GelO News April 2013

Sta-Rite Problem: Most rehab hardware is like a toddler just learning to walk. You put them one place and before you know it, they're some place else entirely. Solution: StaRite(TM) has always been about allowing you to put hardware just where you want it, and knowing it will stay there until you are ready to move it. (And sorry, "no" we can't do the same for your 2 year old.) Today our " mhg bad Multi-axis Hip Guide product family" has grown to to include the MultiAxis Hip Guides -MHG family. All the guides are adjustable in six (6) directions and ALL have the justly famous Gel Ovations(TM) pads. The pads are 3.5" wide and available in lengths of 10, 12, 14, or 16 inches in length. That means that support and positioning of the upper leg just got a whole lot easier and more comfortable. They mount easily to the side of virtually any seating system; can be easily adjusted up and down and can be locked in the position of your choice. So not only are they easy to remove, but they remain in the correct position where placed. Stainless steel on the primary support parts means they won't bend under tone. We've also added two (2) interlocking crown pivots to allow adjustment in and out; while the track on the pad allows continuous forward and back adjustment. We think you're going to love the latest addition to our family... AND they meet REAL client needs. What Gel Ovations product does this wheel-less chair need most? What's the source of your inspiration? An industrial designer, Anirudha Surabhi, has developed an intriguing new product arising from a personal injury and his observation of nature. First - the injury Bicycling in Notting Hill (yes the same location as the Hugh Grant /Julia Roberts film) in London, he had a minor fall which resulted in a cracked helmet and a concussion. He thought there just had to be a better way to build something to protect the human head from injury. Then - the observations He looked for inspiration in nature and found the woodpecker. If ever there were a creature that seemed a perfect candidate for multiple concussions, it had to be the woodpecker. Pounding its little head up to 12,000 times per day, at speeds of up to 35 to 40 mph into hard tree trunks apparently has no adverse affects. (And don't you think that leaves a lot of NFL linebackers envious as hell.) So Surhabhi looked at how the little bird's anatomy lends itself to isolating shock to the brain. One of its unique anatomical features is that the beak and skull are NOT joined together. Rather they are held in place by a soft, spongy cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. Looking to duplicate that cartilage, he experimented with dozens of materials and finally found a winner in our old friend, cardboard. Though to be fair, this isn't the kind of cardboard you find in the box that just arrived from Amazon. Surabhi designed a special dual density cardboard that has an internal honeycomb structure. (Honeycombing has long been used in manufacturing to produce a very high strength-to-weight radio). Initial testing looks very good. The tested prototype has three times the force resistance of traditional helmets while being 15% lighter. The results are so promising that a Formula 1 race team has asked Surabhi to design helmets for its pit crew. Cardboard Bicycle Helmet (c) Anirudha Surabhi Readers of the GelO newsletter all work in an industry where problems abound. So why should this matter to you? Maybe, with the right observation and a little bit of inspiration, we'll one day be able to write about how one of you developed a better way to protect and care for the clients we all serve. THANKS !!!!! GEL Toilet Seat PAD and Cover Closed front toilet seat cover GEL Toilet Seat PAD and Cover Clients on bladder or bowel programs can often spend more than 2 hours on a hard and unforgiving toilet seat. Don't they deserve the same protection that you give them in their wheelchair or bed? Thank you for your dedication to patient care and your efforts to prevent decubitus ulcers !!