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Features for Senior Citizens
New Wheelchair Keeps People on the Move – Even Up
the Stairs
From
FDA Maturity Health Matters
 August 14, 2006 - Imagine losing use of your legs
and still being able to function at an eye-level height and climb
stairs. It is possible with a new motorized wheelchair that knows how to
keep its balance.
The INDEPENDENCE iBOT 4000 Mobility System is a
battery-powered wheelchair that enables people with mobility impairments
to go up and down stairs, reach high shelves, climb curbs, travel over a
wide variety of terrain, negotiate uneven or inclined surfaces, and hold
eye-level conversations with others who are standing. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approved the iBOT 4000 in March 2005. It uses the
same technology as the previously approved iBOT 3000.
FDA expedited review of the original iBOT 3000
because it represented a breakthrough technology with the potential to
benefit people with disabilities.
"Its approval is emblematic of FDA's
commitment to help innovative medical technologies reach patients
promptly," said the Acting FDA Commissioner at the time of the original
approval.
According to the FDA, which approved the device in August
2003, an estimated two million Americans use wheelchairs. Powered by
rechargeable batteries that can operate up to a full day on a single
charge, the wheelchair uses a system that connects computers, software,
gyroscopes, motors, and electronics to automatically adjust itself
according to the user's center of gravity to maintain balance and
stability.
| |
FDA Maturity
Health Matters, Issue 2 |
|
| |
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has recently published its second issue of Maturity
Health Matters. This electronic newsletter provides health information
for older adults, their families and caregivers. Featured in this issue
is information about FDA's Centennial, the iBOT 4000 (climbing)
wheelchair, recent problems with soft contact lens solutions and
infections, shingles vaccines, filling prescriptions abroad, being an
active member of your healthcare team, Baxter's infusion pump recall,
trans fats nutrition, and tips MedWatch – the FDA's Safety Information
and Adverse Event Reporting Program
The newsletter can
be found at:
Click Here.
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To select the mode of operation, the user pushes a
toggle switch to command one of five modes: standard, four-wheel drive,
balance, stair climbing, or remote function. A joystick controls the
speed and direction of travel.
The iBOT can be easily commanded to
convert from a standard wheelchair, with four wheels in contact with the
ground, to an elevated wheelchair balanced on only two wheels. Operating
the device in balance function allows the user to reach high objects or
to move around while seated at an elevated eye-level height.
When the
user commands the system to operate in balance function, the front pair
of wheels rotates above the back wheels. This elevates the user to an
eye-level seated position and allows the user to move around at this
height while the system continues to balance on its two back wheels. In
both standard function and balance function, the user can travel over
obstacles up to one inch in height and can drive on slopes up to five
degrees (such as typical building entrance ramps and sidewalk curb
cuts).
Four-wheel drive enables the user to go over rough
terrain, travel over gravel or sand, go up steeper 10-degree slopes, and
climb five-inch curbs. Because of its unique balancing mechanism, the
wheelchair remains stable and the seat stays nearly level during all
these movements.
Going Up Stairs
For use on stairs, there are two sets of drive wheels
that rotate up and over each other to climb up or down, one step at a
time. When operating on stairs, the user leans forward or backward,
directing the chair to go up or down. For remote operation of the
unoccupied wheelchair, the user or an assistant can remove the joystick
control from its mount and maneuver the chair from up to four feet away.
This is useful for driving into a vehicle for transport, for positioning
the chair for transfers, and for parking after transferring out of the
chair.
The iBOT is not for everyone, however. The chair is
available only with a doctor's prescription, and people must have use of
at least one arm to operate it. The chair also must be adjusted to the
patient's weight, which is limited to no more than 250 pounds, and users
must undergo special training.
Using the wheelchair requires some
physical effort, and users must have the skills and judgment to
constantly assess the environment and choose between different travel
routes and device functions. Although the price of the iBOT is $26,100,
people who buy the device may escape the costs of typical modifications,
such as ramps and elevators, needed for home use of a conventional
wheelchair.
|
Mode
|
How it
works |
Features
|
Can be
used on |
Speed
and range |
|
Standard
|
Similar to
conventional powered wheelchair; casters contact ground
|
Provides
good turning performance and mobility on firm, level
surfaces |
Inclines up
to five degrees; negotiates obstacles up to one inch
|
Maximum
speed: 6.8 mph; Range: 12.4 miles |
|
4-Wheel
Drive |
Four drive
wheels contact ground; casters are elevated |
Provides
good performance and mobility on soft or loose terrain
|
Inclines up
to 10 degrees; negotiates obstacles up to 5 inches
|
Maximum
speed: 4.9 mph; Range: 13.7 miles |
|
Balance
|
One pair of
drive wheels makes contact with ground |
Provides
mobility at elevated height; mode can be turned on/off by
clinician |
Inclines up
to five degrees; negotiates obstacles up to one inch
|
Maximum
speed: 3.2 mph; Range: 15.5 miles |
|
Stair
Climbing |
Drive
wheels rotate up and over each other; Available settings:
assist or solo |
Use solo
with one or two stair rails, or assisted if user may not
have needed upper body strength; mode can be turned on/off
by clinician |
Tread
depth: 10 to 17 inches; Riser height: five to eight inches
|
|
|
Remote
|
Operated
with joystick, which can be removed from its mount on the
armrest |
Useful for
operating the device when not seated in it |
Inclines up
to 20 degrees; obstacles up to one inch |
Maximum
speed: 0.5 mph |
Excerpted and updated from FDA Consumer,
November-December 2003
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