UTS performance testing transforms the disability experience
A collaboration between UTS Rapido and Australian start-up PolySpine is transforming the lives of people with moderate to severe physical disability, opening the door to beach trips, aeroplane flights, canoeing excursions and more.
For people with conditions like cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy and motor neuron disease, recreational activities can be a challenging proposition. Sitting on the floor, in an airline seat or even at the dinner table is often impossible without adequate head and torso support. So, when Australian company PolySpine emerged on the start-up scene in 2020, the disability community took notice. Their product, PolySpine, is a lightweight exoskeleton that offers a unique opportunity for people with moderate to severe physical disabilities to experience more of the world outside their wheelchairs.
PolySpine is comprised of an injection-moulded ‘spine’ constructed using the highest quality materials and a durable cover made from medical-grade custom fabrics that are Bio-C tested. It also includes a chest harness and lap belt. The device is used in conjunction with a series of seating and recreational attachments that provide physical support, allowing users to participate in activities — like paddle boarding, bike riding or using a beach wheelchair — that would otherwise be out of reach. The PolySpine team knew they were onto a winning idea. All they had to do now was get their device to market — and, with a little help from technology innovation unit UTS Rapido, that’s what they did.
Establishing the partnership
The supply of medical devices in Australia is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Medical devices must be included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), a public database of therapeutic goods, before they can be supplied in Australia. For the PolySpine team, led by father and son creators Clint and Riley Saban, inclusion on the ARTG was the final hurdle before they could start manufacturing the PolySpine exoskeleton. Through an Innovation Connections Grant, the team was matched with UTS Rapido, an R&D engineering and technology consultancy at UTS.
Working with Rapido was a seamless process, says Jasmine Sayour, Managing Director of PolySpine. They were just so competent; they understood exactly what we needed to achieve.
A rigorous testing process
Working with a prototype of the exoskeleton, the Rapido engineering team mapped out a plan for PolySpine’s Conformity Assessment — a series of activities that demonstrate compliance with the TGA’s essential safety and performance principles — leveraging the specialised labs and equipment available at UTS.
The first step was to come up with a list of tests that would deliver the evidence they needed.
The Rapido team have great knowledge of validation testing, Sayour says.
What was great about them was that we identified what we needed in terms of tests to validate our product and they identified a whole host of other things that needed to be tested as well.
The team settled on a rigorous testing process to measure the strength, durability and safety of both the injected-moulded material that forms the device’s spine and the chest harness and lap belt that secures it to the user. They conducted drop tests and fatigue and fracture toughness tests, the bulk of which were conducted using the university’s Shimadzu AGX50 Universal Testing Machine. They also conducted material tests, including toxicity, flammability and reactions to hot/cold exposure, and device lifespan tests, which examined the product’s shelf life and biodegradability potential, among other things. The testing process revealed a series of minor design changes that would further strengthen the device, including upgrading the materials used for the chest harness and lap belt.
It was extremely important to us to understand if there were any potential failures in our design or in our choice of materials, Sayour says. Quality was really high on our list, and so was the integrity of the product.
Leading the way to evidence-based design improvements
The PolySpine team made the upgrades and then submitted the prototype for a second round of tests, which it passed with flying colours. PolySpine was added to the ARTG in September 2021 and released to the public early the following year.
The PolySpine partnership is just one example of how UTS Rapido can develop bespoke R&D solutions for businesses who are on the path to research commercialisation, says Herve Harvard, Founding Director of UTS Rapido.
As experts in technical innovation, we can deliver everything from validation testing through to mechanical, mechatronic and software engineering solutions that can help transform business outcomes.
The process of designing, developing and bringing PolySpine to market has resulted in the creation of two new jobs.Today, PolySpine is listed on the NDIS where it’s already creating a more inclusive world. It’s currently under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA.
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