ApexCare integrated Design Thinking Into Agile Development to Provide Safer and Better Quality Long-Term Care Equipment for its Clients

Apex Health Care MFG. INC (ApexCare), a major long-term care medical equipment and assistive device manufacturing company in Asia, has accumulated over 25 years of experience in developing over one hundred innovative medical products in home, long-term, and rehabilitative care. During this period, ApexCare has acquired over 50 design and invention patents worldwide. The company's familiarity with regulations in each country allows the team to shorten the product design phase by simultaneously performing prototype testing and design verification. The team can quickly adjust designs to conform to local regulations for the client and be the first to market. The company's products have been sold to over 40 countries across the globe, with a few products reaching top 3 in global sales. Meanwhile, ApexCare has formed a product design alliance with partners in Denmark, Australia, and Japan to collaborate on the design and market their functional and practical products. At this year's Taiwan Healthcare+ Expo, ApexCare will continue to seek out international distributors and manufacturers to join their design and development alliance. The company's brands, ApexCare and Elitex, will be looking for regional trade partners in North America, Europe, and the ASEAN countries while providing global ODM and OEM contract services.
 
Patient Lift Design with Multiple Patents Fills Unique Niche 
Safety has always been the focus in the development of patient lifts. ApexCare has refined the design of the patient lift stand, improving the opening and closing mechanisms to keep the product upright and stable, with multiple patents having been granted for the design. In consideration of the limitations imposed by the location, the latest model now supports charging by a lithium battery. The manually controlled intelligent powered height adjustment design allows caregivers to safely transfer the patient between the bed, wheelchair, and shower room. The design saves the caregiver from occupational injuries by reducing labor and improving convenience.

Designing the World's Lowest Separable Care Bed
Designed to be safe and practical, ApexCare's separable bed frame structure design of the care beds allows easy assembly and disassembly to solve the issue of moving from one place to another. The special connecting rod design allows the user to conveniently adjust the height of the bed to as low as 7 cm. The low height helps to prevent older, weaker patients from falling and vastly improves the flexibility and convenience. Meanwhile, an 80 cm care bed is also available to make it easier for taller caregivers to administer injections and medications or give food. For rehabilitative products, most have adopted lightweight designs and materials for an easier operation to better suit the needs of the user. With product safety regulations in mind, the strength and safety coefficients of the products are calculated from years of technical experience and production know-how to provide users with safer, better products.

(Editing by Jim Shih, Research Center for Biotechnology and Medicine Policy)

• For more information see the Taiwan Healthcare+ and 2018 Taiwan Healthcare+ Expo