Doctors'
Opinion
Examination
and Medical Assessment of NewSit
Conducted
by:
Dr. H. Lobel, M D
Cardiologist and General Practitioner
Van Nuys California ,USA
Purpose
of the Examination
To test and evaluate the effectiveness of NewSit in the
following aspects:
- Eliminating risk of DVT
- Reducing lower back aches and stiff necks, typical of
prolonged sitting.
- Enhancing general comfort and well being.
Summary
At the request of the inventors, I have examined and evaluated
a revolutionary aircraft passenger seat, called NewSit.
The examination focused on the effectiveness of NewSit as
a new standard in prolonged seating, to eliminate DVT condition
and to enhance comfortability.
It is my firm opinion that NewSit can revolutionize conventional
aircraft seats and, probably other seats, due to its unique
properties that are capable of eliminating DVT while enhancing
general comfort.
The current state of affairs Prior to the evaluation itself,
some background and explanations of the issues at hand are
necessary.
DVT- Deep Vein Thrombosis- is a formation of blood clot
in one of the deep veins of the body, usually, in the legs.
It occurs most often in people who have not been able to
exercise normally. During long periods of immobility, such
as plain sitting, blood passing through the deepest veins
in the calf or thigh, flows relatively slow (the medical
term is stasis). If a DVT occurs, it may form a solid clot
which becomes wedged in the vein.
The most common complication of this condition is a Pulmonary
Embolism (PE), which occurs to about 30% of DVT cases. The
clot detaches from the vein, travels through the blood system
and get stacked in the lung, where it blocks the airway.
Up to 10% of people who suffers from PE die as a
result of it.
Naturally, there
are people who are more at risk of DVT due to a number of
related preconditions:
Age (above 40), obesity, pregnancy, women on the pill, family
history of DVT, heavy smokers, heart and vascular condition
and many more. In fact, there are so many risk categories
that it covers most of the people whenever a condition of
prolonged immobility is additionally imposed.
A French study has shown that a 5 hours long journey, by
plane, car or train is enough to increase the risk of DVT
4 times.
There is a particular risk with air travel, mainly due to
the immobile cramped conditions, which is experienced by
most passengers.
A recent study in The Lancet Medical Journal revealed that
one in ten passengers could suffer DVT, Sometimes, even
days and weeks after the flight. For this reason DVT was
dubbed: “Economy Class Syndrome”, however, in
my opinion, this is a bit of a misnomer since DVT occurs
in business or first class passengers as well and it is
not confined to air travel.
The exponential increase in world air travel, involving
people of all ages and various health conditions, together
with an increasing number of fatal cases of DVT among air
travelers and the realization that in this day and age no
body can afford not to fly, have drawn much attention of
governments and media.
One important result is a report, initiated by the UK Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA), which recommends that the future
seat design should include measures to protect passengers
against DVT. The report insisted that redesign of aircraft
seats could reduce the risk of DVT and that any new seat
design should be tested to see how they affected blood flow
in the lower legs.
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Details of the Examination
I have tested and compared a double aircraft passenger seat,
presented by the inventors. One side was a conventional
seat and the other- the NewSit prototype model.
The following description (taken from the company brochure)
enables to appreciate the significance of the invention:
The modified seat, while in normal position, is identical
to the conventional seat utilized by most airlines. The
seat consists of two parts as is shown in the photos in
the Appendix:
- The fixed part, which occupies about 75% of the seating
area.
- The movable part, which occupies the remaining 25% of
the seating area, isabout 4 inches wide. This movable part
glides on slides, with the entire
mechanical embodiment, which is concealed under the seat.
The characteristics of the movable part are as follows:
- It may be moved forward according to the needs of the
user, up to a distance of
4 inches
- It has a vertical movement capability and can be adjusted
upward to any height, up to 4 inches.
- Once it is stopped at a certain height, as the user pleases,
it may slide freelyforward and backward by way of gentle
movements of the user legs. Thepassenger is now capable
of moving the legs without any resistance whatsoeverthus,
enhancing the comfort of the journey. Special circumstances
now existeven for tall passengers, as they actually have
more legroom and can feel moreat ease, contrary to conventional
seats.
Conclusions The prototype of NewSit that I tested has unique
and ingenious features, allowing versatile mobility of part
of the seat, within the limited available space of a conventional
seat. The users actually experience the comfort ability
of an easy chair.
The most important features of NewSit that translate to
important health or comfortable advantages are the following:
1. When the movable part is fully extended forward, it provides
a resting cushion for the part of the legs that protrude
out of the seat thus, increasing the effective seat area.
This enables tall or long legs passengers to feel more at
ease. Moreover, when the movable part is moved upward, it
actually increases the distance between the passenger knees
and the back-seat in front thus, creating more leg room,
which is a major concern of most passengers.
2. Using the movable part in its upward movement, passengers
can lift their legs in the air thus, relieving stress and
strain that are a cause of nervousness. This is a most comfortable
configuration, not found in any other seat that significantly
reduces the tension level all over the legs, including the
thighs. It also facilitates frequent
changes of body position, which contributes to general comfort
and improves overall blood circulation.
3. The most beneficial feature of NewSit is the ability
to fix a convenient height of the
moving part and to effortlessly swing the legs forward and
backward, much like in a rocking chair, while exercising
the lower legs and feet. As all experts of DVT agree, exercising
the lower legs and feet frequently, in a prolonged sitting
situation, is vital to encourage the venous circulation
and decrease venous stasis. NewSit allows to wiggle the
legs and feet in the air, which is precisely the effective
way to enhance blood flow thus, eliminating DVT.
It is my opinion that NewSit
is bound to create a revolution in travel conditions, particularly
air-travel, making it significantly more healthy and comfortable.
H. Lobel M D
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