Lead inventor: Colleen Rogers, RN
Unmet need
The use of supports for limbs during medical procedures and recovery is common. A wide variety of limb-support devices are available on the market; however, none are ideal. Some are bulky and not easily maneuverable. Others are permanently fixed to hospital beds. Other types of limb supports are intricate and expensive, and some can be used for only arms or legs, but not both.
A demonstrated need exists for a limb-supporting device that is simple to operate, mobile, adjustable, suitable for compact environments and affordable. The Rogers Limb Support fills this need.
It is height- and position-adjustable allowing for any limb to be supported in a wide range of positions. The support’s mobile base slides underneath a bed, making the device ideal for compact spaces such as patient rooms. The support features a comfortable cradle that can be adjusted for use on any limb. Additionally, the Rogers Limb Support has a simple design and construction and is easily operated by a single individual, thus reducing healthcare personnel requirements and reducing the resulting expense when two caregivers would otherwise be required to attend to a patient.
Opportunity
Due to the lack of versatile limb supports currently on the medical device market, there is an opportunity to deliver a low-cost, highly functional device with the potential to achieve success against its competitors.
An enormous opportunity exists for a device such as the Rogers Limb Support to achieve widespread success in various post-acute care settings, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes, as well as more limited usage in surgical and home-care settings.
While statistics on the number of limb injuries requiring wound treatment are inconsistent, the number of settings where the device can benefit are not: There are over 6,000 hospitals, of which 420 are long-term acute-care hospitals, in the U.S. alone. Further, the U.S. has 15,600 nursing homes with 1.7 million licensed beds occupied by 1.4 million patients. And the global wound-care market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3% from 2017 to 2025, reaching $22.33 billion USD by 2025.
With no similar devices currently on the market, combined with the relatively low cost of manufacture, the Rogers Limb Support could be readily adopted by a wide range of facilities.
Unique attributes
Inventors believe the Rogers Limb Support Device offers more utility than any support currently in production. Its features include:
- Height- and position-adjustable
- Mobile base that slides under bed
- Ease of operation
- Can support both arms and legs
Clinical applications
The Rogers Limb Support can be used in any environment where supporting a limb is necessary, from hospital and caregiving centers to home use, providing a wide range of clinical applications.
Stage of development
Conceptual prototype
Intellectual property
Pending patent: US Provisional Patent has been filed.
Collaboration opportunity
Seeking licensee for commercial development. Hospital system available for clinical trials.
Institutional contact: George C. Prendergast, PhD, LIMR President and CEO, 484.476.8475, prendergast@limr.org
L2C Partners contact: Merle Gilmore, 610.662.0940, gilmore@l2cpartners.com