Are you sitting comfortably?

A West Midlands' company behind a revolutionary seating system that puts users in the comfort zone for travel is poised to diversify into the healthcare sector.

Seating Design & Development (SDD), based in Birmingham, are developers of the award-winning MouleTec seating concept, which has already been recognised in the aircraft, automotive, military and rail markets. Its patented design of multi-density, anatomically-shaped polyurethane foam cushions are claimed to improve both health and circulation.

'We already supply MouleTec concept seats to the British Airways fleet, which has around 6,000 seats fitted out in its first-class section, and recently secured a defence contract to supply 7,000 seats for armoured troop carriers,' said Neal Marshall, Technical Director at SDD.

And now, the benefits of MouleTec are about to be experienced in the health industry as the result of a private and public sector collaboration between SDD, Medilink West Midlands, the Centre for Healthcare and Development (CHID) and regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

Human beings sit on the ischial tuberosities, or the bony part of the posterior. This is precisely the region where all the body’s complex systems of nerves, arteries, veins and muscles pass. Unfortunately, this can lead to pressurising these systems, resulting in reduced blood flow, lower nerve response and loss of feeling in the lower limbs. Not only does this cause discomfort, but the reduced blood circulation is potentially harmful to health, especially after prolonged periods.

The MouleTec concept relieves pressure on these systems while in the seated posture, improving nerve response and venous circulation in the process.

The invention became a commercial reality two years ago after research undertaken by Prof Mark Porter, at Loughborough University, and Prof Andrew Bradbury at Birmingham University.