J. Liberkowski
Liberand Inc.,
United States
Keywords: Pressure ulcers, pressure-management, beds and mobility systems
Summary:
The Problem Pressure ulcers remain one of the most costly and unresolved complications of patient immobility. In the U.S. alone, approximately 2.6 million cases are reported annually, contributing to an estimated 60,000 deaths per year. Treatment costs average ~$43,000 per case, and since Medicare designated hospital-acquired pressure ulcers as “never events,” providers receive no reimbursement for their treatment. The result is a systemic financial burden that may exceed $55B annually across U.S. healthcare systems. Despite decades of incremental innovation, existing solutions—foam surfaces, air mattresses, and patient repositioning—are labor-intensive, clinically inconsistent, and operationally expensive. The Opportunity Liberand is developing a patent-protected medical technology platform designed to fundamentally change how pressure management is addressed in hospital beds and wheelchairs. The platform targets both acute and long-term care settings, where immobility-related complications drive outsized costs, litigation risk, and staffing strain. The total addressable market spans hospital beds, wheelchairs, long-term care, and home health, creating a multi-billion-dollar opportunity with strong pull from provider economics and reimbursement policy. The Solution (In Development) Liberand’s core technology is a novel support surface concept based on a matrix of individually suspended, system-controlled pins designed to dynamically manage pressure distribution and eliminate key extrinsic factors associated with pressure ulcer formation. Unlike passive surfaces, the Liberand platform is being designed to: • Actively manage pressure without frequent patient repositioning • Integrate into existing bed and wheelchair form factors • Enable routine patient care (washing, drying, linen changes) without disturbing the patient • Reduce nursing workload and associated labor costs Why Now Healthcare systems are under unprecedented pressure from staffing shortages, reimbursement penalties, and quality-of-care mandates. Pressure ulcers sit at the intersection of all three. A solution that meaningfully reduces incidence while lowering operational burden has immediate economic and strategic value for providers. Defensibility Liberand’s platform is protected by patent-backed design and system architecture, creating a defensible foundation for long-term differentiation and category leadership. Vision Liberand’s mission is to become the category-defining pressure-management platform for immobilized patients—improving outcomes, reducing costs, and redefining the standard of care across beds and mobility systems.