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Ortho-Glide

Breakthrough:
A saucer-shape disc with replaceable adhesive pads to help patients exercise during recovery. It is a patient led innovation that improves circulation in the lower limbs and also helps to prevent DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).

Inventor:
Philip Hankin, United Kingdom

Financial reward:
$500,000+

The Story:
Ortho-Glide

Lying in his hospital bed in 2002 recovering from lower leg surgery Philip Hankin was frustrated by the physiotherapy devices that were on offer to speed his recovery. “I couldn’t help but notice that the devices the hospital used for physiotherapy were old fashioned and cumbersome. They amounted to little more than a doughnut-shaped bandage and a lump of plywood.”

A plywood sliding board is put on a mattress to provide a surface that a physiotherapist and patient can work with. However, a lack of space and funds means that there aren't enough to go round and so they are sometimes shared between patients, which with the risk of infection is not an ideal practice. Hankin was surprised that there was nothing better for patients, and so being something of a practical man and an inveterate fixer he started to experiment.

The company director and amateur inventor eventually came up with the Ortho-Glide which fits under a patient’s foot so they can slide their leg up and down on virtually any surface to aid with their rehabilitation. It consists of a high quality reusable plastic base and replaceable self adhesive insert pads. The pads are designed for single patient use and are replaced as they become soiled or lose their adhesiveness. The leg exerciser makes exercising much easier for painful and injured legs. It enhances muscle tone, and improves joint flexibility and blood circulation.

Developing the Prototypes

At first he used a metal tray that he kept at the side of his bed for loose change. Placing his heel on the tray he could freely slide it up and down the mattress. There wasn’t any friction, scraping or chaffing. The next stage was to build a prototype, so he bought himself a lathe from a DIY store, learned how to use it and went to work. First he adapted castors that you usually put under the legs of heavy furniture. He scraped out the middle and put in some soft padding for the heel to rest on. He showed it to his physiotherapist who thought it was a wonderful idea and he was advised to patent it.

Hankin was put in touch with the Centre for Healthcare, Innovation and Development at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton. They loved the invention and worked with him to perfect the prototype and find a manufacturer.

Impressive

So impressed is the UK health service by Hankin's invention that it was cited in a national government report. A two-month project at the University of Central Lancashire evaluated the biochemical effects of Ortho-Glide and concluded that it would be beneficial to patients. The report stated that “The Ortho-Glide produces a more controlled, lower friction exercise environment under different exercise positions, and offers similar control when used on different surfaces which traditional methods are unable to provide.”

Hankin has sunk more than $80,000 (£50,000) of his own money into the invention and the time it took to get to market has frustrated him. But it’s now in many hundreds of hospitals all over the UK and abroad. It’s such a simple and elegant idea, but one that is making a big impact on the lives of patients.

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