DALLAS—Kim Ng used to race motorcycles. Now, he’s blazing a new trail in mobility devices.
A motorcycle accident that led to years of rehab for spinal trauma and still makes it hard for Ng to stand or walk comfortably was the inspiration for him to invent the Dashmoto, a three-wheeled seated power scooter that Ng says is meant to bring a news sense of joy and freedom to mobility products.
“People sit on it for five to 10 seconds and you can see them smile,” he said. “Everything else is clunky.”
The Dashmoto was one of the Provider’s Choice Award winners from the New Product Pavilion at Medtrade, held Feb. 18-20 in Dallas. The awards are based on votes from attendees who view the products on the show floor; HomeCare Media sponsors the pavilion.
Dashmoto won the Provider’s Choice Bronze Award for its mobility scooter, which Ng prefers to call a personal mobility device (PMD). The lightweight, carbon fiber PMD is designed with a nod to performance cars and motorcycles and comes in colors like shark blue, senna orange and lunar white. It retails for $3,995 and up and has just come onto the market after some seven years of development.
Ng said his goal was to focus on an active lifestyle rather than restricted mobility, and to avoid the “grandma” feel that comes with much assistive technology; the website presents it as an option to two-wheeled power scooters.
“It’s been a journey of love for me,” Ng said. “It’s been my personal pursuit of mobility freedom.”
The Provider’s Choice Gold Award went to Motif Medical for its new Motif Aura Glow Wearable Breast Pump. Motif developed the affordable and option-filled pump with an eye to trends in the market.
“Reimbursements continue to decline,” said Jason Ivey, national account manager for Motif Medial. “We want to make sure that moms have access to a good quality pump” without having to pay out of pocket for the components they need.
To that end, the Aura Glow comes with four insert sizes (15 millimeters, 17 millimeters, 19 millimeters and 21 millimeters) so it’s ready to use, and has offers a new cluster feeding mode and a general mode designed by lactation professionals to provide an optimal pumping session. It retails for $199 through durable medical equipment providers or online at motifmedical.com.
Wrappon, which won the Provider’s Choice Silver, is a portable dry toilet that wraps and seals waste in plastic, controlling odors and making cleanup easy for caregivers. The product or something similar has been available for many years in Japan, and Wrappon USA founder Jim Oostdyk initially discovered it as an avid camper. He developed the U.S. version for the outdoor recreation market and then expanded into the senior care market.
The toilet comes in a pearl color and closes up to hide its purpose; the arms are also removable for easier access. The MSRP is $1,500.
“If you put a commode next to a bed, it’s very embarrassing for the patient,” Oostdyk said. “This makes it simple for the (caregiver) and discreet for the patient.”