Students and staff work with medical equipment company on research project

Durham College today announced a research agreement with 5 Minds Mobility Inc. (5 Minds), under the umbrella of the Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII).

The project, the first Durham College applied research health-related project funded by CONII, focuses on the testing of wheelchair seating designed to prevent skin breakdown through the use of Shear Reduction technology (SRT).

With support from principal investigator Angela King, a registered nurse and a professor with the School of Health & Community Services, and co-investigator Maureen Calhoun, associate dean of the School of Science & Engineering Technology, students from both schools helped 5 Minds, a home medical equipment company specializing in pressure ulcer management solutions for high-risk groups, test a new wheelchair cushion containing SRT for safety and skin care management.

A six-week trial took place at Wynfield Long Term Care Residence in Oshawa from December 5, 2011 to January 13, 2012.

“I am honoured to be the primary investigator for Durham College’s first applied research project funded by CONII in the health sciences area,” said King. “It was exciting to work alongside our practical nursing students to test a product that addresses the important issues of friction and shear, which are common causes of skin breakdown.”

Canadian Census data indicates that seniors will account for 23 to 25 per cent of the population by 2036, reaching an estimated 10.9 million people, a number that has doubled since 2009. By adding SRT to its cushion, 5 Minds is reducing shearing and maintaining skin integrity for wheelchair-seated patients while helping to lower the substantial cost of pressure wound treatment experienced by the health-care sector.

“As new entrepreneurs, the support we received from Durham College and CONII has been invaluable,” said Jen Atkinson, president, 5 Minds. “Thanks to Durham College`s Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI) we have been able to get this study under our belt. The credibility added by our partnership will help move us forward.”

King provided expertise and supervision on the clinical portion of the trial working with Practical Nursing students Merlita Laroco, Ryan Gimblett and Sarah Fawcett-Bice. Calhoun led the bench-testing portion of the project, supervising Chemical Engineering Technology students Elliott Fernandes, Jordan Roberts and William Sisnet.

“Working with the college has been beneficial for us as it has confirmed our proof of concept for SRT,” said Kevin Saunders, chief executive officer, 5 Minds. “Adding it to our wheelchair seating has proven to be effective in terms of reducing shearing and maintaining skin integrity for wheelchair-seated patients and the positive feedback we’ve received from the sample population involved in the study has been encouraging. We’re looking forward to being able to bring our product to market thanks to help from Durham College and its schools of Health & Community Services and Science & Engineering Technology”.

Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, CONII is a consortium of 23 Ontario colleges dedicated to helping business and industry stay competitive in the global economy. In addition to providing support to businesses, it also offers financial support to colleges, enabling them to provide quicker access to the expertise of Ontario’s top researchers and the most state-of-the-art equipment and research tools available.

“ORSI, along with our academic schools, is proud to work with 5 Minds under the CONII umbrella, “said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, ORSI. “This was a great opportunity for Durham College and our students to work with an industry partner dedicated to improving the health of individuals experiencing, or at risk for experiencing, skin breakdown. The project also enabled our faculty and students to gain valuable research and testing knowledge; make industry contacts; and gain on-the-job work experience.”