[TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY 2003-017]

Personal Lift Assist Device (PLAD™)

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Researchers at Queen’s University have invented a novel device to be worn by workers prone to or at risk of low back injury to assist them with lifting tasks. The PLAD offsets part of the cumulative loading forces on the back caused by repetitive lifting tasks. Wearing the PLAD reduces lumbar movements by 14 to 27 percent without affecting the speed of the lift or restricting the spine’s range of motion. It also reduces back and leg muscle activity by 15 to 30 percent without interfering with abdominal muscle activity.

Lifting has long been identified as a major cause of low back injury and other musculoskeletal problems, which cost an estimated $72 billion in the US alone. Recently, researchers have focused on cumulative loading as a risk factor for injury of the low back. Cumulative loading is the integrated effect of time and force on a biological tissue; in this case, the tissues of the lumbar spine. Reduction of the loads on the lumbar spine could reduce the prevalence of low back disability and accelerate the return to work phase of occupational rehabilitation.

Description:

This device is worn on the back and braced at the shoulders, hips and knees to generate an external force opposing the load and body weight during the lifting task. The PLAD acts parallel to the back and leg muscles as an external support in the down phase of the lift and a force generator in the up phase of the lift. It allows workers to use less of their own muscle force upon lifting, thereby reducing compressive and shear forces on their vertebral joints.

When a person wears the PLAD and bends to perform a lift, the elastic components of the device are stretched and potential energy is stored. When the person stands, the potential energy within the elastic components is released as kinetic energy, reducing the force required by the back muscles to meet the postural and load demands of the lift. Wearing this device will reduce both peak and cumulative intervertebral forces associated with lifting and help allay fears of re-injury which occur during the rehabilitation process.

Potential applications:
The PLAD could be used by anyone prone to or at risk of developing a back injury whose lifting duties can by facilitated by the use of external support.

For those with low back disability, the device will allow them to return to work sooner after injury.

For those whose occupations put them at risk of developing a low back injury, the device could mitigate the chance of injury or re-injury. Such occupations include:
o Warehouse, production line or construction personnel;
o Professionals who experience long periods of static holding such as mechanics, dental hygienists or 
nurses;
o Farmers and agricultural workers;
o Cottage industry businesses that lack fully automated production lines.

State of development:
PARTEQ Innovations, the technology transfer arm of Queen’s University, is seeking industrial partners who are willing to support on-going product development and/or are interested in licensing the intellectual property. International patent applications for this device are currently pending and field of use rights are available on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis.

Contact:
Anne Vivian-Scott MBA, P Eng
Director, Commercial Development
Phone: (613) 533-2342
FAX: (613) 533-6853
E-mail: avivianscott@parteqinnovations.com
Ref Tech ID 2003-017