Theia3D aids first North American Vendlet patient study

Theia3D, Theia's motion-capture platform, is being used in North America's first evaluation of the Vendlet patient-handling system. Researchers at the Université de Moncton and the University of New Brunswick are leading the study.

The research compares manual patient handling with the Vendlet system across nearly 550 laboratory trials involving simulated patients. The team is using markerless motion capture to measure how caregivers and patients move during in-bed repositioning tasks.

Vendlet is a powered patient-repositioning system that uses motorised side rails and specialised sheets to turn and reposition patients. Researchers are assessing whether it can reduce the physical demands of one of the most routine and demanding tasks in hospitals and long-term care settings.

The Occupational Biomechanics Lab, also known as the Labouratoire de performance occupationnelle, houses the only Vendlet system available for research in North America. The project is led by Dr Michelle Cardoso, Research Chair at the Université de Moncton, and Dr Wayne Albert, Dean at the University of New Brunswick.

How It Is Measured

Theia3D uses standard video cameras to capture full-body movement without the reflective markers and sensors often used in biomechanics research. This allows the team to study patient-handling tasks with less preparation and fewer constraints on participant movement.

Traditional marker-based systems have created practical challenges for this type of research because caregivers, patients and medical equipment are in close contact. According to information released by Theia, earlier marker-based approaches required about 72 markers on a caregiver, 15 on a simulated patient, and another eight to 10 on the bed.

That setup can make tracking and processing more difficult, especially in studies designed to reflect realistic care tasks. The markerless approach is intended to provide a more natural view of movement while making data collection more efficient.

Marcus Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Theia, commented on the use of the company's software in the study.

"Theia3D is giving healthcare researchers a clearer view of how caregivers move during physically demanding patient-handling care," Brown said.

"By capturing complex caregiver movement at scale, we're helping advance the scientific understanding of patient handling and providing evidence that can inform future approaches to caregiver safety and workforce sustainability."

Early Findings

Researchers reported preliminary findings from the laboratory trials. Compared with trained manual patient-handling techniques, use of the Vendlet system was associated with more neutral caregiver postures, lower joint and spinal forces, reduced cumulative loading, and lower perceived discomfort and effort during simulated patient-repositioning tasks.

The study comes as healthcare systems in North America continue to face staffing and capacity pressures. Work-related musculoskeletal injuries remain a persistent issue for caregivers in hospitals and long-term care settings, with patient handling often cited as a major source of strain.

Dr Michelle Cardoso said the technology could make it easier to analyse these tasks under conditions closer to routine care.

"While we've previously relied on traditional marker-based motion capture to study patient handling, this technology allows us to analyze these movements more naturally and has the potential to bring motion analysis into real-world clinical settings," Cardoso said.

"Without the need for reflective markers, we can collect and process data much more efficiently, reducing both experimental setup and data processing time."

Dr Wayne Albert said the project is intended to generate evidence on whether assistive systems can reduce the burden on workers.

"Theia3D allows us to objectively measure how caregivers move while repositioning a patient, whether the task is performed manually or with an assistive technology," Albert said.

"These measurements provide the evidence we need to evaluate new technologies and determine which approaches can reduce the physical demands placed on caregivers."

Broader Context

Theia is best known for motion analysis in biomechanics and sport, and this project marks a newer application in patient care. Its software is already used by research institutions and sports organisations to analyse human movement from video footage.

The New Brunswick project also included discussion of a bracket system intended to make Vendlet compatible with North American medical beds. Representatives from ResearchNB, the Research & Productivity Council, and the New Brunswick Continuing Care Safety Association visited the lab and discussed options for patent protection for the design.

Early results suggest the evaluation could add to evidence on how assistive equipment affects body posture, spinal loading and perceived exertion during patient repositioning, an area in which healthcare providers have long sought ways to reduce injury risk for staff.