Development of a Collapsible Folding Manual Wheelchair

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the Endeavor, a compact, forward-folding, ultralight manual wheelchair that incorporates small "swing-down" wheels for navigation in confined areas. This enables access to narrow environments such as those encountered in offices, restrooms, and transportation settings. When using the small access wheels, the wheelchair also fits down the aisle of airplanes and collapses to be stowed in the overhead compartment. It is anticipated that the Endeavor will maximize mobility; increase access to confined areas; and ease the demands of travel for people with disabilities.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Wheelchair Users
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Endeavor

Detailed Description

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the Endeavor, a compact, forward-folding, ultralight manual wheelchair that incorporates small "swing-down" wheels for navigation in confined areas. This enables access to narrow environments such as those encountered in offices, restrooms, and transportation settings. When using the small access wheels, the wheelchair also fits down the aisle of airplanes and collapses to be stowed in the overhead compartment. It is anticipated that the Endeavor will maximize mobility; increase access to confined areas; and ease the demands of travel for people with disabilities.

There are two stages to this research project: an Activities of Daily Living Course and an In-Home trial. The activities of daily living course is located at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories and simulates daily barriers encountered by wheelchair users. Subjects will be asked to complete the course in their personal wheelchair and in the Endeavor three times each. Testing will be completed during a one-day visit that will not exceed 2 1/2 hours.

For the in-home trial, subjects will be asked to use the Endeavor as their primary means of mobility for two weeks, which will be compared to using their own wheelchair for two weeks. During this four-week period a datalogger will be mounted to the subject's wheelchair(s), which will give information about distance traveled, average speed, and time used. In addition to the data-logger, subjects will also be asked to keep a brief, daily, written log of the activities they performed while in the chair. At the end of the Endeavor trial-use period, subjects will be asked to complete a questionnaire. There is an 8-week follow-up period where subjects will be allowed to keep the Endeavor. We will make three calls during this period to conduct interviews on usage of the Endeavor.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15206
      • Human Engineering Research Laboratories

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Use a manual wheelchair as a primary means of mobility.
2. Male and females over the age of 18.
3. The ability to adequately fit in a wheelchair with a 16" seat width.
4. A minimum of 6 months experience using a manual wheelchair as primary means of mobility.
5. Able to transfer independently.
6. Drive own vehicle from vehicle seat.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Active pressure sores as reported by subject.
2. History of traumatic upper extremity injury that would prevent you from folding, lifting and storing a manual wheelchair.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Endeavor Wheelchair; Participants will receive an introduction to the Endeavor wheelchair, and will complete the Activities of Daily Living Course with their own personal wheelchair and with the Endeavor chair.	Device: Endeavor; Collapsible, forward folding manual wheelchair

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants Reported the Endeavor to be the Same as Their Current w/c or Better With Regards to Transporting in a Vehicle	Participants completed an Activities of Daily Living Course in their own personal w/c and the Endeavor. Then participants were asked to rate their level of difficulty to complete based on a 5 point likert scale: very difficult, difficult, moderate, easy, very easy. Number of participants reported the Endeavor w/c to be the same as their current w/c or better with regards to transporting in a vehicle.	immediately following course completion
Average Distance Traveled Per/Day During the 2 Week Time Period (Personal w/c)	Mean distance traveled per/day using the personal w/c was recorded with use of customized datalogger.	2 week in-home trial
Average Distance Traveled Per/Day During the 2 Week Time Period (Endeavor w/c)	Mean distance traveled per/day using the Endeavor w/c was recorded with use of customized datalogger.	2 week in-home trial

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2004
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): July 1, 2008
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): April 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 24, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 24, 2006
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): January 27, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): January 6, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 23, 2014
• Last Verified: December 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: manual wheelchair; assistive technology; travel wheelchair
• Other Study ID Numbers: 02331, 0408063; H133S030016