Smart air cushion pressure monitor with real-time insights for wheelchair users and therapists launches
US-based company LUCI, which manufactures modern mobility solutions, has announced the launch of a “revolutionary” smart air cushion pressure monitor called LUCI+Air.
The innovation is a first-of-its-kind smart air cushion pressure monitor to give wheelchair users continuous, effortless and real-time tracking about their cushion and skin health. It promises to takes the guesswork and stress out of air cushion inflation.
Alongside giving users peace of mind that their air cushion is properly inflated, LUCI+Air gives users important information about how much time they spend sitting, how often they are off-loading from their cushion, and their heart rate.
LUCI+Air works with the accompanying MyLUCI app to display the data users need to manage their skin’s health. Importantly, users can opt in to share their seating health data with their healthcare professional to ensure they are meeting their pressure injury prevention goals.
Features of the cushion and accompanying app include accurate and personalised “time-in-seat” data, goal-setting for how long users have been sitting, monitoring the cushion’s inflation level every minute, alerting users if the cushion is not properly inflated, and notifying loved ones if there is an issue.
Therapists can recommend a specific seating programme for their clients to specify the duration of time they should offload and the interval of time between offloading movements.
LUCI+Air is also lightweight, compact and durable, with protection against water and dust.
This innovative smart pressure monitor will be available to current LUCI powerchair users soon, according to the company. It works with most air-filled cushions including single-valve cushions, or multi-chamber cushions that can be set to operate as a single chamber.
Find out more about LUCI+Air here.
The LUCI powerchair device, which prevents collisions and dangerous drop-offs, was hailed one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2020 under the Accessibility category. It can be retrofitted to powerchairs to give users and carers helpful updates about both the chair and the user, such as potential tipping scenarios and battery life status.