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Rhapsody Plus

“Being recognised as one of the country’s leading suppliers of healthcare solutions, with products such as static mattresses and Acute & Community beds, it has long been a desire of the management team to extend our range with complimentary products such as Dynamic Therapy Mattress Systems.” commented Andy Molnar, Sales & Marketing Director, Sidhil Ltd.

The three new products cover most requirements within the Acute and Community sectors and include the Sidhil Rhapsody Plus® (High Risk Patient mattress replacement System), the Sidhil Melody® (Medium Level Risk mattress replacement system) and the Sidhil Sonata Solo® (Over-mattress system).

A Sidhil research project, which covered all the competitive systems on the UK market at the time, revealed satisfaction in a range of product elements across the entire range, although no single product was able to deliver satisfaction on all the highlighted features.

“Unlike many businesses, instead of developing a product range that fitted within our existing manufacturing capabilities, we designed three systems that met the needs of the user and specifier,” explained Molnar. He continued, “We recognised that, although Sidhil Ltd had extensive experience manufacturing for the healthcare industry, we needed to have design and manufacturing experience within the specific area of Dynamic Pressure Therapy. This we bought in.”

A number of TVN’s (Tissue Viability Nurses), ward managers, financial & purchasing professionals, community care-workers, moving & handling personnel and maintenance people were approached and asked to list the best and worst points of existing dynamic mattress systems. The end result was a report that highlighted each product element that was good and bad in the marketplace. In addition to this exercise a ‘wish-list’ was created that could help deliver the optimum Dynamic Therapy Pressure System.

“Manufacturing this type of product needs robust quality assurance and management systems and we felt that manufacturing our dynamic therapy systems in-house was the only acceptable option,” explained David Williams, Group Technical Director, Siddall & Hilton. “The Siddall & Hilton Group had every confidence in both the launch project and its long term market placement. It demonstrated this with the purchase, earlier this year, of leading technical textile design and manufacturing company Wellhose Ltd., of Beaminster.”

Wellhose have been manufacturing dynamic mattress components for approximately twenty years, for a number of different companies. One of the decisive reasons for its continued success in this area has been through the use of Wellotex®, a patented bi-directional stretchable textile covering, that offers both waterproofing characteristics and vapour permeability. Needless to say the three new Sidhil Dynamic Systems are being manufactured and constructed at the Wellhose facility.

The ‘flagship’ dynamic therapy system from the company is the Sidhil Rhapsody Plus® for high-risk patients. As with the Sidhil Harmony® and the Sidhil Sonata Solo® the Sidhil Rhapsody Plus® uses a newly designed linear piston pump, which is being hailed as one of the quietest and most efficient dynamic therapy system pumps of its kind.

The eight inch (204mm) thick alternating mattress used on Sidhil Rhapsody Plus®, is fully processor controlled, with four speed settings operating on a three cell inflation system. A manifold runs down both sides of the mattress to offer additional stability and patient safety and a single ‘top’ hinge system, creating two base sections, ensures that the mattress can follow the profile of the bed frame without causing any ‘pinching’ of the cells. The full peripheral zip seal system has a further over-skirt for additional cell protection from cleaning fluids and infection

With no minimum weight limit and a maximum setting of 38 stone the Sidhil Rhapsody Plus® covers most patients needs. It is not necessary to input patient weight, as the system automatically resets the pressure dynamics on each cycle. A static mode setting allows nursing staff to assess the suitability of return to a traditional mattress, prior to moving them off the system. A transport mode setting, together with the addition of non-slip base material strips and grab handles ensure the product is both stable and easy to move when required. The system is available in two lengths.

“One product component, which received a significant level of complaint throughout the market research, related to the C.P.R. emergency release devices and the hose connectors”, commented Williams. He added, “We have developed a quick release/connection system, that in our opinion is now the best available. This also doubles up as a CPR devise. By simply, twisting an in-line connector, midway along the feed hoses, the operator can disconnect the mattress safely in the knowledge that air pressure within the mattress will remain constant, whilst the pump is disconnected. Not twisting the in-line connector delivers CPR deflation.”

Sidhil recognise that a number of acute facilities carry out their own maintenance and repair, but as further evidence of the company’s commitment to the new product, Sidhil is also announcing its intention to launch a ‘state-of-the-art’ service and maintenance centre, together with regional ‘hubs’ in the very near future. A full parts price list is available to organisations wishing to carry out their own maintenance and training for this is delivered free to engineers and maintenance staff on volume orders.

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