The Infuuts has become a nice little blue bike. You just put it over the frame of the infusion pole and hook the bike to the pole. The IV lines can be placed over a round hook so they don't drag on the floor. Ready to go! Pictured is Lux (4), who doesn't want to miss the Infuuts after trying it for a while. His mom is happy because they are always looking for one of the red bikes, but ‘I have to run with the pumps.’ Wout (3) immediately tries out the Infuuts with all his IV pumps. His mother Rosa says: ‘What a beautiful bike! I'm so happy that Wout can ride his bike here, he loves it so much! And as a parent you don't have to run after him all the time. The bike gives him so much freedom.’
Safety first
Biomedical engineer Anne ten Wolde was involved in the safety testing of the Infuuts prototype. She says: ‘It's a super cool idea that children can move and play despite the infusion pole. But with sometimes up to eight infusion pumps, it's a technical challenge! The thing must not tip over or fall down. From now on, the Infuuts come with important rules for safe use. These can be found on the back of the Infuuts. For example, the Infuuts must always be used under adult supervision, on a flat surface while riding, and with infusion pumps that do not contain chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or blood products. This allows a child to ride a bike safely. In fact, the Infuuts took a long time to develop because the risks of cycling with an infusion pole had to be minimized.’
From idea to reality
In 2020, Bernadette Jeremiasse, a doctor and researcher at the Wijnen Group, had a great idea: ‘How nice would it be if children could ride their bikes in the Máxima while they have an infusion pump! She immediately found supporters in the Maximum Movement team. Patrick van der Torre, physiotherapist, was one of the driving forces, because for many children between the ages of three and six, a bicycle is an important means of exercise. Together with Jesse Bosma and Jeroen van den Berg from the Department of Medical Technology & Clinical Physics of the UMC Utrecht, a prototype was built and extensively tested. The Infuuts can now be found in the 'children's bike garage' of the Máxima Center and can be borrowed on the wards.
The Infuuts was made possible in part by Children's Fund Van Dusseldorp through the Princess Máxima Center Foundation.