Finalist 2024

Sleeptite Sirius Assistive Technology Bed

Sleeptite / Cameron van den Dungen

Sleeptite’s Sirius adjustable bed combines style with clinical functionalities for those in need of assistive technology in the bedroom

Well-engineered machinery and beautiful composition, Sleeptite’s Sirius adjustable bed weaves clean aesthetics together with seamless clinical functionalities. Sirius was designed to bring respect and dignity to the lives of those in need of assistive technology in the bedroom without compromising safety for the user or those who care for them.

Sirius provides a balance of practical features and customisable design to deliver care that can be tailored to each user. Sirius is suitable for any bedroom where assisted living solutions are required, whether that be in a home care environment, residential aged care facility, rehabilitation facility or retirement home.

Design Brief:

Bedroom furniture in the accessible needs sector has been focused solely on medical care, which has led to products that create a sterile, hospital-like environment. Studies have shown that a person’s living environment has an ongoing impact on both their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Sirius was created after extensive research visits to care facilities and workshops with occupational therapists, nurses, carers, aged care facility managers and end-users revealed two common issues in the assistive technology bedroom: the need to change products as a user’s condition advanced and sterile, medical products.

The challenge:

  • Create an adjustable bed that had the capability to evolve with a client as they transition from low to high care needs, without carers or facilities needing to purchase a new bed.
  • Create a fully functional, safe and clinical adjustable bed that doesn’t look like it belongs in a hospital

This project was developed by:

Design Process

The environment in which someone lives has a direct relationship on their mental health. It can influence sleep health, mood, behaviour, motivation, stress levels, and in some cases their immune system and physical health. Existing adjustable beds are split into two categories: limited functionality beds focused on providing basic movement to a general consumer with no high care needs, that fit aesthetically into a modern bedroom, or clinical beds that aid the medical care of a user but make the bedroom environment feel sterile.

Sleeptite spent three years working with engineers, designers, and contract manufacturers from around the world to design Sirius. Influenced by the latest trends in consumer bedroom furniture, Sirius was designed using the same principles as non-assistive technology beds, whilst achieving clinical functionality for both low and high care users. Sirius can be further accessorised with headboards, footboards and companion beds, seamlessly integrating into any bedroom.

Sirius can be set to any height between 200mm – 750mm (measurement based on floor to top of bed surface) allowing care givers and healthcare staff easy access to provide treatment and safe transfers, while also adding to the aesthetic of the user’s bedroom environment.

One bed that caters to low or high care requirements also provides tangible financial benefits to both facilities and home care recipients alike. Additionally, optional extras can be retrofit at any time, ensuring Sirius will remain a suitable option for users, regardless of their care requirements.

Sirius is a registered medical device (TGA) that meets safety and risk requirements for the user and carer without turning the bedroom into a sterile environment, assisting in the daily treatment of a user’s mental health and wellbeing while also caring for their physical health and the carers safety.

Design Excellence

Sleeptite’s founders have a proven background in bedroom furniture consumer trends with 40 years of retail experience in Forty Winks. Undertaking extensive user research to ensure clinical design needs not only met but exceeded existing products on the market, Sleeptite designed Sirius to unite clinical care needs with a stylish design suitable for any bedroom. The use of soft geometry such as curved edges and plush, velvety, medical grade fabrics aid in the relaxing and comforting feel of Sirius. Treatment of injuries from falls in people aged 65+ costs our economy over $2.3 billion each year, with flow-on effects including loss of independence and family impact. The 200mm low height means injury can be significantly reduced or avoided in the event of a fall from bed.

Equally, raising the bed to 750mm reduces the strain of manual handling, allowing carers easy access to provide treatment and care, enabling safe transfers and reducing the chances of workplace injury.

The ability to raise or lower the surface height to any position within the elevation range, ensures Sirius will sit at a safe height for the needs of every user and carer. Mechanically, Sirius is supported by a steel frame and uses Okin motors and actuators – considered world-leading assistive technology lifting mechanisms.

Sirius delivers market leading functionality at an incredibly competitive price and is eligible for users with NDIS and home care package rebates under Occupational Therapist prescription.

Sirius is registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as a Class I Medical Device (ID 416181).

Additionally, the Sirius bed stick accessory is a registered design in Australia, giving Sleeptite protection from international manufacturers looking to copy the novel design. The design registration covers a multitude of optional assistive technology devices that can be added to the Sirius adjustable bed.

Design Innovation

Sirius was designed in conjunction with the prescribing workforce delivering a product purpose built for the needs of the user and caregiver.

A market leading height range of 200mm - 750mm using a stylish, column-less design, has resulted in a one-of-a-kind product that meets medical and OH&S requirements while improving the physical and mental health of a user and aiding the safety of their carer.

A full metal base frame provides structural integrity to Sirius ensuring sStability is provided regardless of the beds position, creating a safer environment for users and carers – particularly when Sirius is raised to the highest position. Two inter-changeable leg options were created to ensure Sirius could retain the strength provided by the base frame while providing 150mm underbed clearance for mobile lifting devices and other care products ensuring total floor-line capability (when base clearance for lifting devices are not required).

Unlike competitors, the surface of Sirius reduces entrapment risk with the mattress sitting flush to the edge with no gaps. Adding further functionality and safety to Sirius, Sleeptite designed a system of revolutionary hidden castors allowing carers to easily move its position within a room. The casters can only be engaged via a separate button on the remote, ensuring Sirius won’t be lowered onto the casters when the carer or user is putting the bed into low position.

Sirius has been pre-drilled to allow attachments (such as bed stick with return, and side rails) to be retrofit at any time when care requirements increase.

Sirius was built in line with the following international standards

IEC 60601-1-11:2015+A1:2020
IEC 60601-1 3.2 Edition
ISO 13485:2016+A11:2021
ISO 14971:2019+A11:2021
ISO 15223‑1:2021
IEC 60601-2-52:2015

Design Impact

A Harvard University School of Medicine study found poor quality sleep can lead to a 15% decrease in life expectancy. Further to this, studies show personal wellbeing is directly influenced by our environment, and a bedroom, when thoughtfully designed and optimised for comfort, can promote better sleep quality and improve health outcomes.

Too often assistive technology beds are first and foremost a medical product with no consideration given to how bed design impacts the users space, therefore impacting their mental and physical wellness. Sirius is a highly functional medical device designed to be aesthetically pleasing, playing a vital role in enhancing sleep health and emotional and physical wellbeing.

In 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the ‘community and personal service workers’ occupation group had the highest rate of work-related injuries due to common hazards and risks such as:

  • Lifting, supporting, and moving individuals
  • Moving and handling equipment such as beds

The advanced height, hidden casters and adaptable leg heights on Sirius result in a bed designed to make a carers job safer by reducing risk while they provide treatment.

Sirius is suitable for users with low or high care requirements providing real-world financial benefits to both facilities and home care recipients - as well as positive environmental impact due to less product turnover.

Since entering the market, Sleeptite has noticed an increase in design led comparative product being investigated by other suppliers which will ultimately result in a fundamental change in how the sector views assistive technology products.

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