QUA, INC. — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 600

Description

The PPAL® I-CORP PROGRAM SUMMARY Bedside commodes are prescribed for older adults with mobility disabilities to reduce the risk of falling associated with being unable to safely access a bathroom to manage their toileting. Yet, older adults with lower extremity weakness are highly dependent on personal assistance to transfer onto commodes, creating a risk of falls/musculoskeletal injuries for themselves and their caregivers.The “PPAL®” takes a novel and innovative approach to address that fall/injury risk by resolving the transfer difficulties associated with using commodes. In Phase I, Georgia Tech created a PPAL® prototype that securely affixes a transfer board connected to a seat that is elevated by an internal motorized lift. The result is a stable, bidirectional, and “always downhill” transfer pathway, regardless of the height of the destination surface. They are currently recruiting for 10 human subjects - adults aging with lower extremity weakness - to test the prototype for safety and usability. For Phase II, QUA, the SBIR company, is working with the University of Pittsburgh on a research plan that will refine the size and weight of the PPAL®, add wheelchair - commode transfers and conduct safety/usability tests in the homes of potential PPAL® users.To ensure success all three phases of this SBIR, QUA created a 3-person team for the February 2022 Innovation Corps Cohort, comprised of Peg Graham, QUA Owner and the PI/DP; Industry Expert Teresa Boynton, a Safe Patient Handling and Mobility expert; and Technical Expert Paul Carlson, an Industrial Designer. The team will conduct at least 100 Customer Discovery interviews to gather market intelligence on toileting dependency and industry interest in a product that reduces patient/staff risk for falls/musculoskeletal injury. The I-Corps team will have the benefit of a Technical Business Assessment (TABA) report from Vikriti Management Consulting, a consult with Entrepreneur in Residence John Sullivan, and the willingness of QUA’s Advisory Board to assist with access to key influencers and decisionmakers across the healthcare spectrum.Specific aims of this I-Corp Project are to (1) assess clinical acceptance of the PPAL® by Safe Patient Handling and Mobility programs in hospitals and nursing homes; (2) explore health system leadership interest in the PPAL® as a toileting intervention for the acute care, homecare and skilled nursing environments; and (3) validate proposed price points, selling cycle assumptions, and volume estimates for solid financial projections for presentation to private investors.The PPAL® I-Corp team will produce a report to inform the Phase II Commercialization Plan.