Photo By Maria Christina Yager | Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Readiness Command, East, and Director, Defense...... read more read more
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- A simulated M-4 rifle charging handle fashioned by an occupational therapy team at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and refined by Fort Campbell’s EagleWerx Applied Tactical Innovation Center may gain broader use in other military hospitals and clinics after a senior Defense Health Agency official saw it demonstrated.
The device attaches to a strength-training machine which simulates real-life tasks for Soldiers recovering from traumatic hand and upper extremity injuries. The machine helps injured Soldiers regain strength, mobility, and function during occupational therapy sessions at the hospital.
BACH OT Specialist, Staff Sgt. Luis Diaz, explained the clinic’s strength-training machine uses interchangeable attachments that replicate everyday tasks with varying degrees of resistance based on each patient’s treatment plan.
“From turning a doorknob to throwing a ball, raking leaves, or lifting a child, it can simulate almost any physical range of motion imaginable,” said Diaz.
But, when it came to certain Soldier specific tasks, like pulling back the charging handle on a service rifle, Diaz said that there wasn’t anything available from the manufacturer, so BACH OT staff created an attachment of their own.
“We had [Staff Sgt. Diaz] say they needed a way to simulate pulling back a charging handle for occupational therapy,” said Sgt. Christopher Gleason, a Soldier from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) assigned to EagleWerx, a congressionally funded central point of connection for warfighters and partners to learn, research, innovate, build, and explore new ideas to solve tactical problems. There Soldiers partner with research labs from the Army, Air Force and Navy, Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University, and the National Security Innovation Network to empower warfighter innovation to increase readiness to win the future fight.
Diaz and his team “came in with some prototypes they were using in the hospital as a makeshift means to simulate that action,” said Gleason.
Using computer-aided design and 3D printing, Gleason produced a prototype to share with BACH’s OT Team. After a few adjustments based on their feedback, Gleason returned with the final design.
“It was perfect. And with this method, they can replicate that for any hospital in the Army, Air Force, or Navy for a cost of eight cents apiece. It also opens up the possibility for new equipment and new attachments for the machine or any department that requires a new part to provide services for patients in the military,” Diaz said.
Their joint achievement was included in the hospital commander’s report to U.S. Army Medical Readiness Command, East. There, it caught the attention of Brig. Gen. Lance Raney, Commanding General MRC, East, and Director, Defense Health Network East.
The general received a demonstration of the device during his Nov. 6 visit to Fort Campbell and the hospital’s OT clinic.
“It is certainly about rehabilitation and taking care of our Soldiers so they can get back in the fight,” said Raney. He tried the attachment out for himself and spoke with the Soldiers about their collaboration and future prospects.
“It is not uncommon to hear how we don’t have enough money to do things, or we don’t have the right skill sets, but what I’m finding as I go around to the different military hospitals and clinics is that people are taking what they have and figuring out how to make it work, and this is a prime example,” said Raney. He shared his appreciation with the Soldiers and encouraged them to continue innovating, noting he planned to share their invention for consideration across the MHS.
“I’m sure this will be the first of many things. You have figured it out. We need to simulate reality the best we can,” added the general.
| Date Taken: | 11.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.29.2023 11:25 |
| Story ID: | 458646 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 281 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Campbell Soldiers’ Innovation Helps Extremities Rehab for Injured Service Members, by Maria Christina Yager, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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