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SAM3 is proud of all of the work we have done to support Able Innovations creation of this innovative platform.

SAM3 and Able Innovations

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The post P. Masson, J. Larivière-Chartier, P. Forster, L. Ault, B. Wallace, H. Sveistrup, “Measurement of Dynamic Forces Applied to Skin During Lateral Patient Transfers using the ALTA System”, 2024 Sensor Applications Symposium (SAS), 2024 appeared first on SAM3 AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub.

Research partner Able Innovations demonstrated the push handle system at the AGEWELL AGM 2023.

This is a direct result of the work done by Bahareh Chimehi in her MASc Thesis. So exciting to see the amazing path to commercialization of this work that is only possible through close collaboration between the SAM3 team and our partner .

Chimehi, B. “Sensor System to Determine Force and Direction for Push Handles on Patient Transport System”, M.A.Sc. Thesis, �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, 2023.

P. Chang, B. Chimehi, J. Huang, N. Levi, B. Wallace, and R. Wang, ‘Transportation Assistant for Patient Transfer Device’, Provisional US Patent and Trademark Office, #63/456,132, March 31, 2023.

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Jayiesh, the CEO of Able Innovations and our partner for many projects with Able Innovations was interviewed by CBC Metro Morning (CBC Toronto).

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See this great presentation by Jayiesh Singh CEO of Able Innovations at the recent envisAGE launch.  He tells the story of Able Innovations and the ALTA platform including the extensive collaboration with SAM3, �Ӱ�ԭ�� and Bruyère across the years.

See our many collaboration projects with Able Innovations.

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�Ӱ�ԭ�� News story on the Able Innovations ALTA purchase by Bruyère.

The post Bruyère Procures Innovative Patient Transfer Technology Developed with Help of �Ӱ�ԭ�� Researcher appeared first on SAM3 AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub.

The full story including video links is

Research at the bedside has a literal meaning with Able Innovations, a Canadian robotics company focused on patient transfer technology. Today, Bruyère has announced the procurement of Able Innovations’ ALTA Platform™, a robotic patient transfer device akin to a hospital bed, for its complex care units.

Frontline health care staff perform hundreds of lateral transfers each year, moving a patient or resident from one surface to another, when bringing them between units or appointments, to facilitate bathing, or changing bedding. Patient transfers require multiple staff members for physical support and safety, and despite being a routine task, staff risk injury to themselves and transfers can be uncomfortable for patients.

Jayiesh Singh, CEO of Able Innovations, saw the struggle first-hand. His mother worked in long-term care, and while he volunteered there, he realized how physically demanding and resource intensive lifts and transfers could be. Along with co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Philip Chang, he seized the opportunity to build change from the ground up with his idea for a robotic transfer platform that would give both staff and patients a better experience.

The work began in 2019, when Singh approached Bruce Wallace, Executive Director of the AGE-WELL SAM3 National Innovation Hub, Adjunct Research Professor at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, and investigator with the Bruyère Research Institute, whose work specializes in sensors and smart technology to support aging. Their first research study, funded by AGE-WELL, looked at how their new transfer method might reduce the risk of injury and discomfort for patients, successfully finding factors that contribute to bruising, contusions, skin tears, and abrasions, were all significantly reduced compared to existing transfer methods.

“The success of this project has hinged on the continued transparent feedback we’ve had from clinical staff, patients, and researchers,” said Singh. “We had insights into the nuances of the problem very early on in the process, which has been a critical part of ensuring our designs are practical and easy to use.”

Consultations and research turned into prototype development and soon after, a full-scale platform was launched, leveraging an automated sliding platform to move a patient from bed to ALTA, and back again with the push of a button.

“AGE-WELL is proud to have funded this ground-breaking work from the very start, from research and early testing through to implementation,” said Alex Mihailidis, Scientific Director and CEO of AGE-WELL. “As Canada’s technology and aging network, AGE-WELL’s investment across the research and innovation pipeline is paying dividends in products like this one that address real-world challenges and benefit Canadians.”

Able Innovations began to pursue their commercialization journey with support from OBIO®, preparing them for early-stage fundraising, business development, and building their workforce. Through funding and advisory support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), and with additional funding through AGE-WELL’s AgeTech Implementation Response program, Able Innovations found its way back to Bruyère to be evaluated for procurement.

In the summer of 2022, the commercial-ready ALTA Platform was brought to Bruyère’s complex care units where it was compared against current transfer methods and assessed on its ability to make patient transfers effortless, less time consuming, safer, and more dignified for both staff and patients. Throughout the project, real-time feedback has allowed Able Innovations to modify and improve the device’s functionality to meet the specific needs of the hospital and patient population.

“We are excited to help accelerate the deployment and adoption of Able Innovations’ technology,” said Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “This evaluation project is a great example of how Canadian innovations can move to procurement and be adopted by Canadian healthcare organizations. It shows that there is a tangible and meaningful impact on clinical teams by reducing physical strain and wait times.”

“From the first prototype, we knew this technology could be transforming care at Bruyère,” said Paula Doering, Senior Vice President of Clinical Programs, Chief Nursing Executive and Allied Health Professionals at Bruyère. “This project has shown how important collaboration across our organizations is in order to tackle the challenges our front line is facing and improve how we care for the people we serve.”

The ALTA Platform becomes a permanent part of care at Bruyère this month.

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Our frontline teams make hundreds of lateral transfers each year when helping patients move. Whether it is to move patients between units or appointments, or to facilitate bathing or changes to bedding, these transfers are a routine part of any hospital’s day. Yet, despite their commonality, transfers can pose challenges for staff, who often require additional team members to physically support transferring or repositioning a patient. Though it may seem simple, staff members risk injury to themselves during lifts, and the process can be uncomfortable for patients.

