Re-design and Evaluation of an Energy Storage and Return Ankle-Foot Orthosis for the Rehabilitation Centre for Children

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Date
2018-12-05
Authors
Arthur, Jasper
Audette, Julian
Elias, Danial
Steppler, Clayton
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Team 5 has been charged with improving the design and/or manufacturing process of the Energy Storage and Return Ankle-Foot Orthoses produced by the Rehabilitation Centre for Children. The fitting process for these devices is performed via trial and error, requiring a significant time investment on the part of the clinicians, limiting the number of patients who may be treated. The most important deliverable is a method to improve the data available for analysis. A Microsoft Access database was developed to track the characteristics of patients and their prescribed devices. Another component of this deliverable was the design of a device that can empirically measure the stiffness of issued devices. The second deliverable is an Excel spreadsheet to analyze the information collected with the database. Using the XLSTAT add-on, the spreadsheet uses a comparison of a patient’s anthropometrics and the stiffness of their ESR AFO to predict the required ESR AFO stiffness for future patients. Finally, the stiffness prediction will be used to manufacture a modular ESR AFO. By designing the device so that the spring is a discrete part, a number of springs of different stiffness may be quickly swapped in and out. These implementation of these four tools will serve to reduce the workload and length of time required to produce an ESR AFO.
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