Iterative Design and Evaluation of New Rigid & Folding Commode-Shower Wheelchairs, a Case Study in Design Research

The purpose of these projects was to design new and safe commode-shower wheelchairs for use by individuals with spinal cord injuries and caregivers. The need for new chairs resulted from the many safety problems associated with existing models such as inability to fold, patient falls while transferring, development of pressure sores. An iterative process of design, prototype fabrication and clinical evaluation was used to develop both a rigid and a folding shower-commode wheelchair. During this process, new wheelchair features were invented and patented. The shower-commode wheelchairs were successfully evaluated with patients having spinal cord injuries and their caregivers at VA Medical Centers. Questionnaires were developed to assess the chair's features and function. The evaluation results led to the conclusion that the new Shower-Commode Wheelchairs solved all the safety and usability problems found in existing models.