This year, Bruyère will be piloting the ALTA Platform™ by in complex care units at Saint-Vincent Hospital, as part of a research project led by Paula Doering and Martin Bilodeau, PhD. The ALTA is a robotic patient transfer device, akin to a standard hospital bed, that leverages an automated sliding platform to transfer a laying patient from bed to ALTA, and back again. Where two or more staff were previously needed, the ALTA enables a single team member to reposition or transfer a patient in a safe and dignified manner.

The platform represents a new solution to an old problem; one that researchers at the Bruyère Research Institute have had a hand in shaping. Bruce Wallace, investigator with the Bruyère Research Institute and Executive Director of the AGE-WELL SAM3 National Innovation Hub including the smart apartment, specializes in sensors and smart technology to support aging independence. His team’s work with Jayiesh Singh, CEO of Able Innovations, in the company’s early days has helped bring the device from idea to prototype to the platform it is today.

Over the course of the project, Bruyère will be evaluating the ALTA Platform’s ability to make patient transfers effortless, less time consuming, and safer for both staff and patients. Having the ability to test the platform in a real hospital setting allows the research team to see what the true potential for impact is on patient care and staff satisfaction in our unique environment.

As a part of this innovation pilot, Bruyère invited staff, patients, and visitors to see the technology up close as our staff members received training with the platform. While getting familiar with the platform is a natural part of testing new technologies, having an opportunity for early and iterative feedback on the project and on the platform is a valuable part of our process.

This collaborative project with industry partners is made possible thanks to our partnership with (Early Access Health Network) and ongoing support from . With the opportunity to share findings from our pilot with other hospitals and care providers, we hope the potential for positive impact that the ALTA Platform can have will reach patients and staff across Canada and worldwide.

The bed rolls out onsite this week.

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 Able Innovations, a Toronto startup working on an automated patient-transfer technology, has won the second competition in the three-part AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge.

Jayiesh Singh, founder and CEO of Able Innovations, told judges at the that the company’s DELTA Platform allows a single caregiver to transfer a person in a safe and dignified manner. “Our device is mobile, compact and easy to use,” said Singh, who first encountered the challenges around patient transfer while volunteering in long-term care homes in his youth.

Current methods of transfer require two or more caregivers in a process that is time-consuming and physically demanding. It can also lead to transfer-related injuries, both for staff and patients, said Singh.

Able Innovations’ smart technology uses compact platforms to safely roll underneath individuals being transferred. An AGE-WELL-supported study done with Bruyère Research Institute and �Ӱ�ԭ�� University has helped to perfect the system and demonstrate its safety and efficacy.

“Right now, we’re focusing on lateral supine transfers, so people who are lying down can be transferred to another surface where they are lying down. It could be bed to bed, or bed to stretcher, or a stretcher to an imaging table,” explained Singh.

Single caregiver, contactless transfers will not only protect staff and patients from injuries, but also curb the spread of infections in health-care facilities and free staff from labour-intensive patient transfers, said Singh.

Able Innovations plans to use the $20,000 prize money (plus in-kind prizes) to help deliver full-scale prototype devices to hospitals who want to test them by the end of 2020. The company is also looking to secure pilot facilities and has recently opened a seed round of financing to accelerate their path to commercialization.

Able is aiming to commercialize the DELTA Platform by mid-2021, with a home version to follow. “The demand for products such as ours is only going to grow due to what’s happening with COVID-19, our aging population and the compounding effect of nursing shortages,” said Singh.

Five startups took part in the July 9 competition. Each was challenged to explain how their technology-based solution can positively impact older adults or their caregivers.

A separate award, the Bereskin & Parr IP Prize for Innovation, went to Braze Mobility and their CEO Dr. Pooja Viswanathan. After launching the first blind-spot sensor system for wheelchairs that can detect obstacles and provide multi-modal alerts, Braze is now developing MOANA (Module for Obstacle Avoidance and Navigation Assistance), which can prevent collisions and increase access to independent mobility.

Along with pitches from finalists, the event featured a lively panel discussion on AgeTech and brain health with Dr. Garth Smith, Vice President, Business Development and Partnerships, Ontario Brain Institute; Dr. Lili Liu, Dean, Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo; and Jim Mann, member, federal Minister of Health’s Advisory Board on Dementia, Advisory Council of Research Ethics BC, and AGE-WELL’s Research Management Committee. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007, Jim now volunteers his time to focus on living as well as possible with dementia. The panel was moderated by Dr. Michael Chrostowski, AGE-WELL’s Business Development and Industry Relations Manager.

The 2020 AGE-WELL National Impact Challenge recognizes top startups and supports entrepreneurship in Canada’s technology and aging sector. Two startups—eNable Analytics and Novalte—tied for first prize in the first competition, held on June 18 with five startups from the Atlantic region. A third and final event in this exciting series will be held on September 29 via livestream, in conjunction with the BC Seniors Living Association annual conference. Watch for details at .

“AGE-WELL welcomes the winning startups into our network, where they will be nurtured to maximize their impact on the lives of older Canadians and their caregivers,” said Dr. Chrostowski of AGE-WELL.

Thanks go to all the finalists, the judges and also the sponsors of the competition: Aging2.0 Local I Halifax Chapter, BC Seniors Living Association, Bereskin & Parr LLP, CARP, IBM Canada Ltd., Impact Centre, Innovacorp, Innovation PEI, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, Ontario Brain Institute, Spectrum Health Care, and YouAreUNLTD.

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