By: Nor Azizah Ismail
SERDANG, Nov 2 – Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) researchers have won the Outstanding Innovation Awards and Gold Award at the Malaysian Technology Expo (MTE 2021): Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) International Innovation Awards recently.
A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Nazlina Shaari from the Faculty of Design and Architecture (FRSB), UPM, won the award through its innovative Adaptive Wear, a clothing innovation for health focused on the elderly and disabled patients.
The patented innovation featured items of clothing specially designed to be worn easily, comfortably and modestly by themselves.
The MTE 2021: Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) International Innovation Awards was held virtually from October 25 to 29.
Prof. Dr. Nazlina said the innovative Adaptive Wear was based on the concept of ‘Kami Prihatin’ (We Care Design).
“The clothing items produced are available in two forms, namely for the elderly who are completely paralysed (bedridden) and for those partially paralysed,” she said.
She said each clothing item was designed according to the user’s needs, with larger arm openings for parts that are hard to move or for wider body sections to ease wearing.
She said for the elderly who are completely paralysed, the clothes can be opened wide and spread under the patient’s body.
“This makes it easier for the caregiver to put clothes on the patient and minimises patient’s movement. The garment also has space for the caregiver to place a portable cold pack so that the patient is comfortable, and their body part does not abrade due to lying down for extensive periods,” she said.
For the elderly who are partially paralysed, she said the patients themselves can put on clothes without moving any paralysed body parts, making it easier for caregivers to handle.
“The reason these two functions were created was to minimise the movement of patients and make it easier for caregivers to manage their dressing, especially if they are not able to move at all,” she said.
The main materials used for this innovation were cotton, mixed bamboo fabric and nanotechnology fabric with anti-bacterial and anti-odour properties, which could give comfort to users while not abrading their skin.
Among the advantages of the innovative Adaptive Wear is that it highlighted the concept of traditional wear inspired by ‘Kurung Kedah’ and ‘Baju Melayu.’
It also has a section specially designed for patients to place the urine bag and an opening at the tip end to facilitate cleaning without removing the bag repeatedly.
This innovation was produced using the Research Development Prototype (PRGS) fund, and it is the innovative product of a start-up company under InnoHub, Putra Science Park, UPM, which is the first innovation lab aimed to nurture technological entrepreneurs who convert UPM’s technology and innovation into market viable products.
Other members of the research team who developed this innovation were Juliza Jamian, Dr. Rahimah Jamaluddin and Prof. Dr. Khairul Aidil Azlin Abd Rahman. - UPM
