Designers: Jake Sganga, Aimee Raleigh, Evan Seidel, and Carolyn Scoggins
Client Coordinator: Cassandra Gallagher, OTR/L
Supervising Professors: Kevin Caves and Richard Goldberg
Figure 1: Photo of client using the device from his bed. The Reliant lift base is on the upper left of the photo, below that is the hanging support, and in the middle of the photo is the TV mount and easel system.
INTRODUCTION
Our client Pablo is a professional artist who experienced a T4 spinal cord transection 10 years ago and spends most of his time in bed. Pablo is most comfortable in a reclined position to help prevent the occurrence of autonomic dysreflexia, which can cause a drastic and dangerous rise in blood pressure. As a result, it has been difficult for him to continue painting. Pablo has completed just a single painting since his accident in 2003, and longs to return to his craft and passion.
We designed and built a device that will enable Pablo to paint independently in a reclined position. This device holds an easel over his bed or wheelchair. It accommodates a range of canvas sizes, from approximately 1’x1’ to as large as 6’x6’. The device is easy for caregivers to setup and safe for Pablo to use. He can rotate, tilt, and move the canvas so that he can reach all parts of even very large canvases. Our team consulted with our client’s occupational therapist (OT) as well as received input from OT students at UNC in order to ensure that Pablo can adjust the easel as desired, and that he can remain in a comfortable reclined position during use.
STATEMENT OF IMPACT
The client stated that, “it will definitely provide the freedom I need and the flexibility to paint again. And it appears that I will be able to paint in a reclining position, which is very beneficial to me due to my blood pressure problems.” In addition, his therapist noted that the device “accommodates for [the client’s] deficits and enables a talented gentleman to once again utilize his artistic talents after 10 years! The device will not only allow Pablo to use his talents but will no doubt also provide him with the self esteem and satisfaction of completing a recreational/leisure activity he is truly passionate about, hence fulfilling a physical and social need.”
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Our device consists of several components (see Figure 1): a commercially available Reliant patient lift; an aluminum hanging attachment that connects the lift to a commercially available TV monitor mount; and a canvas support system to which each individual canvas can be attached. With our complete apparatus, any canvas size from 1’x1’ to 6’x6’ can be secured and then hoisted onto the adjustable-height base so that Pablo doesn’t have to get out of a comfortable reclined position in order to paint. In addition, a three-joint system allows for the maximum range of rotation and tilt while also providing a panning motion so that the client or his nurse can easily adjust the canvas position.
The base of our system consists of a commercial Reliant Patient Lift that was already in our client’s possession. This lift is designed to support up to 450 pounds while transporting Pablo in and out of his power chair. The Reliant Lift is operated manually by a hydraulic system, and its height can be raised or lowered by the nurse, depending on the relative position of our client in his bed or his wheelchair.
The aluminum hanging attachment provides an interface between the patient lift and the TV monitor mount. It consists of an aluminum T-shaped frame that hangs from the arm of the Reliant Patient lift by way of a carabiner attachment. On the back end, a hinge fixture on two parallel aluminum arms connects this T-frame to the boom of the Reliant lift to make the hanging support sturdy and stationary during use. A metal turnbuckle further increases the stability of this device so that the hinge does not adjust during operation. On the front end, this hanging piece supports the weight of a commercial TV mount through a nylon nut and bolt connection.
Figure 2: Client using the modified easel from his wheelchair in a reclined position.
The commercially available TV monitor mount can withstand up to 65 lbs of weight, meaning that this component boasts a factor of safety of 4 for our use. The arm of this mount can extend and retract, move from side to side, and rotate and tilt the canvas (see Figure 2). Friction joints allow for all of these motions, and the force required to adjust the position can be varied using a simple Allen wrench. The back plate of the mount bolts to the hanging support and the front plate bolts to the easel.
The easel is connected to the front of the mount (where a flat screen monitor would typically be mounted). It is constructed from an aluminum square 1’x1’ frame. Its cross beams are bolted onto protruding square metal struts attached to the front of the TV mount. The struts connect to friction hinges, which increase the range of canvas tilt. Furthermore, a 2’ x 3’ aluminum frame can be attached to the front to accommodate larger canvas sizes. Four small C-clamps tightly fasten the painting canvas to the aluminum frame. Once a canvas is loaded onto the device, the rigid frame holds the system in place as the entire device is raised to the appropriate level by the Reliant lift.
The total cost of this device is $200.