Patient Transfer Rod -- Making Your Ideas Take Shape

The healthcare industry required a durable and safe mechanism to transport patients. The device needed to be soft for comfort, as well as strong enough to handle the weight of the patient.

Application

SFR Industries was approached by a supplier within the healthcare industry to develop a “soft touch” handle. This handle would be used to transfer patients from one bed to another, this product has to be approved by the healthcare industry as a safe and strong product. Our design team worked diligently with the customer to come up with a solution.

Challenge

The true challenge of this project was creating a handle that would not rotate, slip on an aluminum extrusion, or buckle due to weight.

Approach

With the assistance of an aluminum extruder, specializing in critical tolerances, SFR Industries’ development team coordinated the design of a hollow, dual durometer plastic profile extrusion with tight internal tolerances to accept the aluminum extrusion.

Result

The Rigid PVC extrusion was encased in a softer durometer compound to minimize the transfer sheet slippage and yet provide the “soft touch” that was required for comfort. The project was a technical success through the coordination of an extruder of aluminum extrusions, SFR Industries, and the end user.

This resulted in a product that is safe, approved by the Healthcare Industry and used, by medical and health care professionals in the USA.