Introduction

Our stakeholder, Courtney Celian, is an occupational therapist at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Occupational therapists assist with helping people regain skills for daily tasks, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is a revolutionary “hospital where clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work together in the same space, applying research in real time to physical medicine and rehabilitation” [1]. One specific group that the Lab works with is patients recovering from the effects of stroke; they work with these patients (and their caregivers) physically and mentally from early stages and support their patients in restoring their independence in daily activities and regaining proprioception. Proprioception refers to the perception of the position, motion, and force generated by the body (Appendix B). Many patients who have experienced a stroke deal with its effects, which include, but are not limited to, the impairment of one or more limbs, a deficit in spatial awareness, partial paralysis, and overall decreased proprioception. Our primary user, Gregory, experiences all these effects of having a stroke, and needs an extra set of hands to help him with cooking tasks that he used to be able to complete himself—specifically measuring out volumes of liquid without over- or under-filling the container. Gregory wants to be able to complete this task independently so that her can increase his ability to cook like he could before he had his stroke. Therefore, our team’s mission is to create an adaptable and assistive device for Gregory and patients who possess similar impairments that will allow easy and accurate measurement of ingredients in varying containers (Appendix A).

This device must be applicable to all types of liquids, especially ones that are used in the preparation of soups, which is our primary user’s favorite thing to cook (Appendix B). Additionally, the user and his caregiver expressed an interest in an extendable or slidable feature to the device, as it is the easiest motion to perform, given the user’s limitations (Appendix C). Our design must incorporate these details and ensure that it is safe for the user temperature-wise and battery-wise, considering electronics are necessary in creating an auditory alert. The design is also required to be lightweight, washable, and storable to ensure that our user can use it without the need for assistance.

Current products on the market do not address all the issues presented by our stakeholder and user. The main product in relation to this problem, the MaxiAid Liquid Level Indicator, falls short when it comes to measuring liquid volumes out in varying containers and at different volumes—it is not versatile enough for the user base our team is addressing (Appendix D).

In order to address all the preferences and requirements of our user, stakeholder, and user’s caregiver, our team designed the ProprioClamp, an extension and modification to the auditory sensor concept of the MaxiAid Liquid Level Indicator. This design allows for easy pouring and measurement of different volumes of liquid for people with decreased proprioception and limited use of their arms (due to stroke, paralysis, etc.). By using a clamp mechanism with a breadth of 7 inches, the ProprioClamp is easily adjusted to different depths of most containers, by sliding the silicone ends of the clamp to the desired depth of the liquid. The foundational feature of this design involves the use of tongs with rubber coating. The rubber coating on the handles provides temperature resistance for the user, allowing this product to work at different temperatures. The ProprioClamp also features the use of an auditory sensor, which detects when the liquid reaches the desired level and produces a loud sound. The sides of the tongs that attach to the pot will be covered in a silicon padding, which will minimize the damage and scratching this design could cause to the containers it is used with. Magnets are encased by the silicon padding at each end of the tong-like clamp mechanism. This will allow for the device to stay in place on the side of the container while the liquid is poured.

References

[1] “AbilityLab Home,” Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. [Online]. Available: https://www.sralab.org/home.