I- Corps Supplement to The PPAL: The Bedside Commode as a Safe Self-Toilet Transfer Device for Aging Adults I-Corps Program,

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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 & 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 & 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.