An innovative wheelchair can help a patient.

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in lower limp are truly suffered with difficulty in traveling especially when desiring to stand and get something, they extremely need their relatives or attendants do them a favour.

However, supposing that they have some equipment that can help them, it is very useful and it can reduce those people’s responsibility. Therefore, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT) collaborated with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical Center-MSMC Hospital, the Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU), Aongkarak district, invented an electric wheelchair with microcontroller system.

Dr. Dejrit Maneetham, an instructor from the Faculty of Technical Education at RMUTT, said that the electric wheelchair project was appeared because of Asst. Prof.  Dr. Niyom La-orpaksin, the director of the Medical Center. He proposed his idea to help people who have aforementioned disease. This will help reduce the relative’s responsibility load.

The system is controlled by 2 methods, a joy stick and a remote control.  The chair is drivable in 4 directions; move forward, backward, left side and right side. It can also adjust height helping the patients stand. In addition, the equipment is invented with most safety for a user because it has belts for tightening with an abdomen and knees.

Dr. Dejrit also mentioned that currently there are many patients needing the aforementioned chairs in order to reduce responsibility load of their attendants but they are encountering with an expensive price from imported products. Nevertheless, this helping equipment is merely costed approximately 35,000.

Lastly, Dr. Dejrit said that RMUTT and the Medical Center expected fully to support patients widely and equally. This will be massive benefits for their relatives.

Translated by Mr. Suraporn Onputtha

http://www.news.rmutt.ac.th/archives/14284