Philippine E-Journals

Body Weight Support System for Treadmill and Overground Physical Rehabilitation

Lemuel Ben Belasoto

 

Abstract:

This paper describes a body weight support system for medical rehabilitation and discusses the design and evaluation of the same. The main objective of the paper was to create a viable and safe body weight support system for rehabilitation and to evaluate the same. A prototype was built consisting of a metal scaffolding to which was connected a plastic strap on two of the shorter sides that then connected to a harness. Components were then tested for ultimate strength using a Shimadzu Universal Testing Machine and were compared to the average weight of Filipinos to measure viability with the allowance measured to allow for safe broad variation in body weights. Each of the four vertical support structures had a maximum compressive strength of 38.86 MPa, which is more than eighteen times the stress exerted by an average Filipino when divided among the four support structures as per the design. Additionally, each of the two plastic straps attached to the harness, which holds the patient upright and in place had a maximum tensile strength of 153.31 MPa which was also nearly eighteen times the stress exerted by the average Filipino when divided between the two straps as per the designed function. The high factors of safety allow for a wide range of human weights in which the design may be used. The author submits a design for a viable and safe body weight support system for rehabilitation.