Medtrade New Product Awards Go to Novel Sleep, Mobility & Toileting Entries

PHOENIX—Three new takes on core homecare products won the top awards at Medtrade’s New Product Pavilion, covering the mobility, aging in place and sleep apnea treatment markets. 

The Provider’s Choice Awards were announced on Wednesday, March 4 as the show wrapped up in Phoenix. The awards are based on votes from attendees who view the products on the show floor; HomeCare sponsors the pavilion.

Medtrade newcomer Rehasense took the Provider’s Choice Gold award for its PAWS Power Assist, a line of motorized add-ons for manual wheelchairs. Attendees voted on the eco assist, a small travel version that clamps onto the front wheel of any chair to give users a break while traveling around town, through an airport or beyond. It has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $3,800. Rehanse’s larger units come with wheels up to 20 inches and can provide off-road capabilities and speeds up to 22 miles per hour. Some models include special handlebar controls for quadriplegic or tetraplegic users.

The company has been active in Europe for about 15 years (and also sells rollators) and is bringing its products to the United States market for the first time. Matthew P. Fitman, president of Rehansense USA, said they are used by some pediatric users (there is a speed cap) and even used by commuters in some cases in lieu of cars. 

The Provider’s Choice Silver award went to another Medrade first-time from Europe, Vital Fjord, which introduced the UpRiser, a sleek electric toilet assist that slides over any porcelain toilet bowl and requires no invasive installation. The Dutch company was founded by a group that used to make sit-to-stand desks for global furniture brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase. When the founder’s wife needed toileting assistance, he turned to his own technology to help.

“A lot of these disability products advertise disability and what he wanted to do was bring in design,” said CEO Jason de Weerd, whose father, Johann de Weerd, came up with the design for Upriser. The device slips over a toilet and affixes to the wall with industrial-strength tape that’s usually used to hang cabinets; a rechargeable battery hangs next to it (and it comes with two, so it can constantly remain in use). De Weerd said it is a luxury product with an MSRP of $2,100, but he believes that users with stylish homes will be drawn to it.

The Provider’s Choice Bronze award went to veteran sleep technology company SleepRes for its new product, Kricket PAP, which uses the newly developed Kairos Positive Airway Pressure (KPAP) to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The proprietary technology, which HomeCare reported on here, adapts pressure delivery through the breathing cycle, which the company says makes it more tolerable for users than traditional CPAP. The Kricket device includes the KPAP algorithm but can also be used in traditional CPAP and automatic PAP therapy modes.