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ROBOT DISTRIBUTION

Updated

USE CASE · HEALTHCARE AND ELDERLY CARE

Patient transfer robot: from bed to wheelchair without lifting by hand

The robot lifts and moves the person between bed, wheelchair and toilet. The carer guides the transfer and keeps their attention on the person.

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A care assistant accompanies a resident getting up from bed with the FUJI Hug T1 transfer robot in a care home room.

IN BRIEF

Updated

  1. A transfer robot helps a person with reduced mobility stand up or move from bed to wheelchair, toilet or shower, without the carer lifting them.

  2. The FUJI Hug T1, the version for facilities and hospitals, assists people of 140 to 180 cm and up to 100 kg to stand, for about 100 transfers per charge, according to its manufacturer.

  3. Robot Distribution delivers it, trains your care teams and maintains it, to buy, rent or as RaaS.

WHY

Robot-assisted patient transfer

In a care home, a hospital ward or at home, bed-to-chair and chair-to-toilet transfers are repeated several times a day for each dependent person. Done by hand, they put heavy strain on carers' backs and can be uncomfortable for the person being helped.

The robot carries the load and reproduces a steady movement. The carer stays present at every transfer: they position the person, start the movement and accompany them until they are seated.

HOW IT RUNS

How a transfer runs with the robot.

  1. Assessing the person

    The care team checks whether the person can lean on a support and use their legs, as the FUJI Hug robots require according to their manufacturer, or must stay seated, in which case a Zuowei lift chair is used.

  2. Positioning

    The person leans on the Hug's chest support. With a lift chair, they sit in the seat, which slides under the bed: the Zuowei ZW365D needs a 12 cm clearance, according to its manufacturer.

  3. Transfer

    The carer starts the lift with the Hug's two-button remote, or sets the Zuowei ZW365D seat height between 40 and 70 cm, according to their manufacturers, then guides the person to the wheelchair, toilet or shower.

  4. Charging and hygiene

    The robot recharges between rounds: about 100 transfers per charge for the FUJI Hug robots, 3 hours' charging for the Zuowei ZW388D, according to their manufacturers. The team cleans and disinfects contact surfaces.

The FUJI Hug T1 robot supports a standing resident while a carer brings the wheelchair closer.
The resident leans on the robot; the carer brings the wheelchair.
A carer takes an elderly person seated in the Zuowei ZW365D lift chair towards an accessible shower room.
Seated in the lift chair, the person goes to the shower.

THE ROBOTS

Transfer robots in our catalogue.

  • FUJI Hug T1

    FUJI Hug T1

    Rehabilitation robots

    Weight
    35 kg
    Key feature
    Users up to 100 kg
    Key feature
    About 100 lifts per charge
    On order
    From €7,590 ex VATor €259/month in RaaS
  • FUJI Hug L1

    FUJI Hug L1

    Rehabilitation robots

    Weight
    30 kg
    Key feature
    Users up to 100 kg
    Key feature
    About 100 lifts per charge
    On order
    From €7,240 ex VATor €249/month in RaaS
  • Zuowei ZW365D

    Zuowei ZW365D

    Rehabilitation robots

    Key feature
    150 kg max load
    Key feature
    40–70 cm seat lift
    Key feature
    51 cm seat width
    On order
    Price on request
  • Zuowei ZW388D

    Zuowei ZW388D

    Rehabilitation robots

    Key feature
    120 kg max load
    Key feature
    180° opening seat
    Key feature
    3 h charging
    On order
    Price on request
The whole solution · Healthcare and elderly care

BEFORE INSTALLING

What the site survey checks before commissioning.

  1. Residents' profiles

    Each resident's height, weight and ability to stand guide the model: the Zuowei ZW365D carries up to 150 kg and the ZW388D up to 120 kg, according to their manufacturers.

  2. Rooms and bathrooms

    Door widths, space around the bed, clearance under the bed and access to toilets and showers are measured: the FUJI Hug T1 takes up 950 × 620 mm of floor, according to its manufacturer.

  3. Care organisation

    Transfers per day, rounds, storage and charging locations are agreed with the nursing managers.

  4. Regulatory status and training

    Each model's European status, medical device or not, is checked before the offer, and carers are trained in the device's use and limits.

RULES AND STANDARDS

Rules for robot-assisted transfers in care homes and hospitals

A transfer device is judged on its regulatory status, its test standard, its upkeep and the protection of carers' backs.

  1. Medical device or not

    Under Regulation (EU) 2017/745, a product is a medical device when its manufacturer intends it, among other purposes, for the alleviation of or compensation for a disability. ANSM states that patient lifts are medical devices. A transfer robot's status follows the purpose its manufacturer declares: ask for the EU declaration of conformity and check whether it cites the medical device regulation or the machinery rules.

  2. ISO 10535 for transfer hoists

    ISO 10535:2021, Assistive products — Hoists for the transfer of persons — Requirements and test methods, covers mobile hoists, including stand-up types and solid-seat types, stationary hoists and body-support units. It excludes devices that move people between floors. Ask whether the model was tested to this standard, and with which body-support unit.

  3. ANSM: upkeep, trained users, incident reports

    ANSM reports that over half of patient-lift incidents are linked to a lack of preventive maintenance. Its guidance asks for an inventory, maintenance to the manufacturer's instructions, at least yearly checks of structure, emergency stop, batteries, wheels and brakes, and use only by trained staff. Serious incidents are reported to ANSM under materiovigilance.

  4. Carers' backs: the Code du travail

    Article R4541-5 of the Code du travail applies when manual handling cannot be avoided: the employer assesses the risks and fits out workstations to prevent back injuries, in particular with mechanical aids. Article R4541-8 requires mainly practical training. Record the robot in the risk assessment and plan how new carers are trained on it.

Official sources

  1. Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices · EUR-Lex · accessed
  2. ISO 10535:2021 Assistive products — Hoists for the transfer of persons — Requirements and test methods · ISO · accessed
  3. Lève-personnes : recommandations d'utilisation et de maintenance (nov. 2015) · ANSM · accessed
  4. Code du travail, article R4541-5 · Ministère du Travail (Code du travail numérique) · accessed
  5. Code du travail, article R4541-8 · Ministère du Travail (Code du travail numérique) · accessed

General information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Care facilities' questions about transfer robots.

Does the robot replace a sling hoist?

For people who can use their legs, the FUJI Hug robots help them stand without a sling by reproducing a natural sit-to-stand movement, according to their manufacturer. For others, a lift chair or hoist is still needed: the care team decides case by case.

How much weight can it transfer?

According to the manufacturers: up to 100 kg for the FUJI Hug L1 and Hug T1 (people of 140 to 180 cm), 120 kg for the Zuowei ZW388D and 150 kg for the Zuowei ZW365D.

What is the difference between the Hug L1 and the Hug T1?

The FUJI Hug T1 is the facility and hospital version: 35 kg, lead-acid battery charged in 8 hours. The more compact Hug L1 targets home care and small facilities: 30 kg, lithium-ion battery charged in 4 hours. Both do about 100 transfers per charge, according to their manufacturer.

Can it be used for toileting and showering?

Yes, with the lift chairs: the Zuowei ZW365D is waterproof for shower use and the ZW388D has a removable commode and a seat that opens 180° forward, according to their manufacturer.

Must a carer stay present?

Yes. The robot carries the load, but a carer positions the person, starts the movement and stays with them throughout the transfer.

USE CASES

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