Rehabilitation engineering

Last updated

Rehabilitation engineering is the systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities. These individuals may have experienced a spinal cord injury, brain trauma, or any other debilitating injury or disease (such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, West Nile, ALS, etc.). Functional areas addressed through rehabilitation engineering may include mobility, communications, hearing, vision, and cognition, and activities associated with employment, independent living, education, and integration into the community. [1]

Contents

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, the association and certifying organization of professionals within the field of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology in North America, defines the role of a Rehabilitation Engineer as well as the role of a Rehabilitation Technician, Assistive Technologist, and Rehabiltiation Technologist (not all the same) in the 2017 approved White Paper available online on their website. [2] [3]

Qualifications

While some rehabilitation engineers have master's degrees in rehabilitation engineering, usually a subspecialty of Biomedical engineering, most rehabilitation engineers have undergraduate or graduate degrees in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. A Portuguese university provides an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in Rehabilitation Engineering and Accessibility. [4] [5] Qualification to become a Rehab Engineer in the UK is possible via a University BSc Honours Degree course such as Health Design & Technology Institute, Coventry University. [6]

Professional registration of NHS Rehab Engineers is with the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. [7]

Professional, Scientific and Technical Associations

Many of the Rehabilitation Engineering professionals join multidisciplinary scientific and technical associations with a common interest in the field of Assistive Technology and Accessibility. Examples are RESNA - Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, RESJA - Rehabilitation Engineering Society of JAPAN, AAATE - Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe, ARATA – Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association, AITADIS - Asociación Iberoamericana de Tecnologías de Apoyo a la Discapacidad and SUPERA – Portuguese Society of Rehabilitation Engineering, Assistive Technologies and Accessibility.

Other organizations, like RESMAG and the National Committee on Rehabilitation Engineering of Engineers Australia are also committed to developing and providing resources that support the practice of rehabilitation engineers.

The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), whose mission is to "improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology", is one of the main professional societies for rehabilitation engineers. [8] RESNA's annual conference is held in the Washington DC area in July.

Assistive Technology devices

The rehabilitation process for people with disabilities often entails mechanical design of assistive devices such as Walking aids intended to promote inclusion of their users into the mainstream of society, commerce, and recreation. Device development can range from purely mechanical to mechatronics and software.

Within the National Health Service of the United Kingdom Rehabilitation Engineers are commonly involved with assessment and provision of wheelchairs and seating to promote good posture and independent mobility. This includes electrically powered wheelchairs, active user (lightweight) manual wheelchairs, and in more advanced clinics this may include assessments for specialist wheelchair control systems and/or bespoke seating solutions.

The A-SET Mind Controlled Wheelchair has been invented by Diwakar Vaish, the head of Robotics and Research at A-SET Training and Research Institutes, India. It is of great importance to patients with locked-in syndrome, it uses neural signals to command the wheelchair. This is the world's first in production neurally controlled wheelchair.

Many of these devices are not designed to be multi-functional or to be easy to use. [9]

Ongoing research

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers conduct research in the rehabilitation engineering, each focusing on one general area or aspect of disability. [10] For example, the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute conducts research for the blind and visually impaired. [11] Many of the Veterans Administration Rehabilitation Research & Development Centers conduct rehabilitation engineering research. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

Assistive technology Assistive devices for people with disabilities

Assistive technology (AT) is a term for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly. Disabled people often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, or even with assistance. ADLs are self-care activities that include toileting, mobility (ambulation), eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, and personal device care. Assistive technology can ameliorate the effects of disabilities that limit the ability to perform ADLs. Assistive technology promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. For example, wheelchairs provide independent mobility for those who cannot walk, while assistive eating devices can enable people who cannot feed themselves to do so. Due to assistive technology, disabled people have an opportunity of a more positive and easygoing lifestyle, with an increase in "social participation," "security and control," and a greater chance to "reduce institutional costs without significantly increasing household expenses." In schools, assistive technology can be critical in allowing students with disabilities access the general education curriculum. Students who experience challenges writing or keyboarding, for example, can use voice recognition software instead.

Biomedical engineering Application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology.

Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. BME is also traditionally known as "bioengineering", but this term has come to also refer to biological engineering. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine, combining the design and problem-solving skills of engineering with medical biological sciences to advance health care treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. Also included under the scope of a biomedical engineer is the management of current medical equipment in hospitals while adhering to relevant industry standards. This involves making equipment recommendations, procurement, routine testing, and preventive maintenance, a role also known as a Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) or as clinical engineering.

Accessibility Design of products, services, and environments for usability by disabled people

Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology.

Institution of Engineering and Technology Professional engineering institution

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution. The IET was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), dating back to 1871, and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) dating back to 1884. Its worldwide membership is currently in excess of 158,000 in 153 countries. The IET's main offices are in Savoy Place in London, England and at Michael Faraday House in Stevenage, England.

