Spinal Injuries Centre supports worldwide competition to revolutionise mobility

Therapists at the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire have helped support a wheelchair design that promises to transform mobility.

The Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital is a centre for those with spinal cord injuries.

The trust specialists who work with patients at the NSIC have a worldwide reputation for the rehabilitation and care of those with spinal cord injuries.

Ruth Peachment, Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist NSIC, and Kirsten Hart, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist NSIC, have given their professional support to help wheelchair designer Andrew Slorance finalise his prototype for an intelligent, lightweight wheelchair.

Ruth said: “It was a privilege to be part of the judging panel and to see the incredible ideas that could help support people with spinal cord injury. I was keen to take part as it’s always wonderful to be able to share new technology with our patients and help support them to be as independent as possible.

“From the outset, Andrew’s design ticked all the boxes and met all the judging criteria set by the Toyota Mobility Unlimited Challenge.  It’s not a niche product and it can benefit most wheelchair users whether they are newly injured or those with secondary issues due to aging or overuse injuries associated with long-term wheelchair usage.

“Andrew’s design shone out and it is brilliant to now be able to see the finished product. It was also really exciting to be able to carry this out as part of my innovation role at the NSIC.”

Andrew, a wheelchair user since 1983 after sustaining a spinal cord injury, first met up with Ruth and Kirsten after having entered his design for the new style wheelchair into a global competition sponsored by Toyota, The Mobility Unlimited Challenge.

The competition judges were made up from an international selection of clinicians, engineers, end-users, and Toyota representatives and included Ruth as a spinal cord injury specialist.

The Mobility Unlimited Challenge was launched by the Toyota Mobility Foundation in 2018 as a worldwide competition to revolutionise mobility for those with lower limb paralysis.

With a £315,2800 ($4 million) budget, five finalists were supported to move from initial idea to a proof of concept, with the overall winner receiving £788,200 (£$1 million) to then develop their prototype for market.

Among the five finalists from USA, Italy, and Japan was UK business Phoenix Instinct founded by Andrew.

Andrew connected with Kirsten during the development of the prototype and the working up of the competition proposal to provide user feedback and comment on the design and functionality of the device.

Kirsten and her colleagues in the physiotherapy department provided feedback on the areas they felt were most pertinent to the population of wheelchair users with spinal cord injury seen at the National Spinal Injury Centre.

Kirsten said: “From the outset, I found Andrew’s concept to be both novel and exciting. The evaluation practice worked to my skill set and job role of rehabilitation and innovation at the National spinal Injuries Centre and the process was extremely interesting and informative.

“It was a pleasure meeting Andrew and his team at the spinal unit and finally getting to trial the finished product.”

Phoenix Instinct was declared the winner of the £788,200 (£$1 million) prize by Sir Philip Craven on 17 December 2020. Three years on, and the wheelchair is almost market ready. It will very soon undergo regulatory testing prior to launching.

The new chair, named the Phoenix I, uses sensors to adjust the centre of gravity depending on the user’s weight distribution at any given time. It also features an innovative power assist system akin to the first lightweight hybrid wheelchair.

Two of the Phoenix Instinct team, Jakub Rycerz, Composites Engineer, and Moid Khan, Electronic Engineer, visited the NSIC to demonstrate the chair to Ruth and Kirsten.

Andrew said: “I was thrilled to be at the NSIC showing the Phoenix I to Ruth and Kirsten. It’s a very exciting time in the mobility sector as we see big corporations such as Toyota get involved. It’s great to think that finally after many decades of very little evolution we are starting to see some real advancements that are genuinely going to revolutionise the wheelchair and other devices.”

“It’s been an incredible journey for me personally to take a vision I had soon after my injury and bring it to reality. I’ve been using the Phoenix I hybrid, full time for four months and it has changed my life. I’ve been pushing a chair for forty years, but now I can move around so easily with a lot less pushing – I feel empowered as I glide from one spot to the next effortlessly. The chair also looks amazing which is hugely important as the wheelchair is the first impression the user gives to the world and that first impression is so powerful.”

A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed the NHS is not making the most of its spending power to save money in purchasing medical equipment, including assistive technologies like prosthetics, hearing aids, and mobility scooters.