RA sufferers armed with kitchen safety tool - 2011

04 March 2011

For sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cooking tasks can be both difficult and dangerous. However, a new assistive technology invented by a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) student offers a safe way for people to lift cookware, relying on the strength of their forearms.

His design has earnt a spot on the first-round shortlist of one of the world's most prestigious design competitions - the Australian Design Award/James Dyson Award.

Twenty-four-year-old Ching-Hao (Howard) Hsu, who graduated with a Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) at the end of 2010, designed the 'arthritis handle' after observing several sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis performing cooking tasks in their own kitchens.

RA is a chronic disease affecting one percent of the population - about 500,000 Australians. It involves inflammation of the joints, which can lead to stiffness, swelling and sometimes disablement in the hands.

"After several observations and lots of interviews, I found that lifting was a major problem for sufferers of RA during cooking preparation," Mr Hsu said.

"It was difficult for sufferers of RA to lift things with their hands, due to having limited strength and flexibility. So they had to lift with their forearms. This limited them to using cookware with handles on both sides.

"If a saucepan only had one handle, most people put a towel over their other forearm to grasp the opposite side of the pot, but this was a slippery and dangerous way of lifting, exposing the person to the risk of burns.

"The arthritis handle allows sufferers of RA to use any kind of cookware, and not be limited to double-handled products.