A new standardised methodology for testing medical mattresses has been developed through a two-year Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership.
The partnership was carried out between Essential Healthcare Solutions, a UK-based provider of medical equipment and services, and the University of Huddersfield.
The project was led by an engineer and PhD student at the University of Huddersfield, Jasmine Tolson.
Tolson is focused on addressing the lack of consistent testing approaches for medical mattresses in the UK, an issue that can make it difficult for clinicians and procurement teams to compare products and assess differences in performance.
“When I started the project, there wasn’t a consistent way of testing medical mattresses in the UK, which made comparison difficult,” said Tolson.
Using pressure-mapping sensor technology, the methodology evaluates mattress performance under controlled and repeatable conditions.
A high-resolution sensor mat captures pressure distribution at key anatomical points, including the sacrum, enabling more standardised analysis.
The approach has been designed to reduce variability commonly caused by external factors such as bedding configuration, which can affect the comparability of existing testing methods.
Findings from the project are now being developed into an academic paper in collaboration with the University of Huddersfield.
Once published, the methodology is intended to support wider academic and industry discussion around more consistent approaches to mattress evaluation.
“There was limited clarity for clinicians and procurement teams when selecting products, as performance differences were not always easy to interpret. The aim was to develop a repeatable methodology that allows products to be assessed under consistent conditions,” said Tolson.
The partnership has been graded “outstanding” by Innovate UK assessors in recognition of both the technical outcomes achieved and the collaboration between industry and academia.