Archelis was featured in the November 15, 2018 edition of Town News, Kanazawa and Isogo wards.
Nitto Develops Wearable Walking Chair
For Medical Applications Reducing the Burden on Doctors
NITTO Corporation developed a walking chair that can be worn by patients.
Nitto Corporation (headquartered in Torihama-cho, Kanazawa-ku, Tokyo; Hideyuki Fujisawa, Representative Director), a company that designs and manufactures press dies, has jointly developed the “Archelis,” a lower limb support device for medical use, with Jichi Medical University and others, and held a product presentation on November 5, 2012 in Naka-ku, Tokyo. This product is a “walkable chair” that allows the wearer to repeat “walking” and “sitting” while wearing it, regardless of the location. It is expected to reduce the burden on doctors who perform surgeries while standing for long periods of time.
In the medical industry, while advances in medical technology have reduced the physical burden on patients, doctors and medical staff have been performing surgeries in a standing position for long hours, increasing the burden on their backs and legs. In addition, operating rooms are designed for standing, and doctors often change their standing position during surgery, making it difficult to find space for a chair.
In an attempt to solve these problems, Nitto and his team began development in 2014. The prototypes amounted to 14 units and were developed over a period of about three years.
Archelis can “walk” and “sit” repeatedly while wearing the device. Since it does not use a power source, it does not interfere with other medical devices and does not need to be recharged. A major feature of the device is that it can be easily worn with a three-point belt on the foot, shin, and thigh. Weighing approximately 3 kg per leg with an allowable weight of 80 kg, the device can be adjusted to accommodate people between 160 cm and 185 cm.
Different feeling of fatigue.
At the product launch on May 5, the company introduced the voices of doctors who have used the product. Professor Tadasu Endo of Yokohama City University Graduate School commented, “There is a difference in fatigue between 12 hours of surgery while standing and 12 hours while sitting.
President Fujisawa also cited the pursuit of a comfortable fit as a development challenge, recalling, “Everyone has a different sense of comfort, so it was difficult to make a product that everyone would agree on. He also expressed his aspirations for the future, saying, “I would like to support the further evolution of the medical industry.
Archelis will be available only for rental to medical facilities. The company’s first goal is to sell 100 units per year.