Segmented Air Mattress Pressure Layout for Ulcer Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air mattresses fail to completely prevent decubitus ulcers due to high repelling forces on the buttock area, as they either inflate and deflate all air cells uniformly or maintain identical pressures across all cells, leading to insufficient pressure dispersion.
Innovation Solution
The air mattress features independent air supply and release systems for different body areas, with adjustable pressure control to maintain higher pressures in the back and thigh areas than the buttock area, using rod-shaped bladder cells connected through multiple air systems to disperse body pressure and reduce repelling forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If all air cells are inflated and deflated uniformly in upper and lower layers, then the structure is simple and easy to control, but the repelling force on the buttock area becomes too great, failing to prevent decubitus ulcers
Solution Approach 1:
The air mattress is divided into multiple independent air cell groups (first through fifth groups) corresponding to different body areas (head, shoulder, back, buttock, thigh, knee, heel). Each group can be controlled independently, allowing differential pressure management. Specifically, the buttock area (second air cell group) can be maintained at lower pressure while other areas are inflated, reducing repelling force on the buttock and preventing decubitus ulcers while maintaining overall structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
Different air cell groups are assigned different pressure levels based on local requirements. The buttock area air cells are kept at lower pressure to reduce repelling force, while head, back, and thigh areas maintain higher pressure for proper support. This localized pressure differentiation resolves the contradiction between simple uniform control and the need to reduce harmful repelling forces on specific body parts.
2Ease of operation
If identical pressure is maintained across all air cells, then the control system is simple, but the repelling force on the buttock area remains high, unable to prevent decubitus ulcers
Solution Approach 1:
The air cell system is segmented into multiple independently controllable groups. The controller can manage each group's pressure separately, allowing the buttock area (second group) to be maintained at lower pressure while other groups operate at higher pressures. This segmentation enables differentiated pressure control that reduces harmful repelling forces without requiring complex manual adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressure sensors are installed in each air cell group to detect pressure levels and provide feedback to the controller. The controller automatically adjusts air supply to maintain appropriate pressure differentials, keeping buttock area pressure lower than other areas. This automated feedback system achieves complex differential pressure control without increasing operational complexity for the user.
3Strength
If the mattress supports the buttock area directly with high pressure, then structural support is simplified, but decubitus ulcers cannot be completely prevented due to excessive repelling force
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is distributed across multiple air cell groups rather than concentrated on the buttock area. The first air cell group (head area), third group (back area), and fourth group (thigh area) provide primary support at higher pressures, while the second group (buttock area) maintains lower pressure to reduce repelling force. This segmentation allows structural support to be maintained through distributed support points while eliminating the harmful concentrated pressure on the buttock.
Solution Approach 2:
The air mattress uses surrounding air cell groups inflated at higher pressure to counterbalance and distribute the body weight that would otherwise concentrate on the buttock area. The higher pressure in adjacent air cell groups (head, back, thigh areas) creates a support distribution pattern that reduces the repelling force on the buttock, preventing decubitus ulcers while maintaining overall structural support through the combined effect of all air cell groups.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an air mattress capable of preventing the occurrence of decubitus ulcers in a person lying on the air mattress.The air mattress has a plurality of air cell groups made from a plurality of bladder-shaped cells and lined up with respect to the lengthwise direction of the air mattress so as to support at least a head area, shoulder area, back area, buttock, thigh area, knee area, and heel area of a person lying on said air mattress; an air supply/release pump; and an air tube connecting said bladder-shaped cells and said air supply/release pump in one or a plurality of independent first systems for each of the air cell groups out of said air cell groups and one or a plurality of independent second systems for each of specific bladder-shaped cells out of the plurality of air cell groups. Air supply/release by the air supply/release pump is controlled by a controller, and the pressure in at least air cell groups corresponding to a back area and a thigh area is greater than the pressure in an air cell groups corresponding to a buttock area.