Our Mobile Lab

Our Mobile Lab

For nearly 10 years, Mr. Kogan worked for other prosthetic and orthotic firms. He witnessed the hardships that his elderly patients had to endure to come to the office for treatment. The patient usually had to make arrangements with one of their children to take off from their busy work schedule to transport the patient, sit in the office and then transport the patient back home. The patient often then had a feeling of being a burden on their children. Other times, patients have arrived in taxis or by ambulance, one option was very expensive and the other was embarrassing and undignified.

On several occasions, Mr. Kogan had use a company car to travel to see a patient at a hospital, a nursing institution or the patient’s home in order to treat the patient. In most of these cases, the patient’s medical device had to be removed from them and taken back to the lab for adjustments. Then, an appointment needed to be scheduled on another day so the device could be returned to the patient. This was extremely inconvenient to the patient because he or she would be without it for a day or more.

When Mr. Kogan founded Kogan Prosthetics, he decided to combine his love for working with antique vehicles and the need to address the above problems. To this end, he restored a 1948 Ford F-1 panel truck and outfitted it as a mobile lab that could perform 95% of the adjustments right at the patient’s location. Now, Mr. Kogan uses this panel truck to travel to every patient he needs to see whose medical devices might be in need of adjustments.

The following information on the panel truck is for any enthusiasts who want to know more details:

Year:	1948
Make:	Ford
Model:	F-1
Body:	Panel Truck
Engine:	Ford 351 Winsor (current horsepower unknown)
Trans:	C-6 Automatic Transmission
Rear:	9” Ford with Posi-traction
AC:	Yes (1 unit up front and one unit in the rear)
History: This vehicle was originally in a museum in Tucson, Arizona. The museum went out of business and sold off their vehicles. A neon delivery company located in the same city purchased the truck and used it for their business. Mr. Kogan purchased it from them and restored from the abuse it had taken over the years. Now, the truck is outfitted with an air compressor, rotating sander, three household outlets, fluorescent rear interior lighting and a three drawer tool box. It also has 2003 power seats from a Ford F-150 Truck. The instrument gauges are reproductions from the VDO Company. The truck’s hood tilts forward using the hydraulics found in a junk yard off of a convertible vehicle. The goal of this restoration was to create an exterior stock appearance, while creating a comfortable and practical working environment on the interior. As evidenced from the finished product, these goals have been achieved.