Atlanta-based Active Body Inc has received US Patent 9,649,236 for its design of a wheelchair-rollator hybrid featuring a robotic lift allowing the user to transition to standing while being supported.
“This patent covers a new class of wheelchairs that encourages standing and walking for those who can still do so with some assistance,” says Charles Wike, president of Active Body, in a media release.
“Health benefits from continued ambulation are significant and well documented. With the dramatic increase in the elderly population and the continued decline in the cost of robotic lift mechanisms, we believe that this concept will represent a significant market niche.”
Active Body is seeking to license this technology and intellectual property to medical device manufacturers in order to bring the new design to market, per the release.
[Source(s): Active Body Inc, PR Newswire]
