T-Chair II – Assistive therapy concept for trunk balance & stability after stroke
Description
Trunk control is a key factor for a successful rehabilitation outcome early after stroke. Training must start early after stroke in sitting as trunk control is essential for standing and walking. A robot assisted medical chair enables therapies at various levels of trunk-control impairment. The need for such a robot assisted therapeutic chair (T-CHAIR) was identified in focus groups with various experts in stroke rehabilitation across Europe. A first prototype was developed during a project funded by the Swiss Innosuisse Agency and tested, following a user centred design approach, for its usability in a Swiss Rehabilitation clinic with physiotherapists and patients early after stroke. This project resulted in a list of requirements for a future prototype. These requirements are addressed in a follow up project with partners from Switzerland and Belgium, which receives funding from the EUs Eurostars agency. During this project, a next prototype generation has been developed and tested for its usability and effect on trunk control in patients after stroke. A significant effect has been shown with regard to clinical outcome measures by performing trunk training on the T-CHAIR.
Key Data
Projectlead
Prof. Dr. Jürg Meier, Susanne Schütz
Deputy Projectlead
Project team
Dr. Christoph Bauer, Prof. Dr. Irina Nast, Leah Reicherzer, Dr. Mandy Scheermesser, Dominik Textor, Michaela Wenger
Project partners
Stiftung Kliniken Valens; NiniX Technologies; rotavis AG; KU Leuven; studiocolony GmbH
Project status
completed, 10/2017 - 06/2023
Funding partner
Eurostars / Projekt Nr. 11323