Topolino News
http://www.newstimes.com/business/article/Topolino-looks-to-lighten-load-for-wheelchair-523764.php
After three years of design and development, the Bethel-based manufacturer of bicycle wheels in September will debut the CarbonCoreWX2.5, a set of wheelchair wheels weighing 12 ounces less than a conventional set.
"We've done a quite a bit of research and it's a whole new market for us," said Raphael Schlanger, who in 1999 founded the company with six employees after spending years as a design engineer for Cannondale Bicycles in Wilton, and as a medical equipment consultant. "We needed to make something that looked good after it was beat up quite a bit."
The wheel, which will be available in 24- and 25-inch sizes for $1,180 per set, consists of a hub and spokes that are made of a light-weight carbon-fiber composite and aluminum rim, said Schlanger, whose inspiration came from designing wheelchairs for use on airplanes.
"It really sparked an interest in me when technology was not so advanced," said Schlanger, who designed a light-weight carbon fiber aerodynamic bicycle wheel for Carlsbad, Calif.-based wheel maker Spinergy Inc. "When you can take three-quarters of a pound off a chair that now weighs between 12 and 15 pounds, that's a significant savings."
The lighter CarbonCore wheels, which also result in less vibration, allow users to stop and accelerate more quickly and move the chair around when getting in and out of a car, Schlanger said.
"Users are making millions of fine movements, so these kinds of things are definitely appreciated," he said, adding that Topolino plans to make models for athletic competition. "There are a host of sports that wheelchair users engage in."
Topolino will work with wheelchair distributors and retailers to sell the new wheels in the aftermarket and is in talks with several original equipment manufacturers.
Athletes who use wheelchairs always have tried to use a lighter wheelchair, which used to be made of stainless steel before the use of aluminum and titanium, said Brenda Martin, editorial coordinator for Sports-n-Spokes, a Phoenix-based magazine published by the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Washington, D.C.
"If you're trying to improve your time on the track or in the Boston Marathon, the less weight you have the better time you'll get," she said.
A lighter wheelchair also is easier on caregivers, who often are required to lift and unfold the device many times a day, said Jaclyn Wallace, an occupational therapist at Stamford Hospital.
"We're always seeking the lighter chair," she said.
