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Pioneering hygienic porter’s chair design enters production phase
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Vernacare
: 21 December, 2009 (Company News) |
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Vernacare appoints a UK manufacturing team to produce its pioneering new hygienic porter’s chair that was created as part of the Design Bugs Out Challenge. |
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Full prototypes of the next generation chair will be ready for detailed evaluation by hospitals in March 2010, with a view to launching the product in May 2010.
Vernacare has worked with design consultancy Minima to create the radical new easy clean chair. The chair will be produced in Stone, Staffordshire by rotational moulding specialist Tecni-form.
The new chair has been designed with infection prevention as well as comfort and functionality in mind. It incorporates an innovative footrest that rises automatically from the floor when the patient is safely seated, requiring no hand contact.
The chair’s tough metal frame is protected by a smooth, durable plastic body comprising three moulded plastic parts that will withstand chlorine based cleaning and come apart easily for deep cleaning, or to replace a single part in the event of damage. The arms swing out of the way for lateral transfer of patients and the leg supports pull out at the front.
The new design also incorporates storage space for gas bottles and patient documents and a flat base under the seat provides a storage area for the patient’s belongings. There is also a holder for wipes to encourage frequent cleaning.
A prototype of the easy clean new chair has been touring hospitals and healthcare events and exhibitions with the Design Bugs Out Showcase Tour and feedback from this process, together with Vernacare’s own detailed user group evaluation, has influenced modifications to the chair.
Jane Kent, New Product Development Manager for Vernacare, said: “Our design consultation phase has been extremely rigorous. The comprehensive feedback from many different potential users has led to a number of design improvements - both from an ergonomic and infection prevention perspective. Some of the key changes have included shortening the seat, lowering the chair back and increasing the size of the footplate, while moving the handle and making the brake more obvious.
“We are confident that the chair is ideal for purpose. We will, however, be conducting further evaluations when the full prototype models are ready in March. So far, 16 hospitals have said that they want to be involved in the trials. Unless this process creates a need to make major modifications, the completed product should be available in May 2010.”
The Vernacare product development team was one of five winners of the national Design Bugs Out competition, launched by the Design Council and Department of Health as part of its HCAI Technology Innovation Programme. Other winners provided new solutions for commodes, mattresses, patient bedside systems, patient chairs, self-timing cannulas, curtain clips and blood-pressure cuffs. |
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