ParAid Medical Systems has launched neocapsul and neo-restraint for the safe transport of newborn babies by vehicle and air.
The product design concept has resulted from three years research and development, looking at existing systems and the needs expressed by clinicians, as well as ParAid working in partnership with Lightweight Medical, a specialist healthcare design engineering team.
Neil Tierney, director and product design engineer of Lightweight Medical said: “ We work very closely with clinicians to gain feedback on design concepts and prototypes to ensure our designs are successful in the field. And our sustainable design methodology meets new NHS green procurement and low waste policies and EU producer responsibility legislation.”
The neo-capsul has a lightweight aluminium space frame which encases the neorestraint in a double skinned clear acrylic module that allows medical teams visibility and easy access to the infant for monitoring and treatment during a journey. The shape provides stability and the double skinning enables sound levels and vibration in the module to be reduced significantly, decreasing the potential distress of the baby inside.
ParAid’s neo-restraint is fitted with carbon fibre restraint bars. These run alongside a dual density foam mattress which has a softer head section to dampen vibration. Six dual density foam wedges can be configured in any position along the bars.
Cotton straps pass over each pair of foam wedges resulting in a soft yet rigid structure which can accommodate any size of neonate in any position and exert minimal pressure on their fragile frame. The whole system reduces the potentially harmful effects of vibration and can restrain a 500g to 5kg baby safely and comfortably.
The neo-restraint has also been designed as a retrofit item for use in all existing transport incubators already in service and is safer than rudimentary five point harnesses currently in use. The system is retro-fixable into transport incubator units such as the Hillrom Globetrotter and the Draeger TI 5400.
