A Smart Wheelchair with B-Type Oxygen Cylinder Holders for COPD Patients

Abstract

The main cause of the medical problems caused by a treatment and mortality across the world is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a problem related to lung ailment that lasts for a long time and makes it difficult for the patient to breathe and do regular activities like normal people. The World Health organisation (WHO) calculates that 65 million individuals worldwide have medium to high level severe COPD. More over 3 million people in the world died because of COPD in 2005, making it upto 5% of all global fatalities. It is anticipated to surpass smoking as the third-leading cause of death by 2030. In India, it was estimated that in 2005, NCDs were responsible for 53% of all fatalities and 44% of lost disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). These long-term respiratory illnesses were responsible for 3% of lose and 7% of deaths. There are 30 million COPD patients in India alone, according to rough estimates. India is predicted to have one of the highest numbers of COPD death rates in the world, with more than 64.7 estimated age-standardized death rates per 100,000 people, including both genders. In this condition of COPD the patients need an external oxygen supply and in severe cases, they can’t move without a wheelchair. So they always need the help of two people, one to carry an oxygen cylinder trolley and another to move the wheelchair. The existing models have many disadvantages such as single featured, costlier (minimum 50k) and less efficient hardware models. The proposed solution is to build a smart wheelchair that has two oxygen cylinder holders on both sides of the armrest (one on the left another on right) in the wheelchair. If one cylinder empties, the person can switch to another easily, and also the wheelchair will be balanced. The wheelchair is designed in such a way that it can be converted into a bed (multi-purpose: wheelchair cum bed) using a link mechanism. The wheelchair is powered with a battery (lead acid) source and it can move automatically by taking input from the user through the joystick. It has a sound alarm to indicate others as the patients wore oxygen supply masks and they can’t talk. It also has a detachable toilet bin facility to make sure that the person is not forced to get up from the wheelchair for any purpose. The proposed wheelchair has five features. They are automatic mobility, bed to wheelchair and vice versa transformation, detachable toilet bin holder, emergency sound alarm, two oxygen cylinder holders. The main motto of the study is to make sure that the COPD patients can live their dream life which is to live independently.