Interviewing an expert
With "Cheers" lettering to colour-change technology!
Interviewer:
Dr Fischer, you have developed with your team the innovative colour-change technology in the PODO abrasive cap. How did you and your colleagues come up with the idea of an abrasive cap which changes colours? So far there was no such thing in podiatry for the treatment of patients.
Dr Fischer:
You may laugh, but in fact the first idea came cliché-like at the cozy after-work beer.
But let me start from the beginning: In fact, podiatrists have been able so far to rely only on their feelings and on their patients' sense of pain when treating a foot. However, in some patients, such as diabetics, the sensation may be impaired and they may not properly perceive the temperature of the skin during treatment. This can result in overheating and in the worst case burns at the place to be treated.
But the topics of safety and patient well-being are always in the foreground for us at LUKAS. We in the development department, too, focus on it again and again. And here my after-work beer comes into play.
Interviewer:
Now we are curious!
Dr Fischer:
On a warm summer evening, I noticed the stunning ability of the label of my beer bottle to show me the right drinking temperature. It appeared the word "Cheers", if the bottle was cold enough and when the bottle was too warm, of course, it disappeared again. It occurred to me that this helpful option of temperature reading could be an incredible help to patients and doctors, even with abrasive caps in podiatry.
So the first idea that led to the development of SK THERMO with colour change technology was born.
Interviewer:
That's a great story. But now you must also tell us how you came to the unmistakable purple colour of the grinding cap.
Dr Fischer:
Here, too, coincidence played a role. As base colour of the SK THERMO we have chosen the colour red. It should serve as a signal and warning colour. For the colour change we needed a second colour that was clearly different from red. We opted for a dark shade of blue. This mixture then gave the wonderful purple tone of our caps.
Interviewer:
How exactly can we now imagine the benefits of the colour change technology?
Dr Fischer:
As I said, in the treatment with abrasive caps, temperatures may arise which, in the worst case, result in burns to the skin if the user does not change his treatment. As with the "cheers" lettering on my beer bottle, our purple thermal grinding caps now change colour when they reach a certain temperature. This colour change warns in time of an impending overheating of the skin. Immediately upon detecting the colour change, the user can respond by reducing the pressure, shifting the work area, or interrupting treatment for a short time. Thus, overheating and associated skin irritation can be avoided very well. The patient experiences the treatment as pleasant - without tingling or pain.
Interviewer:
What else makes the SK THERMO, in addition to the impressive colour change technology, even more special?
Dr Fischer:
Our new caps are made from an organic cotton carrier and a surface which is free of phenolic resin. The position of the abrasive grain to the resin, was additionally optimized by a deliberately selected contact angle. Rubbing or tearing, as one might know from blunt instruments, is thus prevented. This allows for faster and cooler callus removal.
Another innovative aspect is the non-stick effect. This reduces the annoying and unhygienic clogging of the cap surface and requires little pressure in the application. A time-consuming replacement of the caps within a treatment is also eliminated.
These technical features all have a positive effect on the sanding result and make the skin very smooth. In short, the combination of temperature protection and single use factors in our SK THERMO provides optimal protection and benefits for podiatry patients.
Interviewer:
Thank you very much Dr. Fischer for this exciting insight into the work here at LUKAS.
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