EquaGel Straight Comfort Wheelchair Cushion

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What is EquaGel®?

EquaGel® is a dry-polymer gel, almost rubbery. It is not a liquid. This gel has unbelievable tensile and compression strength.

How does it work?

One of its most amazing features is referred to as column buckling. Simply put, each wall of gel is capable of supporting only a marginal load. When that threshold is exceeded, the wall buckles under and passes the weight to the surrounding walls for support. This "buckling and weight-passing" happens instantly and repeatedly until the maximum surface area of pressing weight is evenly supported by sufficient walls to hold the weight up, regardless of its shape. Applied to seat cushions, the pressure points of the ischium and coccyx are allowed to buckle into the cushion without resistance while the buttocks are supported evenly. The areas most likely to develop pressure sores are allowed to float nearly pressure-free within the pad while the client's weight is distributed evenly across the top of the cushion. Regardless of weight, one does not "Hit Bottom" on an EquaGel® cushion.

What are the advantages of EquaGel® over traditional technologies?

Traditional cushioning technologies compress under a weight load. As a load compacts a foam cushion, the foam will bottom out under the heavier and pointier parts of the body causing pressure and ischemia and putting a client at risk of developing an ulcer. The harder a foam is compressed, the harder it pushes back - the higher the pressure and greater the risk of developing a sore. This compression strategy ultimately is attempting only to slow the development of pressure sores rather than eliminating their formation. Tempur-foams, while also exacerbating heat issues, are a prime example of attempting to slow pressure wound development rather than eliminating it.

Adjustable air systems ultimately follow the same model as foam cushions. Once a weight is pressing onto an air chamber and the air as displaced outward to the limits of the air chamber, compression and pushing-back takes place. Adjusting the chamber with more or less to air doesn't eliminate compression; it masks it the same as substituting harder or softer foams would. This is also true with liquid bladders, displacing air or liquid to the capacity of a chamber results in compression.

EquaGel®, through the patented process of column buckling, allows pressure points at the ischium and coccyx to free-float down in the cushion while the weight is evenly distributed across the entire contact surface of the client. One does not "Hit Bottom" on an EquaGel® cushion.

Do EquaGel® cushions protect against pressure wounds?

Medical science does not have all the answers as to why someone may develop a pressure wound. But they all agree that at the point that a wound occurs, there are typically three factors involved: Pressure, Heat and Moisture.

Because of the open-cell design of the EquaGel®, there is air-flow under the butt. As such, there is no heat build-up like occurs with other cushioning products. EquaGel® cushions maintain a temperature neutral environment. By controlling the heat build-up, EquaGel® also reduces or eliminates the possibility of moisture (perspiration) development. With that EquaGel® cushions significantly reduce or even eliminate the three factors commonly present in the development of pressure wounds - Pressure, Heat & Moisture. If a client already has existing pressure wounds, they will find healing of those wounds to progress much faster than on any other cushioning products.

How do EquaGel® cushions hold up to incontinency concerns?

Extremely well! EquaGel® is non-allergenic and can be washed simply by spraying the gel with water. For further sanitation treatments, soaps and disinfectants do not harm the gel. All EquaGel® include high quality covers that are breathable, stretchable and moisture resistant. The covers also meet California flame resistance standards. The covers are easily washable.