Call us on 020 8805 2020 to speak to a trained advisor
or email info@fortunabambach.com

Airlert Technology

A unique air-sensitive system to provide safe and reliable monitoring of those in care. 

Air pressure mats are highly sensitive and detect the change in pressure as a patient gets out of a chair or bed. Frequency Precision uses patented Airlert technology invented by company founder Doug Dwyer.

A traditional 'contact' type pressure mat consists of two pieces of foil separated by a layer of foam. When a person steps onto the mat, the two pieces of foil touch each other through the holes in the foam, triggering the sensor. If used in a bed or chair, when a person gets up, the opposite happens - the two pieces of foil lose contact, also triggering the sensor.

Unfortunately, there are several limitations with this traditional design:

  • The foam layer tends to degrade and flatten over time, causing the two pieces of foil to touch even when there is no pressure on the mat. This means that this type of pressure mat has a limited lifespan before it stops working properly and many tradtional mats come with an 'Expiry Date' marked on them.
  • There are electrical connections inside the mat itself, which can be damaged through heavy use leading to false alarms.
  • To reduce the risk of damaging the foam and electrical connections, this type of mat generally has to be stored flat.

The Airlert technology used by Frequency Precision represents a major improvement over traditional designs. An Airlert pressure mat is based on the same principle as a self-inflating camping mat: it contains nothing except for a thick layer of foam, which has many tiny air pockets within it. The foam is covered in a durable, flame retardant airtight cover. A rubber tube connects the pressure mat to a sensor box, powered by 2 x AA batteries which can last around a year without needing to be changed. The design is simple and reliable as there are no electronics or wires inside the mat.

The foam is naturally self-inflating so when pressure is removed it will expand to resume its original shape. This sucks in air which is measured by the control box and if a certain pattern of pressure (such as occurs if a person gets out of the bed or chair) is detected, the sensor will create an alert.

 

 

Chair mat with rubber tubing

Sensor Box

Advantages of Airlert Technology

The mats:

    • contain nothing but foam and with no electronics inside there is less to go wrong, making them extremely durable and long lasting.
    • are water resistant.
    • can be rolled up or folded without reducing reliability.
    • are positioned under the mattress and are comfortable and discreet
    • will work beneath air flow mattresses and on profiling beds.
    • are ‘full-length’, so that the whole area of the bed is covered by the sensor. This reduces the risk that the user is on the bed but not on the sensor which means that the sensor will work more effectively.
    • detect subtle variations in pressure change and only alarms when a certain level of pressure has been reached. Patients can roll around on the bed or chair without false alarms.
    • have no electronics inside them, so there is less to malfunction, reducing the risk of false alarms.
    • rapidly transmit a fall in air pressure to the sensor box, so the system is fast to react as the person begins to get up.  
    • The sensor box can be supplied as 'normally open', 'normally closed', or 'change over' meaning it is compatible with any nursecall or remote monitoring dialler. It is also available as a stand-alone wireless pager system.
    • Although the default settings will work well for the vast majority of users, the sensitivity of the Airlert sensor can be adjusted to suit any individual using it, unlike a traditional system - for example, according to their pattern of  movement or for use with a person of very low body weight.
Visit our Showroom & Training Centre

We stock a wide range of products, with over 1000 lines available in the showroom.
Come and TRY out the products to see what suits your needs.
Our friendly highly-trained staff will help you make a choice which is right for you.

  • We're located just off the A10,
    less than 10 minutes from the North Circular or M25
  • 5-minute walk from Southbury Road Station
  • Level access showroom & Accessible toilets
  • Free local delivery available
  • Home assessments and delivery can be arranged
  • FREE PARKING in our large car park

VIEW MAP

Call us on 020 8805 2020 to speak to a trained advisor
or email info@fortunabambach.com

Copyright © 2024 Fortuna Mobility | All rights reserved.