Paramount Bed Launches ICU Bed with Motorized Drive for Patient Transport
〜First-Ever* Lateral Movement in the Medical Bed Field～

　　TOKYO, Japan, June 4th, 2025 – Tomohiko Kimura, President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Bed Co., Ltd., one of the world’s leading companies in medical bed technology, today announced the launch of its latest innovation, the ParaDrive™, a motorized drive for patient transport. The ParaDrive has been added to the company’s flagship ALiUS* electric ICU bed lineup, the company’s main electric ICU beds.
*Research by our company.

　　The ALiUS with ParaDrive is designed to facilitate the safe and efficient transportation of patients and medical devices within healthcare facilities. This innovative product not only supports forward and reverse movement but also introduces left and right movement—an extraordinary feature in the medical industry. Paramount Bed aims to alleviate the physical demands placed on healthcare professionals and enhance operational efficiency through the ALiUS with the ParaDrive.

ALiUS Beds with the ParaDrive

*The "ALiUS ICU Bed" is a medical electric bed designed to support early rehabilitation for patients in intensive care units (ICUs). It features a wide range of bed positioning functions, including a mechanism that enables the entire bed to tilt and lower the foot section while raising the backrest, allowing patients with health conditions to transition from a lying position to a posture closer to a seated position.

■Key Advantages of Using the ParaDrive

　　Compared to standard beds used in general wards, ICU beds are in higher demand due to their frequent use in surgical procedures and various medical examinations. However, their substantial weight poses several challenges during transport, including difficulty in initiating movement, inability to maintain a straight trajectory, and challenges in executing smooth turns. To address these issues, Paramount Bed has developed the ParaDrive, a motorized drive system that reduces the effort required for bed transport while support safety. This advanced mechanism enables bed transportation, which requires multiple healthcare professionals, to be performed with the effort of a single individual*.
*For safety purposes, the bed should be transported by at least two persons.
　　The ParaDrive offers an electric assist function, which users can activate by simply pressing a switch located on the bed board. This feature supports smooth and efficient movement during transportation. The system incorporates two omnidirectional "mecanum wheels," which enable straight-line motion, rotation, lateral movement— such as precise positioning alongside an operating table— and cornering. Since the mecanum wheels maintain constant contact with the ground, users do not have to manually adjust or lower casters onto the floor during activation, as was required with our conventional model*, simplifying the operation process. The product prioritizes ease of use; pressing the forward button initiates operation, which continues to provide up to 60% assistance* as users push the bed. On upward inclines, holding the button increases the assist force, while on downward slopes, the system actively regulates speed to enhance safety.
*The conventional model refers to the 8900-Series with S-PAT, a motorized drive system for patient transport, which was sold between 2005 and 2011 in Japan.
*This value is based on theoretical calculations under conditions involving a bed weight of 100 kg (internal testing). Actual performance may vary depending on the usage environment.

■Addressing Urgent Healthcare Challenges

　　Japan faces a critical shortage of healthcare professionals, and ongoing reforms aim to improve the working conditions of doctors and nurses. With the progression of a super-aged society*, the shortage of nurses and nursing assistants is expected to worsen, further increasing the challenges in medical settings. This situation requires healthcare providers to reduce the physical burden placed on nurses. Paramount Bed actively addresses this challenge by leveraging ParaDrive functionality to support safer and more efficient patient transportation while streamlining nursing operations.
　　In international markets outside of Japan, healthcare facilities have widely adopted transport-assist bed systems to improve bed transportation workflows. In line with this global trend, Paramount Bed is introducing ICU beds equipped with assistive functions to enhance its competitiveness in both domestic and global markets. By implementing this strategy, Paramount Bed aims to strengthen its global presence and gradually expand into overseas markets in the near future.
*A super-aged society is defined as super-aged when more than 20 percent of its population is age 65 and older.

※Please note that the information contained in this news release is current as of the date of publication but may be subject to change without prior notice. This news release is intended to inform stakeholders, including media representatives, shareholders, and investors, about the company’s initiatives. It is not designed to provide medical advice to the general public or to serve as a promotional tool for customer acquisition.