FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Inspired by diaper-changing frustration, a University of Arkansas engineering professor created an invention that will help parents -- and babies -- feel better during the changing process. The patented invention -- a simple, easy-to-use diaper-changing pad -- helps parents and caregivers change diapers without having to lift babies by their feet, which often causes acid to flow from the stomach into the throat.

“Changing my daughter’s diaper had become a really frustrating experience,” said Li Cai, assistant professor of electrical engineering. “I’d pull her legs up by the feet, and she always resisted. Of course, babies can’t control when they have go to the bathroom, and they often go after they’ve eaten. When I changed her at these times, meals would often come up from her stomach.”

To prevent this from happening and to make his daughter more comfortable, Cai invented the pad in his home three years ago. He said his mother-in-law helped him with design modifications of a system consisting of a removable pad near the baby’s bottom that allowed Cai, his wife and his mother-in-law to remove soiled diapers, wipe the baby’s bottom and put on a fresh diaper while the baby lay on her back.

“She was happier because stomach acids weren’t rising in her throat,” Cai said. “And it was much more convenient to change her.”

After creating the initial prototype and receiving a U.S. patent, Cai met two UA graduate students, Paul McDaniel and Paul Sproles, both of whom are pursuing masters’ degrees in business administration. Rather than selling the product to a large company, Cai decided to work with McDaniel and Sproles and start a company focused on developing the pad into a commercial product. Sarah Garton, a graduate student in accounting, joined Cai, McDaniel and Sproles as a financial consultant. Contür is the name of their company.  

Kendal King Group, a retail marketing company serving many Wal-Mart vendors, agreed to pay for the development of a commercial prototype of the diaper-changing pad. The group contracted Scott Melton, a local engineer who designs prototypes of various products and packaging. Melton, a self-described “industrial artist,” has worked on the pad for about three months. Since his initial prototype, he and the Contür team have discussed modifications. With each suggested change, Melton has produced an updated version.

 

The current version -- 5 pounds, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide and 8 inches thick -- is essentially a large, rectangular tray with two sections, one slightly larger than the other. The bigger section holds a thick piece of memory foam that supports the baby’s head and body. A smaller, rectangular tray fits into half of the smaller section. This smaller tray also holds memory foam and supports the baby’s legs. A fresh diaper may be attached to this foam. Both pieces of memory foam are covered with a removable, washable cloth.

The small tray functions as a panel that slides back and forth under the baby’s legs. A person changing a diaper can slide the panel toward the end of the large tray to have access to the baby’s bottom. Then the parent or caregiver simply needs to place a hand on the bottom of the baby’s feet and gently push the baby’s legs upward. After the baby’s bottom is cleaned, the person changing the diaper slides the tray upward -- under the baby’s legs and bottom -- and fastens the diaper.

While Melton tweaks the product, the Contür team is searching for investors and ways to market the product. With resources in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, Sproles has conducted extensive market research. He and the other Contür members are confident that the product will appeal to parents who are searching for something more sophisticated than a simple, thin pad but not as big and expensive as a large, immobile diaper-changing table. Once the team secures financial backing, they believe they can achieve $3 million in sales within the first year of operation. They expect the retail cost of the pad to be about $48.