What Seating Options are Available for Custom Motorized Wheelchairs?
For custom motorized wheelchairs, also known as Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), there are several advanced seating and positioning options designed to meet unique clinical needs.
Power Seat Functions
These motorized adjustments allow users to reposition themselves independently to manage health and comfort:
- Power Tilt: Angles the entire seating system backward while keeping hip and knee angles constant. This is critical for redistributing pressure away from sitting bones to prevent pressure ulcers.
- Power Recline: Changes the angle between the backrest and the seat. This helps manage muscle tone, prevents contractures, and provides alternative pressure relief surfaces.
- Elevating Legrests: Raises the lower extremities to help control edema (swelling), improve circulation, and increase overall comfort.
- Seat Elevation: Moves the user vertically to standing-height levels, enabling eye-to-eye social interaction and better access to high surfaces like shelves.
- Power Standing: Brings the user into a fully upright position, which offers medical benefits for bone density and circulation.
Custom Support Components
Beyond motorized functions, seating systems are tailored through:
- Custom Cushions: Selected using pressure mapping technology to ensure weight is distributed evenly to protect skin health.
- Positioning Hardware: Includes fully adjustable seating geometry and specialized backrests to improve posture and spinal alignment.
- Specialized Headrests: Can be integrated with drive controls, such as a head array, for users with limited hand function.
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