6 replies to this topic

[baerly]

Hello everyone,

My name is Max and I am an undergraduate electrical engineer. I have been working with my father(who is also an EE) for the last two years to redevelop a seat massager that works by alternating air flow between two pouches underneath the tail bone. This allows anyone to sit comfortably for a long period of time by letting the air cushions alternate pressure and blood flow automatically. A lot of the new BMWs and other cars already have such a feature built into their seats, so the technology is nothing new. However, we have taken this design and applied it to other forms of transportation (e.g. private airplanes, older cars, motorcycles, farm equipment, etc). And just recently we have shrunk the unit down so that the air bladders are in a pillow and the electronics (microcontroller, air pump, and battery pack) are in a side pouch. The pillow can then be taken practically anywhere and would be ideal for things like long airplane rides, road trips, or (my personal favorite) watching seven hours of baseball. But, we are also curious what someone with a spinal cord injury would say to something like this. Granted, my father and I have practically zero knowledge about living with a spinal cord injury or what adjustments we would have to make to our prototype. So, I'm here to ask the community, would this be an avenue worth pursuing?

Thanks so much for your time, and I would be more than happy to answer any questions,

Max

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[Smileyblue]

It sounds good to me, except for the side pocket with all the hardware in it.. Because we can't feel, if we inadvertently end up sitting on the side pocket contents, that's a pressure sore waiting to happen.. Rather try to design it with the hardware hooking on the outside of the chair..

;-)

[baerly]

Good point, I think we can remedy that problem with an appropriate size wire going from the pillow to the side pouch, which will let you put the side pouch wherever it is most convenient.

Max

[davjed]

Seems like I've seen something similar offered by one of the companies that makes alternating air mattresses but it was not near as compact and neat as yours. Good luck in perfecting it further.

[isobar]

Hi,







              Consider cross flow ventilation preventing heat build up under user, soil proof covering that's easily cleaned after bowel or bladder accidents with slide resistant bottom, durability , comfort and offer different sizes/ configurations. Make sure you consider effect weather has on material...heat/cold.Lastly there are a lot of products we could use but cost keeps them out of reach..... some wheel chair users have limited resources. May you be successful in your endeavor.




                         

[McRobb]

I do think the other two replys hit on most everything that I can think of. I am about to the end of a year healing on a ischeal stage 4 pressure sore - caused when myair cushion when flat and I could not feel it so sat on it until someone else discovered it was flat. I have no clue the cost of all the doctoring I have done, surgeries, months in hospital, wound vacuum for 8 months with home care, and my own time spent in bed 24 hrs a day.

I have been searching for some sort of warning system that would tell me that the cushion/device went flat or was not operating properly. There doesn't seem to be anything like this out there so while you are working on this, work on some sort of warning system so that people using your cushion would know if something happened.

Best of luck. I agree the interest is there for SCI people but everything that is out there like this is so expensive that 99% of people could not afford it and insurance would probably not cover it.

[paraarcher]

Not trying to rain on your parade but this device is already available made by Aquila Corporation and is called the Airpulse PK cushion. You can see more about this product at http://www.aquilacorp.com/. I own one of these can testify these cushions will help heal you if you already have pressure sores and will prevent more from forming. I've had a major pressure sores on my bottom side now for 3 years and until I got this cushion my stage 3 wound would not heal because I stay on it 12+ hours a day. My doctor says this cushion is the only thing that has changed and now I am healing even while sitting for 12+ hours a day now. This Airpulse cushion works similar to the Clinitron bed and continually transfers weight relief to different air pillows at a determined time. Mine is set to chainge air from one pillow to others every minute. If you can get one of these cushions or similar ones before you get your first buttox pressure sore you most likely will never get one. I am not a salesman for this company I am just a user of the product and do recommend it. It is portable and comes with three different type controllers. Get the Hybrid controller if you want to plug into your 24 volt power chair or use the contained battery source. They also have controllers that work strictly with a 24 Volt chair or a straight batter pack. I got the wrong one and am waiting for the Hybrid model to be delivered now.

Now for the downside! It costs about $4,000.00 I'm told because the state of Texas bought mine for me. If you could make something like this for an affordable price to those who don't have the same assistance in paying you could sell a bunch of them I'm sure. Still $4,000.00 is better than spending months in hospitals with infections you get and totally dictating your life. Medicare would save money if they gave one to everyone sitting in a chair as opposed to paying later medical bills.

Again I'd like to say I didn't intend on putting your product down and causing hard feelings. I just thought since the subject was on a cushion to preven pressure sores for sitting long periods I should mention this option to viewers as well.

Good luck with your product and I'm sure it is a needed one as well.

McRobb, on 21 October 2010 - 12:07 AM, said:

I do think the other two replys hit on most everything that I can think of. I am about to the end of a year healing on a ischeal stage 4 pressure sore - caused when myair cushion when flat and I could not feel it so sat on it until someone else discovered it was flat. I have no clue the cost of all the doctoring I have done, surgeries, months in hospital, wound vacuum for 8 months with home care, and my own time spent in bed 24 hrs a day.

I have been searching for some sort of warning system that would tell me that the cushion/device went flat or was not operating properly. There doesn't seem to be anything like this out there so while you are working on this, work on some sort of warning system so that people using your cushion would know if something happened.

Best of luck. I agree the interest is there for SCI people but everything that is out there like this is so expensive that 99% of people could not afford it and insurance would probably not cover it.

See my post for what you need. It has audible alams when pressure drops and it will heal you. I have gone through everything you have and more and this is a GOD sent thing for me.

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