Three years ago, Think Medical had a request from a major university hospital to visit a Physician in their Anesthesia Department.
“The physician had to perform nerve blocks to the lower leg and foot of a patient in surgery,” said Think Medical co-founder Hack Sells. “His staff was rolling up and taping blankets to support the leg in an appropriate position to perform the block in the operating room, but he wanted a product they could just slip under the patient’s leg without all that hassle and extra time wasted.”
Using blankets or pillows of different sizes doesn’t always achieve optimal leg elevation or positioning and can even be unstable and uncomfortable for the patient.
“A positioner would provide a better constant angle as the blankets will not always be consistent,” Hack added. “The Popliteal Positioner can also be easily cleaned and disinfected with healthcare wipes, such as CaviWipes, and be there for the next patient while blankets would have to be sent off to wash.”
The request was for Think Medical to make a positioner that was able to support a leg in a stable position with good access to the popliteal as well as something that could be used with most patients. They also wanted it to be cleanable and reusable, not something you would throw away after one single use.
“I met with the physician who explained what he wanted,” said Hack. “We made a few prototypes and he selected the one that was right for his needs. They bought a number of them and are still using them three years later—they really don’t wear out.”
The approved design achieved all the goals set by the physician. Through a contoured design, these popliteal leg positioners fill in the space behind the knee while elevating the lower leg for comfort and support in order to simplify access for a popliteal nerve block.
Features of Think Medical’s Popliteal Positioner:
- Foam with antimicrobial cover
- Easy to clean
- Low-slip vinyl base
- Promotes good venous flow during surgery or procedures
- Reduces edema by elevating patient’s lower leg
- Promotes optimal positioning
- Latex free
- Made in the USA
- Reusable green product, not single use
Wound Ostomy & Continence Nurses Also Use Popliteal Positioners!
A secondary benefit of the Popliteal Positioner Is that it makes it easier to dress a leg or foot wound by holding the leg in place.
“As happens with many of our product designs, this Popliteal Positioner lends itself to another use,” he said. “It can hold a patient’s leg appropriately for a wound ostomy and continence nurse to more easily dress a wound on their legs or feet.”
Most wound care nurses work with a lot of leg and foot ulcers and it can be awkward to dress these wounds if they are the only person doing it.
“You need to do a specialty dressing that usually takes two hands to get it right,” he added. “If you don’t have a second person helping you by holding the leg steady for them, then you really need this support.”
A nurse can simply place the foot, or leg, in the positioner to get the best access to the wound.
“Every foot clinic in the world should have at least one of these in my opinion,” said Hack. “It would make their jobs a lot easier to have a way of holding a patient’s leg in a consistent fashion and be able to clearly see a wound without worrying about moving the patient too much.”
At Think Medical, we not only care about the special needs of our customers, we also care about making the lives of their patients better. We offer unique, USA-made products for: off-loading to help prevent HAPUs; special positioning needs; odor control; and painless adhesive removal. Check out the popular Popliteal Positioner and other top-quality, long-lasting Think Medical products!