Nakliku – Another Device Preventing Spread of COVID-19
2. May 2020A special plastic extension, thanks to which a handle-operated door can be opened using the forearm, is heading for series production.
The second most common mode of COVID-19 transfer after droplet infection is hand contact. The FMC Product Design studio focused on the issue of opening doors, or preventing the palm from touching the handlebar or the door handle. “With the help of colleagues, we produced the first prototype in a few hours,” describes the origin of the idea its author and Head of Studio, associate professor doc. Vladimír Kovařík, who subsequently contacted the in-store communication agency Dago with an offer of cooperation. Thanks to the principle of its use, this small invention got the name “Nakliku” (“fix-to-doorhandle”). This is the second tool for opening doors created at the FMC Product Design Studio (you can read about the Namadlo extension here).
Technically, Nakliku is not complicated. “The attachment is made of flexible clear plastic. It can be easily attached to the doorhandle with a cable tie. When someone needs to open the door, they do not have to reach for the handle with their hands, but just place their forearms on the extension and push it down with a simple movement. This will open the door. Nakliku will be especially appreciated in medical and social facilities and in other places where a large number of people are present,” says Martin Vorel from Dago, a company providing the manufacturing technology and distribution to places where the it is needed.
The attachment fits all types of handles. “Even a less skilled person can handle the installation. Neither a screwdriver nor screws are needed. At the same time, Nakliku meets all safety standards,” says Vladimír Kovařík.
At the moment, Nakliku is being tested in several hospitals and social facilities. “Material processing is at a high level. The attachment does not crack or deform. In emergency rooms, where many people are present throughout the day, we take full advantage of it. Nakliku is a meaningful contribution to the improvement of hygienic and epidemiological conditions at our internal clinic,” comments the physician Jakub Kostka on the pilot installation at the internal ward of the Thomayer Hospital in Prague. Positive references also aroused the interest of our surgeons and staff from our long-term patients’ hospital, and Nakliku is being delivered there.
A pilot installation in a home for the elderly in Říčany near Prague also received positive feedback from the director of the facility, Ing., Bc. Václav Brácha, MBA: “At first, it took clients a while to learn how to use it, but after a short time they can use it without any problems. For employees, the adaptation process was rapid. Today, these adapters are already an integral part of our preventive measures against possible infections.”
Based on the positive response from the pilot installations, Nakliku is already available to other hospitals, offices, homes for the elderly and other similar organizations. “If anyone is interested in Nakliku right now, they can contact us through our website. At the moment, we supply the equipment free of charge until stocks run out. Subsequently, adapters will be available at production cost. And if someone would like to manufacture Nakliku themselves, or for those in need in their area, the manufacturing process including technical drawings is available at https://www.dago.cz/nakliku-adapter-na-kliky-pro-otevirani-dveri-loktem-v-obdobi-covid-19/,” says Daniel Jesenský from Dago.