Neural engineering is a discipline within biomedical engineering that uses engineering techniques to understand, repair, replace, or enhance neural systems. Neural engineers are uniquely qualified to solve design problems at the interface of living neural tissue and non-living constructs.

Biomechatronics is an applied interdisciplinary science that aims to integrate biology and mechatronics. It also encompasses the fields of robotics and neuroscience. Biomechatronic devices encompass a wide range of applications from the development of prosthetic limbs to engineering solutions concerning respiration, vision, and the cardiovascular system.

Patrick E. Crago is the Allen H. and Constance T.Ford Professor and Chairman of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Crago is a biomedical engineer currently serving as a Principal Investigator at the Cleveland FES Center.

Clifford E. Brubaker is Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Brubaker is also a professor at that institution and an adjunct professor at both Xian Jiaotong University and Carnegie Mellon University.

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) is an association of people with an interest in technology and disability. Its mission statement notes that RESNA's mission is to improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology through promoting research, development, education, advocacy and provision of technology; and by supporting the assistive technology service providers engaged in these activities.

Biological engineering Application of biology and engineering to create useful products

Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number of pure and applied sciences, such as mass and heat transfer, kinetics, biocatalysts, biomechanics, bioinformatics, separation and purification processes, bioreactor design, surface science, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and polymer science. It is used in the design of medical devices, diagnostic equipment, biocompatible materials, renewable energy, ecological engineering, agricultural engineering, process engineering and catalysis, and other areas that improve the living standards of societies.

Assistive technology service providers help individuals with disabilities acquire and use appropriate Assistive Technology (AT) to help them participate in activities of daily living, employment and education.

Standing wheelchair

A standing wheelchair is assistive technology, similar to a standing frame, that allows a wheelchair user to raise the chair from a seated to a standing position. The standing wheelchair supports the person in a standing position and enables interaction with people and objects at eye level.

Wheelchair Chair with wheels used by people with mobility deficiencies

A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, brain injury, osteogenesis imperfecta, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and more.

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is a not-for-profit membership organization of manufacturers, sellers and providers of technology-based assistive devices and/or services, for people with disabilities. ATIA represents the interests of its members to business, government, education, and the many agencies that serve people with disabilities. One goal of the ATIA is to "speak with the common voice" for Its mission is to serve as the collective voice of the Assistive Technology (AT) industry so that the best products and services are delivered to people with disabilities.

Gary Birch (electrical engineer)

Dr. Gary Birch, is a Canadian Paralympian, an expert in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology and executive director of the Neil Squire Society. In 1975, Dr. Birch was involved in an automobile accident which resulted in injuries to the C6 and C7 area of his spine making him a low-level quadriplegic. He was one of the original players of Murderball, and won several medals in the 1980 Summer Paralympics in the Netherlands. In 2008, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He continues to champion accessibility through his Research and Development work in assistive technologies at the University of British Columbia, the Rick Hansen Institute, and the Neil Squire Society.

Center for Neurotechnology

In September 2018, the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE) changed its name to the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) to highlight the role of neurotechnologies in healing the brain and spinal cord.

Masakatsu G. Fujie is a Japanese scientist who has played a major role in cutting-edge research in biomedical engineering. He has been responsible for many advances in the field of robotics.

James Gips was an American technologist, academic, and author based in Boston. He was the John R. and Pamela Egan Professor of computer science and professor of information systems at Boston College.

Rory A. Cooper American bioengineer

Rory A. Cooper is an American bioengineer who currently serves as FISA/PVA Distinguished Professor, Past Chair, in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology and professor of bioengineering, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and orthopedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also assistant vice chancellor for research for STEM and Health Sciences Collaboration. He holds an adjunct faculty position at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, and is an invited professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, China.

Paul Hunter Peckham American academic

Paul Hunter Peckham is a professor of biomedical engineering and orthopedics at the Case Western Reserve University, and holds eight patents related to neural prosthetics. Peckham's research involves developing prostheses to restore function in the upper extremities for paralyzed individuals with spinal cord injury.

References

  1. ↑ "RehabEngineer: Assistive Technology Resources for People with Disabilities". Rehabengineer.homestead.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  2. ↑ "Rehabilitation Engineers, Technologists, and Technicians" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  3. ↑ "Position Papers, White Papers, and Provision Guides | Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America". www.resna.org. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  4. ↑ "first cycle of Rehabilitation Engineering and Accessibility (UTAD - Portugal)" (in Portuguese). Utad.pt. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  5. ↑ "second cycle of Rehabilitation Engineering and Accessibility (UTAD - Portugal)" (in Portuguese). Utad.pt. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  6. ↑ "HDTI Rehab Engineering BSc".
  7. ↑ Archived January 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "RESNA Home Page". Resna.org. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  9. ↑ Engber, Daniel (2021-10-06). "Can Robots Heal an Injured Brain?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  10. ↑ "Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers". Ed.gov. 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  11. ↑ "The Smith-Kettlewell Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center". Ski.org. Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-07-19. Retrieved 2006-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.