SMARTdo: next generation vibro-acoustic therapy beds

SMARTdo has developed the healBED, a next generation vibro-acoustic therapy device that helps promote wellness and good health. According to Priit Aigro, CEO of SMARTdo, the product, combining original software with an elegant design, is a stunning achievement – like the iPhone in the world of mobile phones.

Priit Aigro, CEO of SMARTdo, describes the healBED vibro-acoustic bed as an anti-stress device that promotes relaxation, alleviates pain, and eases muscle tension by relaxing striated and non-striated muscles. Also, the device helps lower blood pressure as well as improve blood circulation and boost metabolism.

“Clinical studies show that vibro-acoustic therapy helps manage psychological disorders as it contributes to restoring balance within the nervous system,”Aigro adds and points out that this is why it might have a beneficial effect in cases of insomnia and depression as well as Parkinson’s disease and autism.

He explains that their greater goal in popularising the use of the healBED device is to raise awareness about and boost the development of vibro-acoustic therapy, and thus improve people’s quality of life.

He refers to the results of a 2016 study conducted in Värska Spa (on the suitability of vibro-acoustic therapy for use in spa setting and on the suitability of the healBED device for vibro-acoustic therapy) which confirmed that therapy sessions with the healBED device had for the most part a relaxing and calming effect on subjects. Study subjects also seemed to like its design and the level of comfort it provided.

So, Aigro considers the healBED a great device for using in spas and therapist offices, and later on in sports clubs, schools, nursery schools, hotels, etc. “In the near future, it could be well available at every workplace to help employees reduce their stress levels as well as improve their productivity and even creativity,” he adds.

Custom software

Aigro says that the vibro-acoustic bed emits low-frequency sinus waves (36–120 Hz) combined with music or nature sounds. He explains that sound waves stimulates certain parts of the body that are expected to respond to this kind of therapy.

Aigro also points out that the main advantage of HealBED lies in its highly versatile, totally unique therapy software specially designed for this device. “The bed comes with custom-made software that controls sound waves – their amplitude, frequency and wavelength,” he elaborates on the subject.

According to Aigro, a programme for therapists is ready and soon a slightly adjusted version of it for end-users will be also made available. In fact, before using the device, operators/therapists are given a short raining course that includes basic information on vibro-acoustic therapy and the effects of sound vibrations and music as well as provides instruction on the operation of the device.

The device can be divided into four therapy zones, so to say – legs, thighs, lower back, and shoulders. Each area can be controlled separately. Aigro explains that an operator can set up an individual therapy programme for each user, depending on their needs.

In an end-user setting (later on in sports clubs, hotels, etc.), all a user needs to do is enter his/her unique code for an individual therapy programme, press “Play” and the device is ready for a session. During the session, a user can adjust sound volume and therapy intensity to his/her liking and comfort level. The average duration of vibro-acoustic therapy is 20 minutes, irrespective of session type and length.

Elegant design

According to Aigro, the therapy device is registered as an industrial design solution. It was developed in cooperation with the Haapsalu Center of Excellence in health promotion and rehabilitation (TERE KK) – a joint project involving Haapsalu College of Tallinn University, the town of Haapsalu, Haapsalu Neurological Rehabilitation Centre, as well as a number of Estonian spas and companies in this sector. The team also included vibro-acoustic therapy specialists, and designers.

Aigro knows well that the vibro-acoustic therapy device is not the only one on the market , but he is convinced that healBED stands out first and foremost for its design. He says that while similar devices of other producers, as a rule, tend to be large and cumbersome and, as such, quite limited in their use, the healBED is elegant and highly mobile.

“In all kinds of therapy the atmosphere and look play a vital role,” says Aigro. “Our goal was to avoid the pitfalls of others and come up with a solution that would not be lacking in any respect. We focused on great design and good body positioning, for example, to make sure that the head is properly placed in relation to the legs and that the whole body is balanced. We also made an effort to ensure that it would be as easy as possible to get onto the bed, so that the therapy would bring maximum benefits.”

As for the device’s appearance, Aigro adds that before it was launched on the market, its pilot was recognised at a conference of the Industrial Designers Society of America as an outstanding medical design solution.
“Ours is a stunning achievement in the field of vibro-acoustic therapy – like the iPhone in the world of mobile phones,” Aigro is convinced, adding that the company is positioning itself on the market as a producer of premium devices.

“In my view, we are a year or two ahead of other producers,” he says. “However, this doesn’t mean that there is no room for improvement. Although our product is ready and we have started actively selling it, still several development tasks and investments lie ahead.”He notes that due to its quality and stylish design, the price of their device is currently anywhere from 30 to 40% higher than that of their competitors’ products.

The healBED  has not been registered as a medical device yet. But Aigro believes that in two or three years’ time vibro-acoustic therapy will have become much more popular and might even be used in modern medicine.