TRNL20220601011 – A Dutch healthcare organisation is looking for technologies and solutions to make elderly wheelchair users totally independent in their toilet visit.
A Dutch healthcare organisation is looking for new ideas, solutions, and technologies to make elderly wheelchair users totally independent in their toilet visit. Within the care there is a growing urgency and necessity for this type of innovation. Companies, academics, or inventors are sought via a research cooperation agreement. This request is part of an innovation challenge.
A Dutch healthcare organisation is committed to mainly elderly. The company offers them opportunities to get the best out of their day in their own way. They do this with a wide range of services, ranging from convenience and comfort to intensive care, both in the form of home care and in our well-maintained residential facilities. Their vision is: grow older, stay yourself!
Within the care there is a growing urgency and necessity for innovation regarding a good hygienic independent toilet visit without a caregiver.
It is for this reason that the organisation is looking for new technologies and ideas to make elderly wheelchair users totally independent in their toilet visit. Automated bidet toilets help them to have good hygienic independent toilet visits without a caregiver.
Companies, academics, or inventors are sought via a research agreement or a license agreement. When fits the purpose also other agreements can be envisioned.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This technology request is part of an innovation challenge and is published on an open innovation platform from the 6th of June and will close on the 11th of July. If an organization does express interest in collaboration with this company before closing date, it will be guided through this open innovation platform and be introduced to the company’s experts. Mind that posts on this platform are not confidential.
Next step is that the company will select the SMEs with whom they would like to cooperate in the development of the solution.
Within the care there is a growing urgency and necessity for innovation regarding a good hygienic independent toilet visit without a caregiver. For instance, how would you feel if you are not able to go to the toilet when you need to go?
The dependency on caregivers for a transfer to the toilet is one of the main reasons for patients to move from a home care situation to hospitalisation. In a situation where there is not enough healthcare staff available to do the work, it would be valuable to create more independence by caretakers. This relieves workload for caregivers.
More and more the organisation is facing the situation of shortages in healthcare staff in their nursing homes.
At the same time caretakers are more aware of their privacy during toilet transfers.
The requested solution comprises a creative and sustainable approach and can be a mix of a variety of expertise’s:
• Medical technology & design
• Creative thinking
• Product design
• Knowledge of material technology and engineering
• Ergonomics
Expected role of partner sought:
The organization is looking for technical partners, designers, SMEs, inventors, and academia for the (co-) development of a solution and/or technology to make elderly wheelchair users totally independent in their toilet visit.
The envisioned role of the partner:
• creative thinking with technical view on the challenge
• product designing
• innovative medical-care technology
The request comprises a further offer regarding:
• A collaboration to realize a prototype or pilot
• Support and test environment with the end-user
• Probability of a follow-up order, scaling up or lasting cooperation
• Interesting network of cooperation partners, which can also be used to spread your concept further if it is demonstrably effective.
• Further commercialization of the result
Furthermore, the organization has well educated physiotherapists specialisation in geriatrics, with more than 25 years of experience in elderly care. They have experience in participating in co-creation of healthcare tools and have developed their own products before.
By their work as physiotherapists daily, they work with possible end users. Based on their experiences, they are convinced that developing healthcare tools needs to be done with end users.
For more information you can contact:
Twjan Tan – twjan.tan@rvo.nl
