Team 12

SmartRescue: A Lightweight Weight Bearing device that Aids Patients with Ankle Sprains Walk on Their Own

Team Members: Maryah Alalwan
Nazira Kwanda
Emmanuella Tagoe
Loren Yazzie

Team Mentors: Christopher J. Pardo - Creighton University School of Medicine
Daniel Peterson, PhD - College of Health Solutions, ASU
Geoff Comp, DO, FAWM - Creighton University School of Medicine
Eric Nguyen - Creighton University School of Medicine

YouTube Link: View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting

Zoom Link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/87233014686

Abstract

Mild to serious ankle injuries can hamper an individual's ability to walk independently, which becomes a challenge in areas where medical services are inaccessible. Thus, developing a medical device that allows users to temporarily support their ankle injury for ambulation is necessary. The size of the global foot and ankle injury market will grow to $8.07 billion by 2024. Current related devices on the market are bulky and expensive, do not necessarily allow easy ambulation without assistance, are not fit for a variety of ankle injury settings (i.e. hiking, sports) and are only focused on being hands-free crutches. We have developed a cost-effective medical device that addresses the unmet needs of our target market, including hikers, athletes and emergency response teams. The novel concept of our device, WeightBear, includes the ability to transfer the weight of users into the upper leg providing joint stability to the ankle allowing users to walk independently, while not altering their gait significantly. It is lightweight, collapsible and adjustable for varying surface types. The WeightBear device has been tested to withstand wide ranges of forces and settings through virtual modeling and simulations in MATLAB and SolidWorks. Additionally, easy assembly of our device has been confirmed with 3D printed prototypes. Our target unit cost is $200, including materials, labor and overhead fees. WeightBear is a non-invasive Class 1 medical device, subjected only to general controls. Overall, WeightBear makes an ideal solution for patients with ankle sprains enabling them to remain independent and safely ambulate.