Evaluation of a Spring-Loaded Lumbar Occupational Exoskeleton With Healthcare Professionals

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders significantly impact healthcare professionals during patient-handling tasks. This work presents the results of a study that evaluated a spring-loaded lumbar exoskeleton, called SAFE-T, in reducing the physical strain for caregivers. Fifteen healthcare professionals performed patient transfer and bed repositioning tasks in three conditions, without wearing the SATE-T and with SAFE-T using two different levels of assistance. A healthy volunteer simulated a partially collaborative patient. The effect of the exoskeleton was assessed through superficial electromyographic measurements, movement kinematics, and perceived exertion. Results showed that the exoskeleton significantly reduced muscle activation across back muscles, with both assistance levels demonstrating the effectiveness of this study. Specifically, muscle activity was significantly reduced in the right lumbar erector spinae (19-29%), thoracic erector spinae (10-21%), and left erector spinae iliocostal (23-29%) muscles. The global Rated Perceived Exertion scores decreased significantly in both tasks when using the SAFE-T (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the potential of this device to reduce physical strain and potentially mitigate the occurrence of work-related disorders in healthcare professionals.