• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.389-396
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to design an auto showering system regarding bed type for old people or bedridden patients. Background: The rapid growth concerning the aging population leads to an increase in elderly bedridden patients living in senior care centers and hospitals where care givers have difficulty bathing older people with limited mobility. Method: In this study, a showering equipment for experiment was based on anthropometric and researching existing products. The nozzle position was optimized by showering tests and simulations using showering equipment. Results: The problems regarding the existing products were analyzed and the nozzle position was optimized through showering tests. The number, position, and spraying angle of the nozzle were optimized through showering simulations. The automatic showering system concerning bed type was designed by considering their results. Conclusion: When designing an automatic showering system, the most important design element involves determining the position of nozzle and angle of water injection and the number of nozzles. The system was developed by applying the results through user centered-research. Application: The user centered-research for developing products was applied directly in order to develop automatic baths, showering products etc. Furthermore, it was also available to be applied towards senior friendly products.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.629-636
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• 2011

Objective: The aim of this study is developing an elderly automatic showering system by optimizing nozzle position and angle of water injection on ergonomics approach. Background: The elderly living in nursing home or hospital were increased by an aging population. Helping the elderly on showering is so hard. In addition, the existing showering/bathing systems are not effective because shower pattern of the elderly and washed range of nozzle were not considered. Method: Firstly, basic specification were determined by anthropometric approach. Secondly, position of nozzle and angle of water injection were determined through observation of elderly behavior on showering. And, finally, they were optimized by washing test and showering simulation. Results: On showering importance of body parts were able to analysis through observation of elderly behavior. The position of nozzle and angle of water injection was able to optimize by showering simulation. The automatic showering system was developed by considering their results. Conclusion: The most important technology of developing a showering system is the determining position of nozzle and angle of water injection, number of nozzle. It was developed by applying its results through user centered-research. Application: The user centered-research of developing products was able to apply directly to develop automatic bath, showering products etc. Further more it was available to apply senior friendly products.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.919-922
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• 2005

Generally, we take a bath to obtain a clean body as well as a good health. Human body generates various physical and emotional changes by stimulations of therapeutic effect of heat and hydraulic pressures. Accordingly, we can obtain not only relaxations but also effects of hydrotherapy. The survey of bathing/showering behaviors and therapeutic effect of heat reactions present elementary data for development of a bathing/showering system. However, there are few existing data for bathing/showering behaviors and effects. Consequently, surveys were performed to know patterns of bathing and showering, and relations between physiological changes and water temperature were examined by partial bathing on human body in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.256-259
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• 2005

Analysis of behavior pattern and thermal response during bathing and showering provides important fundamental data when developing an automatic bathing/showering system. The behavior pattern and physiological changes during bathing/showering were measured und analyzed for the aged male group. We recorded the volunteers showering at front, back, left and right view using four CCTV cameras in order to study the behavior pattern during showering. The photographic data were analyzed by counting the frequencies of body contact and identifying zones where hands could reach. In order to study the thermal response, we measured the blood pressure (B.P), heart rate (H.R), body temperature (B.T.), breathing rate (B.R) for the different water temperatures and the locations of immersion for the young and old age groups. The results showed that the frequencies of body contacts were varied for different body sections. Also there were some body sections where hands could not be reached because of reduced pliability and muscular strength of the aged group. But we observed rather uniform body contact frequencies when a towel was used. In partial immersion bath experiments, we observed the changes of B.P. H.R and B.T in the case of young and old age groups, and the changes were more significant in the young age group.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.993-994
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• 2010

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.7 s.196
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• pp.120-125
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• 2007

Analysis of elders' behavioral characteristic during showering provides important fundamental data when developing an automatic showering system. We recorded showering behavior of 37 elders' at the front, back, left and right view using four CCTV cameras. The photographic data were analyzed by counting the frequencies of body scrub and identifying zones where hands could reach. And we measured their body sizes, and conducted questionnaire of showering for 302 peoples. Analysis was done according to the analysis criteria established. The human body was divided into 14 zones from a body, and the numbers of body scrub for each zone were counted. The average total numbers of body scrub were 170.8 excluding the head, the face and the neck. The average numbers of body scrub with right hand were 70.2, left hand were 88.2, and both hands were 81.8. The percentages of body scrub frequencies were 16.3% (breast), 12.2%(crotch), 8.8% (abdomen), 7.5% (waist), 8.8% (shoulder), 7% (hips), 0.4% (back), 15.2% (arm), and 23.9% (leg). Elders scrubbed the breast, crotch and abdomen more frequently than the back and hips. According to the video analysis and questionnaire results, the distribution of shower heads (or nozzles) at the front side should be arranged at the ratio of 40% of the trunk(breast, shoulders, abdomen), 20% of the thighs, the calves, and the crotch, respectively. The distribution of shower heads (or nozzles) of the back side were arranged at the ratio of 20% of the waist and the arms, 20% of the back, the thighs, the calves, and the hip, respectively.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1999.07e
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• pp.2248-2250
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• 1999

