Student Work

Wheelchair Seat Cushion to Mitigate Bed Sores, Cooled via Heat Pipes

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Pressure ulcers or bedsores result in approximately 60,000 deaths each year. The frequency of pressure ulcers is correlated with stagnant activity, heat and humidity. Wheelchair bound people frequently exhibit these conditions. To address the thermally related problems involved with pressure ulcers, we designed and fabricated a self-regulating cooling pad that utilizes heat-pipe technology to cool wheelchair-confined patients. Our design is filled with an ammonia mixture that will change phase from liquid to vapor due to heat delivered by the seated person. The vapor rises naturally to the back of the wheelchair where it releases its energy to the ambient temperature environment. Our cooling device requires no external energy and can potentially reduce the frequency of pressure ulcers.

  • This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.
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Identifier
  • E-project-042413-222226
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Year
  • 2013
Date created
  • 2013-04-24
Resource type
Major
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Last modified
  • 2023-09-19

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