At first, the Smart e-Pants may seem like something out of the popular erotic novel, '50 Shades of Grey.' It is a pair of underwear that delivers a low zap of electricity via two pads of electrodes placed on each butt cheek. Without much context, a person can't be blamed for thinking the Smart e-Pants were created for kinky situations. In reality, they were invented to combat bedsores (also known as Pressure Ulcers).
Developed by Project Smart and tested by doctors at the University of Calgary, the Smart e-Pants were created to be worn by those who suffer from spinal cord injuries. During the testing phase, the Smart e-Pants delivered 10 second zaps every 10 minutes for 12 hours a day for a month and none of the patients developed a sore.
Electrical Shock Underwear
The Smart e-Pants Combats Bedsores for Injured and Paralyzed Patients
Trend Themes
1. Smart E-pants - The development of smart underwear with electrical stimulation capabilities presents opportunities for the healthcare industry to address the issue of bedsores in injured and paralyzed patients.
2. Electrode-based Wearables - The emergence of wearable devices incorporating electrode technology opens up possibilities for various industries to explore new applications and functionalities.
3. Pressure Ulcer Prevention - The focus on preventing pressure ulcers through innovative solutions like the Smart e-Pants signals an opportunity for the healthcare sector to improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - The healthcare industry can leverage the Smart e-Pants technology to enhance patient care, reduce the occurrence of bedsores, and improve overall outcomes for injured and paralyzed patients.
2. Wearable Technology - The development of electrode-based wearables, such as smart underwear, creates disruptive innovation opportunities in the wearable technology industry for improved health monitoring, rehabilitation, and wellness tracking applications.
3. Medical Devices - Incorporating electrode-based technologies into medical devices, like the Smart e-Pants, can revolutionize pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, leading to better patient outcomes and cost savings in the medical devices industry.