In this paper, showering discharge type ozonizer has been designed and manufactured. The ozonizer is equipped with three electrodes(central electrode of screw shape, internal electrode and external electrode) of cylinder shape. This paper describes the following two characteristics: (1) The characteristics of discharge with variation of output voltage of AC H.V source, flux of oxygen supplied gas and discharge voltage. (2) The characteristics of ozone generation by varying flux and discharge power.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2002

Volatile disinfection by-products (DBPs) contained in chlorinated tap water are released into household air during indoor activities (showering, cooking, dish -washing, etc.) associated with tap water uses and may cause adverse health effects on humans. Twenty seven subjects were recruited and their homes were visited during the winter of 2002. Tap water, household air, and exhaled breath samples were collected and analyzed for five volatile DBPs (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dichloroacetonitrile, 1,1 -dichloropropanone and 1,1,1 trichloropropanone). Chloroform was a major DBP found in most samples. Tap water chloroform concentrations were not statistically correlated with its household air concentrations, probably due to individual variability in indoor activities such as showering, cooking, and dish - washing as well as household ventilation. Correlation of breath chloroform concentration with household air chloroform concentration showed its possible use as a biomarker of exposure to household air chloroform. Exposure estimates suggested that inhalation during household stay be a major route of exposure to volatile DBPs and that ingestion of tap water be a trivial contributor to the total exposure in Koreans.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.627-635
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• 2004

Evaluated were household THMs exposure associated with the use of municipal tap water treated with chlorine and with ozone-chlorine. The current study measured the THMs concentrations in the tap water and indoor and outdoor air in the two types of household, along with an estimation of THMs exposure from water ingestion, showering, and the inhalation of indoor air. Chloroform was the most abundant THMs in all three media, yet no bromoform was detected in any sample. Contrary to previous findings, the fall water THMs concentrations exhibited no significant difference between the chlorine and ozone-chlorine treated water. However, the spring median chloroform concentration in the tap water treated with chlorine (17.6 ppb) was 1.3 times higher than that in the tap water treated with ozone-chlorine (13.4 ppb). It is suggested that the effects of the water parameters should be considered when evaluating the advantage of ozone-chlorine disinfection for THMs formation over chlorine disinfection. The indoor air THMs concentration trend was also consistent with the water concentration trend, yet the outdoor air THMs concentrations did not differ significantly between the two types of household. The indoor to outdoor air concentration ratios were comparable with previous studies. The THMs exposure estimates from water ingestion, showering, and the inhalation of indoor air suggested that, for the residents living in the surveyed households, their exposure to THMs in the home was mostly associated with their household water use, rather than the indoor air. The THMs exposure estimates from tap water ingestion were similar to those from showering.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2004

Exposure to volatile disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as chloroform included in chlorinated tap water can occur during household activities via inhalation as well as ingestion and dermal absorption. This study was conducted to examine the significance of inhalation route of exposure since humans are unintentionally exposed to volatile DBPs while staying home. Two sets of experiments were carried out in an apartment to measure: 1) the variation of chloroform concentrations in the living room air following kitchen activities (cooking and dish-washing); and 2) the variation of chloroform concentrations in the bathroom and living room following showering. Cooking, dish-washing, and showering all contributed to the elevation of household chloroform levels. Even a few minutes of natural ventilation resulted in the reduction of the chloroform levels to the background. Estimates of daily chloroform doses and lifetime cancer risks suggested that inhalation of household air during staying home be a major route of exposure to chloroform and that ingestion be a minor one in Korean people. It is also suggested that ventilation be a simple and important measure of mitigating human exposure to volatile DBPs indoors.