Care technology
out of the chair from different positions: from fully lowered - to emulate using a standard chair scale - to the maximum height that the finished product’s seat rises to.
“The difference in effort required compared to a standard chair scale was significant, and from these tests we were finally able to decide upon the perfect speed and maximum trajectory for the seat,” Coates.
“We could also see that, in some cases, it may be possible that only one carer would be required to assist a resident into, and out of, the seat. That could make a huge difference to staffing requirements for weigh-ins and, over time, even cost to care homes.”
Time to launch
The next - and final step - in development was preparing the scale for its approval process. The Non-automatic Weighing Instruments (NAWI) directive, part of UK law, states that any scale used in the process of ‘monitoring, diagnosis or medical treatment’ must be Class III approved.
“In order to comply with the directive, and essentially be a legal medical weighing device, a weighing scale must meet a long list of requirements, to provide assurance that weight readings are accurate and reliable,” said Marsden product and compliance manager Lewis Williamson. “This approval process is a considerable investment by any manufacturer and takes several months,” he added.
“Without Class III status, we do not have a product that we can sell - in the UK and Europe, at least. In order to maintain our credibility, and have a product that can be used by care homes and hospitals as a legal, compliant medical weighing device, we have ensured it is a Class III approved scale.”
With Class III status granted, the scale was ready to take to market. The M-250 - the model designation it had by now been given - was initially unveiled at Germany’s Medica, the world’s largest medical trade show, in November 2019. “The interest in the M-250 - still only at
Finished M-250 chair scale
the pre-production prototype stage at that point - was phenomenal,” said Paul McCaig, who was at the show to promote the launch.
“New ideas and innovations are always popular at large trade shows, but the popularity of the new scale could only be matched by the launch of Marsden’s Patient Transfer Scale at Medica the year before.”
The Patient Transfer Scale - a transfer board with built-in weighing scale - has since become a worldwide hit for Marsden, selling over 1,000 units in 30 countries. “To see the same kind of response to the M-250 as well is really heartwarming, after almost three years in development.”
Covid-19 intervenes
Final preparation for the full launch of the M-250 was, unfortunately, hampered by Covid-19. Some 70 per cent of Marsden professional medical scales are manufactured under license in Taiwan and China. In the case of the M-250, 95 per cent of its components are fabricated in Taiwan, with full assembly of the product at Marsden’s UK factory. The advent of Covid-19, and worldwide lockdowns, meant final confirmation and pricing of materials was delayed. Once parts were confirmed, became sufficiently available and were able to be shipped to the UK, it was already September 2020.
The Marsden M-250 chair scale with stand assist is now available to order. The Marsden medical sales and marketing
A balance needed to be struck between a lifting seat that was fast enough to make the weighing process slicker, but was slow enough to make the experience relaxed and stress-free
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manager Danielle Gleadall believes, ultimately, the delay has not been an issue.
“We would not have had a successful launch of the M-250 had we tried to promote it during lockdown,” she said. “Plus, with a bit more time between the unveiling last November and availability of the scale this September, we’ve been able to fine tune things like the user manual and how we
demonstrate the scale to customers. We can now build upon that original enthusiasm for this unique chair scale and begin selling it around the world.”
Boosting innovation
Like the Patient Transfer Scale before it, Marsden has made moves to protect the M-250 Chair Scale with Stand Assist with a patent. It has a patent pending in the UK, and others could follow.
“We’ve set out our stall now: we’re not just about providing accurate weighing scales, we’re about providing answers to problems,” said Marsden’s chief executive Mark Holdaway.
“However, the only way that we can continue to innovate is by hearing from customers - what their issues are, what they struggle with, what the barriers are to weighing a resident or patient. It’s from this kind of insight that products like the M-250 are born,” he added.
“We’re looking forward to hearing how it has transformed weighing processes in care homes around the world.”
TCHE
David Smith
At the time of writing, David Smith was Marsden’s marketing director. David led the launch campaign for the M-250 chair scale, as well as many other key products in the Marsden range including the Patient Transfer Scale. Marsden was founded in London in 1926 and is the leading supplier of medical scales to the NHS.
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • January 2021
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