Biomechanics of Falls

John West john.west@ieee.org (727) 743-2267	Thursday, April 08, 2010 at 6:00 PM
	Meeting Description Abstract: Patient falls are a significant problem, detracting from quality of life and increasing the burden of chronic illness, injury, and disability. Fall-related injuries can result in disability or death, particularly in two vulnerable populations: frail elderly and persons with disabilities. Protective devices are available to minimize risk of fall-related injuries in these populations, including medical helmets, hip protectors, bedside mats / flooring, and protective edging. However the effectiveness of these devices is sub-optimal due to (i) absence of appropriate protection standards on the basis of which to select and test appropriate materials, and (ii) patient / resident non-compliance. The VA Research Center of Excellence is conducting a study to develop and evaluate protective medical helmets using new advanced materials to minimize fall-related injuries in vulnerable persons. Specifically, we perform an engineering evaluation of the energy-attenuation properties of various advanced materials and use that knowledge to develop a new generation of medical helmets. The new devices are first tested in the Biomechanics laboratory at the Tampa VA Research Center, with comparison to commercially-available devices. Following refinement of the designs, we will conduct a multi-site clinical evaluation to examine real-world outcomes.
	Additional Information !!! SPACE IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 20 REGISTRANTS !!! PIZZA AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED Student IEEE Members $3, IEEE Members $5, Non-IEEE Members $8 (Please bring exact amount or a check payable to “IEEE FWC”) Speaker Bio: Dr. Lloyd is Director over all Research Laboratories for the Tampa VA HSR&D/RR&D Center of Excellence on Maximizing Rehabilitation Outcomes as well as an Associate Director of the Technology Division for the VISN8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. He is also an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida. John has authored more than 70 book chapters, publications, open-literature articles and technical reports. He serves on the VA National Ergonomics Committee as well as Chairs a task force at the Patient Safety Center. Dr. Lloyd has served on a variety of exciting research projects, focusing on the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders through biomechanical evaluation and development of engineering solutions. His research foci include: biomechanics of falls and preservation of upper extremity function in persons with spinal cord injury. For further information, contact John Lloyd at DrJohnLloyd@Tampabay.RR.com or John West at john.west@ieee.org
	Meeting Location 8900 Grand Oak Circle, Tampa Driving Directions Seminar will be hosted at the VA HSR&D/RR&D Center of Excellence, which is located at 8900 Grand Oak Circle, Tampa, FL 33637. Please press the Mapquest button above for more detailed directions.
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