In conversation with Praxis SCI Accelerate cohort member WheelAir

WheelAir Founder and Managing Director Corien Staels talks with us about a new technology for wheelchair seating that improves user wellbeing by preventing overheating and excessive sweating.

What led you here in terms of education and experience? Tell us about your mission for your company.

My thesis supervisor at the Amsterdam University of Applied Science, Lisette Vonk, was a wheelchair user and she spoke about the problems with overheating that many wheelchair users face. I investigated the issue further and learned that overheating in a wheelchair is not only very uncomfortable, but also potentially dangerous.

Wheelchair users will avoid going out in hot weather, use icepacks and water sprays to cool themselves down, and have skin breakdown due to heat and moisture build-up or excessive sweating.

I spoke to wheelchair users, parents, athletes and manufacturers to learn how heat and moisture affect people and what’s prevalent on the market. I went to focus groups and looked at the research to understand why this occurs for people with spinal cord injury. The solution doesn’t have to be difficult to treat a real thing. For my bachelor dissertation in 2016, I developed the first prototype of the WheelAir temperature and moisture regulation system using off-the-shelf materials as proof of concept.

After graduating, my mission was to bring this product to life to help wheelchair users cool down and participate in daily activities. Six years later, we have vastly expanded our knowledge and clinically validated our product to tackle all symptoms of heat and moisture, including pressure injuries, seizures and spasms.

What do your customers need?

Overheating and excessive sweating can have a significant impact on an individual’s ability to carry out their daily activities. Overheating can start with heat discomfort, but quickly progress to skin rashes, spasms, dizziness, nausea and even heat induced seizures. Moisture, often in combination with heat, comes with its own set of problems such as skin breakdown and eventually pressure sore formation, which can be fatal when serious enough. All these issues not only require medical attention but are stressful, exhausting and life-limiting.

Our customers experience these limitations due to a variety of factors, whether it’s because of a side effect from medicine, spinal cord injury, MS, or many of the other neurological conditions that effect temperature regulation. Those with complex seating needs especially tend to struggle with heat and sweat regulation due to the nature of the contoured seat.

One user told us that when she first tried WheelAir, it was the first time in 20 years that she had been able to sit in the sun without overheating. Another user experienced issues with moisture build-up, which caused skin rashes that require medication to treat, and that WheelAir’s airflow helped keep her skin healthy. I hear countless stories about how users regain the ability to control their temperature with WheelAir, and how they get to enjoy BBQs with friends, exercise, travel, and no longer need to worry about the life-limiting impacts of overheating and sweat.

WheelAir Founder and Managing Director Corien Staels is on a mission to make overheating and over sweating a thing of the past.

How are you providing a solution to your customer’s needs?

WheelAir is the first temperature and humidity control system specifically designed for wheelchairs, using the power of airflow integrated in wheelchair seating. We use radial fan technology which is controllable, silent and guided through our patented Fluid Flow^TM channel technology. By dispersing air evenly across the seat surface, WheelAir helps avoid issues caused by overheating and over sweating while keeping skin dry and clean.

WheelAir has two product lines, WAcare and WAgo. WAgo is our ready-to-use line of WheelAir products. They integrate seamlessly with manual wheelchairs. We offer a WheelAir Slingback and a WheelAir Cushion Cover. The WheelAir Cushion Cover provides the microclimate, humidity and temperature control benefits of the WheelAir system while keeping the pressure-relieving and shear force qualities and comfort of the individual’s existing seat cushion. The WheelAir Slingback is designed for wheelchairs with a canvas backrest. The WAgo line also offers accessories such as a lumbar cushion and tension adjustable straps to enhance comfort and customization options for the user.

The WAcare line provides a fully customizable solution in partnership with seating manufacturers. It’s a modular system so clinicians and technicians can select the desired components and place the Fluid Flow channels wherever airflow temperature or humidity control is most needed. Users gain full control of the internal and seat-surface temperature and humidity build-up, often replacing desk fans and wet towels. This thermal comfort helps with maintaining skin integrity by reducing the risk of heat and moisture-associated skin damage.

Sustainability is really important to us. Maintenance is low and every WheelAir component can be replaced spearately, including the battery and fan. The lithium ion battery lasts 27 hours and can be charged with USB-C – it’s the same as the battery on your phone.

The effectiveness of the product has been validated through temperature and relative humidity testing following the ISO16840 microclimate procedure. It measured a significant reduction instead of a rise in temperature (up to 9˚C) and up to 41% lower relative humidity between the person’s body and the seat surface.

We already have our second generation product on the market. It’s now custom for all types of wheelchair seating and can be integrated into other products. It’s truly designed to suit the needs of the wheelchair user.