Bern-based medtech AirScale develops smart weighing solution for immobile patients

Backed by public funding and growing clinical interest, AirScale’s sensor-based technology aims to simplify hospital workflows and improve patient care.

AirScale, a medtech start-up founded in 2024 and based in Bern, is developing a smart weighing system designed specifically for bedridden patients in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and care homes. The company’s innovation addresses a longstanding challenge in medical care: how to regularly monitor the body weight of patients with severe mobility restrictions.

In traditional settings, weighing such patients requires the use of cranes and extensive staff support, or is sometimes omitted entirely due to logistical constraints. AirScale’s solution consists of pressure sensors installed on a plate placed beneath the mattress of a hospital or care bed. The system records the baseline weight of the bedding when initialized and then allows for the patient to be weighed while lying down, with a simple push of a button.

The device is designed for integration with hospital information systems, enabling automatic updates of patient weight data into electronic medical records. “Our goal is to relieve nursing staff while improving data accuracy and frequency,” said co-founder Sohail Zubi, who developed the initial concept during his bachelor’s studies at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences.

Zubi teamed up with Andreas Laursen, a mechanical engineer from ETH Zurich, to co-found the company. Together, they created the first prototype and tested it at University Hospital Zurich, followed by early demonstrations and discussions with other clinics. The Cantonal Hospital of Zug has already expressed an intent to purchase two weighing mats.

AirScale recently received CHF 70,000 each from the Bern Economic Development Agency and the Swiss Paraplegic Centre (SPZ), in addition to support from the BRIDGE programme run by Innosuisse and the Swiss National Science Foundation. The Inselspital Bern is now set to begin testing the system.

The start-up is currently refining the device’s final design, establishing a scalable supply chain, and preparing for certification. If all goes according to plan, AirScale expects to launch commercially by mid-2026.