Digital Seating Service

Name of course presenters: Peter Watson & Lorna Tasker

Part Day- 3 hours

Level: Intermediate (Participants should have a good understanding of seating/posture, however no prior knowledge of the Digital Seating Service equipment or processes is required)

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to provide an insight into an innovative approach to the manufacturing of postural seating systems. Participants will learn about the equipment (laser scanner, digitiser and CNC machine) and processes required to set-up a Digital Seating Service. The processes will be explained using demonstrations and case studies from the two Special Seating Centres (Swansea and Belfast). The presenters will give an overview of their individual centre's experiences. As these technologies are becoming more affordable, it is predicted that Digital Seating Services will become more central to the work of Special Seating Centres/Rehabilitation Engineering centres. The pros and cons of this more scientific approach will be discussed, to provide participants with an objective overview. Ongoing and future developments will also be presented which, it is hoped, will initiate valuable, concluding group discussions.

Presenter Biographies:

Peter Watson is the Principal Bioengineer at Belfast Health & Social Care Trust. He has a PhD from the Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery, Queen's University of Belfast and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Chartered Scientist and Corporate Member of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. He has been Head of Dept at the Rehabilitation Engineering Centre at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast since 1990 and started the Regional Special Seating Service there in 1996. This service offers in-house manufactured carved foam seating, matrix seating and adaptations & modifications for a large range of modular seating equipment.

Lorna Tasker completed a Masters of Engineering in Medical Engineering from Cardiff University in July 2006. She is currently working towards her Clinical Scientist registration at Swansea's Rehabilitation Engineering Unit, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Trust, working in areas of Assistive Technology, Biomechanical Evaluation and Function and Medical Equipment Management. Swansea Rehabilitation Engineering Unit focuses on aspects concerning wheelchairs and special postural seating systems. Lorna has been involved with the implementation of Swansea's Digital Seating Service (where experimentation has been ongoing since April 2007 and first cushion manufacturing in April 2008). As part of the Clinical Scientist training, she is undertaking a part-time MSc at Cardiff University in Clinical Engineering. The project component of this degree is entitled Acquisition and Analysis of 3D shapes of Customised Postural Support Systems, which has been partly supported by PMG through the Small Research Study Funding Scheme. The research utilises some of the technologies employed in the Digital Seating Service. The aim of the research is to provide a greater understanding of these shapes, through quantitative analysis and it is hoped that generic shapes will be identified which will allow the development of manufacturing techniques.