EquaGel Protector Gel Wheelchair Cushion

The EquaGel® Protector Cushion is your best option for aiding in prevention and treatment of pressure wounds.

The EquaGel® Protector Cushion is 100% EquaGel® configured in two stages. Nursing facilities and long term care facilities are discovering the EquaGel® Protector Cushion to be the best cushion for wound management (both to aid in preventing wounds and in wound treatment). The EquaGel® Protector Cushion is 2.5" high with a 0.75" pelvic contour to evenly distribute a user's weight.

Medicare identifies the EquaGel® Protector Cushion for reimbursement as a cushion to provide pressure sore treatment and prevention under the codes E2603/E2604. As with the other EquaGel® wheelchair cushions, the EquaGel® Protector Cushion will provide extended comfort and provide the ultimate aid in pressure wound treatment.

EquaGel® is a dry-polymer gel, almost rubbery to the touch. It has unbelievable tensile and compression strength and incredible durability, but these are not what make EquaGel® special. Its most amazing feature is the column buckling.

Simply put, column buckling refers to the way EquaGel® behaves under weight. Each wall of gel is capable of supporting a light load. When that threshold is exceeded, the wall of gel buckles into the hollow area between walls and passes the weight to the surrounding walls for support. This "buckling and weight-passing" happens instantly and repeatedly until the maximum surface area of pressing weight is evenly supported by largely equalized pressure. Buckling gel has been demonstrated to minimize pressure better than other technologies.

The peak pressure points of the ischial tuberosities and the coccyx/sacrum buckle into the EquaGel®, feeling almost as if they are free-floating within the cushion while the thighs and buttock of the user are supported.

EquaGel Protector Cushion Features

• 100% EquaGel in two stages
  

o 1st Stage (upper surface) has thin walls and a tight grid for comfort
o 2nd Stage (bottom) is has thicker walls and a wide grid for deep posture support

Pelvic area is contoured 0.75" to assist the user in positioning within the wheelchair

Fluid-resistant, vapor-permeable and flame-resistant cover

2-Layer Gel
The EquaGel® cushions feature a bi-columnar design of integrated gel. This means these gel cushions have a smaller top grid of gel incorporated with a larger bottom grid of gel. These layers cannot separate. The top layer of EquaGel® is made of a small grid with thin walled gel. These walls of gel are not primarily weight-supporting walls but rather are pressure redistribution walls. They are very soft to the touch and quickly act to distribute the user's weight across the surface of the cushion and away from pressure points.

FR Cover Component Information
Inside every EquaPressure produced cushion is a unique fabric material. Made from a unique yarn structure, this barrier encases a highly heat-stable core inside soft comfort fibers. This stretchy fabric is a flame barrier which may seem ineffective as it feels almost fluffy and airy. Airflow is important for a healthy microclimate which is one of the primary reasons we chose this particular flame barrier. This barrier functions in a unique and surprising way: If the cushion cover does catch fire (say from prolonged contact with a dropped cigarette) this barrier springs into action.

Fire requires three ingredients to survive; oxygen, heat, and fuel. If this cover catches fire, the FR layer first creates a char layer that will inhibit the spread of the flame by limiting the amount of fuel. The inherently fire resistant fibers give off vapor-phase retardants at the fabrics' surface to slow the flames' progress. Then the heat stable cores maintain a framework for the char layer with reduces the flames' access to the cushion materials (fuel). Thus by minimizing and possibly eliminating the fuel, fire is minimized or extinguished. This barrier does NOT use topically-applied FR chemicals; it uses inherently fire-retardant fibers.

While our cushions meet the flame resistant standards of the Cal TB 133 burn test, we do not claim they cannot or will not catch fire. We do not claim they will extinguish flames or protect you from fire, smoke, or burns.

Contoured Pelvic Region
The buckling gel walls of the EquaGel® cushions pass the pressure away from pressure points to achieve a more balanced weight distribution than traditional materials. To further aid in the distribution of weight, there is a sculpted contour in the pelvic area of this cushion that mimics the contouring of the human body. This provides additional equalizing pressure distribution while maintaining 1.25" gel below pressure points

Foam Sides
Each of these cushions is designed to lower and even minimize the amount of pressure a user experiences. The main source of pressure and discomfort is at the "sitting bones" which are the ischial tuberosities and the tailbone. These pressure points carry the heaviest load when we sit and the surrounding soft tissue shoulder less of the burden. The vast majority of skin breakdown from sitting happens at or near these points.

No matter a person's gender or size, the sitting bones fall in a narrow range of area. Adding weight to your frame does not spread these bones out. Thus, no matter a user's size, the majority risk for skin breakdown does not move from the center-back of the cushion being used. The most concern in cushion design needs to be focused on minimizing pressure at these pressure points and in the tissues surrounding them. The EquaGel® cushions take this into consideration.
All of the cushions up to 22" wide are 100% EquaGel® for the entire width of the cushion. For bariatric sized cushions wider than 22", small foam 'wings' are added to make up the difference. We have chosen foams of high quality for the edges of our larger models that will properly support the user.

Definition of "Skin Protection"
This term originates from experience in the US Medicare system for wheelchair cushions and patient care. The basic premise is grounded in the medical necessity to minimize the amount of pressure on sensitive skin to avoid tissue breakdown. Pressure breaks down skin by limiting blood flow. The harder a seating surface, the more likely blood flow is inhibited. This pressure causes the skin and underlying tissues to weaken which may cause a wound.

These cushions have been demonstrated (using pressure-mapping devices) to lower the amount of pressure a user experiences at their pressure points. Thus when we refer to the cushions as "skin protection" cushions, we are referring to the lowered risk of developing pressure ulcers in the skin due to the lowered pressure the user experiences from proper use of our cushions.

The bottom layer of EquaGel® is made of a larger grid with thick walled gel. These walls are more robust and designed to continue the weight redistribution from above as needed and support the user in good alignment. They are also sufficiently strong (without becoming hard or resistant) to hold users from bottoming-out the cushion under normal usage.

Waterproof Cover
The outer layer of our cushion cover is a stretchy, water-resistant fabric. This fabric is a durable poly-knit fabric backed with poly-urethane that keeps liquid from penetrating into the gel cushion. It is, however, vapor-permeable. This means that while fluid cannot seep through the barrier under normal conditions, air is free to pass through the cover.

Airflow is important to mediate heat distribution and a healthy microclimate. A water-resistant barrier that also blocks airflow may create a heat trap. EquaPressure covers do not trap air. The base fabric is a standard low-slip material with velcro sections to help secure the cushion to certain wheelchairs.