling in strenuous postures. Public Health 2020, 17, 5140; doi:10.3390/ijerph17145140 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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