FREEHAB clinical evaluation of a prototype physiotherapy device v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
FREEHAB within session evaluations of a prototype device for improving patients’ sit to stand movements
IRAS ID
316393
Contact name
Jonathan Rossiter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 28 days
Research summary
After a stroke or acquired head injury some patients have weakness in the limbs on one side of the body. Weakness in the quadriceps muscles of the legs particularly makes moving from sitting to standing difficult. Patients struggle to rise completely or are slow and poorly coordinated in getting up. As part of our FREEHAB project we have developed a wearable prototype device to help patients get from sitting to standing. The wearable device is designed to assist patients' own muscles to help them to stand up. In this first investigation of the effectiveness of the device we aim to see if wearing the device will improve patients’ sitting to standing performance and to evaluate the acceptability and safety of the device. Within a single session, the tests will be carried out in a Human Movement Analysis Laboratory at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Participants’ sitting to standing performance will be compared when not wearing the device, and when wearing the device with the assist function turned off and when wearing it when the assist function is switched on and active.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
23/WS/0111
Date of REC Opinion
11 Aug 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion