Medical compression stockings while minimising the effort required

• What was needed: dryspin® trapezoidal thread nuts and spindles in right-hand and left-hand thread made of iglidur® J in size 10x3, iglidur® flange bearing
• Requirements: Double sliding without deflection, high material strength, low adhesion to enable longitudinal displacement along the guide rail, low friction, lubrication-free, low weight
• Industry: Medical sector
• Customer success: 900 devices are already in use in healthcare and medical-social facilities. The French regional health authorities welcome this device via the financial framework "Quality of life at work". The potential market is around 50,000 devices in France. Exports have started at the University Hospital of VIENNA in Austria.

To date, the dressing aid has only been used professionally, e.g. by nurses, carers and doctors in private practices and health and medical-social structures. This means that the areas of application are hospitals, retirement homes and nursing homes. The first challenge was to take into account the strong influences of the users to obtain a movement that is adapted to their limitations. In particular, the need to leave the space between the spacers open led to special translational, bending and torsional constraints that had to be solved. The second challenge was to find the lightest possible solution for this electro-portable medical device.

BELOVIA is an electromedical extender or electric stocking holder that allows carers to put on medical compression stockings while greatly reducing their exertion - some devices have been prescribed by occupational health practitioners for return to work after carpal tunnel surgery. Belovia contributes to improving the quality of life of carers by reducing their efforts and thus contributes to the fight against musculoskeletal disorders, 38% of which affect the hands/wrists/fingers and 35% the shoulder. The lead screw nuts allow sliding without deflection and have a high material strength. Moreover, low friction is enabled and the applied forces of 250N per expansion angle can be handled without any problems.