PINNED - Cushions

[fishinjunky]

JAY Balance cushion
Improved deeper immersion. So less pressure at the deepest point and more floatation.

https://www.sunrisedice.com/asset-bank/ ... /79433.pdf

im goin to check this one out. BM how do you think it will compare to a roho ?

[Burgerman]

It depends what you need. It will offer better stability and worse sheer and pressure protection. I think... But cant really tell without testing it. And maybe hotter if heat is part of your issues with sores.

[sacharlie]

I was recently part of a zoom group with a company developing a really interesting alternating air cushion. the group consisted of other wheelchair users that like me constantly deal with pressure sores. We were able to give our input on what we want in a cushion. its not in development yet but when it is it will be very affordable and will help prevent pressure sores dramatically. Here is the website

http://wavetherapeuticsinc.com

Those air chambers of that cushion look good. But must not have been developed for sale.

[Burgerman]

Heres the problem I see with it.

Sheer forces cause blood to stop moving in the flesh under the skin. So you land in the chair and sit. But no matter how carefully you are lowered you move slightly and your backside spreads. And you slump or try to slide forwards. All these forces are "sideways" or back/forwards on different areas of your backside. These cause sores. Just as efficiently as pressure downwards. Think about your flesh as a sponge. Pushed flat but also sideways. No liquid flow. No oxygenation.

The tendency to slide forwards on the cushion for e.g because the seat has zero dump, and most of your weight is on the rear half and the backrest causes sheer, and starts off the lack of oxygenated blood to your cells.

Having say 5 or 6 degrees dump helps prevent this forward pressure sheer force. Sideways sheer caused by your backside "spreading" as your weight lands or by rolling along a sideways slpe, cant be removed by adding "dump"... So the cells on the cushion should be free to move outwards. Or in fact all directions. In order to remove this sheer force in any direction.

The ROHO small tall soft support ballon air sacss allow this.They move/roll around. So they are great at removing the sheer forces in all directions esp with their loose stocking type cover that is easily stretched. This new cushion and my own air cushion, has long air sacs. These cant move sideways. So cannot remove the spreading "forces" that cause sores. My 2 penneth.

Its the same reason the air cushions that I had, worked less well than the Roho.

[Burgerman]

This...

[Frank]

[quote]UPDATED!!! and refined after use./quote]
hello BM
I intend to make a Roho pressure gauge/pump like yours from the information you kindly provided in this thread. Are you using yours? How are you finding it? Does it need any refinements/updating? Thank you so much for all your help.

[Burgerman]

It works great. I only bother checking now monthly as I find it doesent change much over time. Remember that I still use the hand method. To see what the right pressure is for me. And just use it to check that remains pretty much the same over time. And redjust as needed. Be sure you build it with no leaks. Even a tiny leak becomes very evident when you are measuring accurately!

[Frank]

And redjust as needed.

When you check and/or readjust as needed, you must always be seated in the chair? Is it easy to pump the cushion and readjust when sitting on the cushion?

[Burgerman]

Yes.

If you are not seated there is zero pressure. It depends on your specific backside, and weight etc.

[Frank]

So I need a gauge
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0142TXUE2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A bicycle pump which is currently unavailable but I suppose you can also use the Roho pump.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08K36R9NB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The following two items SW0789ID6 + M789ID4
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164492914906

One-Way Non Return Inline Check https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283318275086

And Tube plus fittings; from where can I find the tube plus fittings?

Do I need anything else?

[Burgerman]

All on ebay! Small details I dont remember now.

[Frank]

I have made a measuring tool to help me inflate the Roho cushion properly. When I am sitting in the cushion and have about 1.5 cm gap between me and the seat pan the reading on the meter is 60 mmhg. This reading looks high but it’s like that on my meter. I feel that the cushion is inflated properly like this.

[Burgerman]

So now you can inflate to that pressure without anyone there. No hand needed. You must do it with the air valve "open" on a multi chamber cushion. And close it while seated correctly. Also do it with arms rested on armrests. Lifting them raises the pressure! You may be better with a smaller gap, and using a different scale for your pressure. To get a finer more detailed pressure reading.

[Frank]

BM, when I connect the measuring tool to the Roho cushion and open the cushion's valve, the reading in the meter starts going down which means air is leaking. Yours is also like this or air does not go out and the reading stays the same? And do you use mmhg for measuring or something different?

[Burgerman]

You have a leak. No mine stays solid. Those little valves can leak, pipe connection can leak. The pumps all leak but a good one way valve shouldnt.

(28mHg) arms on armrests averaged although fairly consistent.
(31mmHg) arms lifted up also averaged and rounded to full digits.

Acceptable limits of peak pressure (generally over the ischial tuberosities) are 40-80mmHg if pressure is regularly relieved. Every 15 to 20 mins. According to many studies. People vary. This is from mapping via a pressure mapping services and lots of studies.

Safe pressure is around 27 to 32 mmHg without damage in several online pressure mapping clinical trials. And this is hard to achieve. Only the deep roho seems able to match this figure regularly with careful setup.
Considering that in a roho the pressure is always equal throughout the air cushion then the actual measured pressure is = to the pressure on your backside or a pressure mapping result.

It would seem that you are either on a cushion that is too big for your body, hence higher pressure needed, or/and you are not immersed adequately. Go for 10mm finger thickness. And you got to find the leak. Soapy water and a brush.

[Frank]

You have a leak. No mine stays solid. Those little valves can leak

Did you make glue at each connection?

[Burgerman]

Yes.

[Raro]

I am also a user of the Jay 2 cushion, I confirm what you say, I have never had problems with ulcers, the weight of each person also influences, I barely weigh 60 kilos, it has good stability, the only drawback is the one you mention about sweat. Over time the gel bag breaks (in my case it took 8 years) but it is advisable to change them beforehand.

Why do you say that the invacare storm4 motors are useless?
I'm curious

[Burgerman]

Because they have practically no torque, draw 190Amps turning in place with an EMPTY chair and the things just repeatedly cut out due to rolling back power to save the electronics from burning up. I returned mine for a refund. It literally couldnt get me out of the house without cutting out. Because of this design problem they stopped selling brushless motors.