There is no shortage of manufacturers of healthcare furniture, and all of them face two major challenges; how to make furniture more functional, and how to make it look good at the same time. Herman Miller was one of the pioneers of this with the Cent© patient chair, which incorporated advanced suspension, shift control, and lightweight materials for better air circulation, while keeping the exceptional design integrity associated with Herman Miller. It is because of this ‘non-medical’ design that it has found a place beyond rehabilitation facilities and into the home, allowing for a more comfortable recuperation for the patient.

Taking this one step further is Nova Lifestyle with the Smart Health furniture system. Incorporating a variety of integrated sensors, the Smart Health system will be able to monitor and track a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, weight, body temperature, sleep quality and other physiological indexes, which can then be sent remotely to their healthcare provider, eliminating the need for time consuming, and stressful, visits to facilities.