Skip to main content
European Commission logo
Enterprise Europe Network

An Italian Mechanical Engineering Studio, that has patented an innovative walking aid for people suffering from various movement limitations, is looking for partners to sign a patent sales agreement.

Summary

Profile Type
  • Technology offer
POD Reference
TOIT20240610021
Term of Validity
10 June 2024 - 10 June 2025
Company's Country
  • Italy
Type of partnership
  • Investment agreement
Targeted Countries
  • All countries
Contact the EEN partner nearest to you for more information.
Find my local partner

General information

Short Summary
An Italian Mechanical Engineering Studio, with numerous experiences in the healthcare sector (hospital and social welfare), has patented a mechanical device capable of guaranteeing a higher safety standard of the different types walkers and rollators thus significantly reducing the risk of slipping and falling. The patent can be a competitive leverage for given that this technical application does not currently exist on the market.
Full Description
The Italian company was able to plan and create an ambitious and innovative project in the field of disability, with particular attention to motor difficulties, found in the elderly and in people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases that prevent them from moving independently.
The patent arises from a practical and verified need for the use of walkers with which slip and fall incidents are increasingly recorded, which very often cause irreversible damage to people.
Dedicated to people with disabilities or beneficiaries of loss of autonomy (temporary or lasting), the patent allows the end user to be offered the possibility of determining different walking/progress sections before use, based on several factors:
1) level of autonomy;
2) ability to support oneself in an upright position;
3) to the prescriptions given by the doctor.
In three years the Italian company has designed and patented a device to be applied to the rear wheels of walkers, allowing controlled advancement (calibrated to the actual motor capacity of each individual user) equipped with automatic stopping/parking of the aid, significantly reducing the risk of slipping and falling.
Subsequently, the related prototype was created, with which it was possible to carry out various tests and experiments, which allowed some improvements to be made to it which made it increasingly reliable and safe.
The market potential is enormous and the use of the patented one could be in the order of 60,000,000 units over the next 10 years.
The patent can be a competitive leverage for given that this technical application does not currently exist on the market. For this reason the Italian company wishes to give the opportunity to manufacturers, already producing walkers and rollers, to scale up their business positions with the application of this patent.
Advantages and Innovations
This is a device to be applied to the rear wheels of walkers, which allows controlled advancement (calibrated to the actual motor capacity of each individual user) equipped with automatic stop/parking of the aid, significantly reducing the risk of slipping and falling.
The designed and patented device, which can also be applied to many of the walkers already on the market resulting in a new CE marking, allows the end user to be offered the possibility of determining different travel/advance sections before use, based on of one's level of autonomy and ability to support oneself in an upright position and of the prescriptions given by the treating doctor.
Everything is possible by selecting the different travel sections by manually acting on the appropriate selector positioned on the device and its activation occurs by activating the brake which also maintains its braking function.
The use of the traditional type brake, with direct action through the natural closure of the hand for braking and the dual function of activating the device, is the added value compared to common walkers on the market; furthermore, it is much more suitable and safe than walkers which exploit the reverse principle of braking (the brake serves to free the movement of the wheel and in the event of a slip/fall the user is instinctively led to act on the brake in an attempt to stop the walker, obtaining the opposite result to the expected one), increasing the probability of falling.
Moreover, the Patent also provides for the creation of the electromechanical (smart) device.
Stage of Development
  • Available for demonstration
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
The Italian company is looking for a manufacturer of walkers interested to improve its products with a new device that can help to speed up its international business competitiveness.
The Italian Mechanical Engineering Studio wishes to transfer the legal property of the patent to the manufacturer. In any case the Italian firm will assist the new property of invention with a technical support for a best adaptation to its products.
Type and Size of Partner
  • Big company
  • SME 50 - 249
Type of partnership
  • Investment agreement

Dissemination

Technology keywords
  • 06005001 - Safety & systems
Market keywords
  • 05004004 - Medical instruments
  • 08003005 - Other industrial machinery for textile, paper & other industries
Targeted countries
  • All countries