Articulable Powered Litter Cantilevered Support Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patient transport apparatuses lack the ability to adjust patient support surfaces to accommodate various positions effectively during transport, limiting patient care and mobility, especially when transitioning between different environments such as floors and ambulances.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus with a base and litter system that includes a trolley and auxiliary guide, allowing the litter to translate between multiple positions, including a cantilevered position, to provide enhanced support and mobility, featuring an auxiliary roller assembly for engagement with the guide to maintain stability and facilitate docking and undocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the litter is designed to translate along the intermediate rail between multiple positions, then patient care and mobility are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional guides and roller assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The patient support apparatus is divided into functionally independent segments: the base with intermediate frame, the trolley assembly, and the litter assembly. Each segment can operate independently or in coordination, allowing the litter to translate along the intermediate rail while maintaining structural manageability through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary guide and auxiliary roller assembly act as intermediary elements between the litter and the intermediate frame. These components facilitate smooth translation of the litter along the rail while reducing direct friction and wear, enabling versatile position adjustment without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
2Ease of operation
If the litter is cantilevered off the foot end of the base, then mobility and access are enhanced, but the stability of the apparatus deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus transitions from a static configuration to a dynamic one, where the litter can be positioned in a cantilevered state during transport and then returned to a stable, supported position during patient care operations. The auxiliary roller assembly enables controlled movement between these states, providing stability when needed and mobility when required
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes its structural parameters dynamically - when the litter is in the cantilevered position, the support configuration changes to accommodate the extended position, and when returned to the forward position, the full support structure is re-engaged to maximize stability
3Reliability
If the auxiliary roller assembly engages with the auxiliary guide, then the litter stability is maintained during translation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary roller assembly serves multiple functions: it guides the litter along the intermediate rail, provides support during translation, maintains stability in various positions, and enables the cantilevered configuration. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A patient transport apparatus for patients. The patient transport apparatus comprises a base having a base frame and an intermediate frame. The patient support further comprises a litter configured to be docked to and undocked from a trolley that is configured to slidably translate along the intermediate frame between a plurality of positions including a trolley forward position and a trolley docking position. The litter is configured to be supported by the base in a cantilevered position when the trolley is in the trolley docking position. The base includes and auxiliary guide and the litter includes an auxiliary roller assembly configured to engage the auxiliary guide to provide an auxiliary point of contact to support the litter when the litter is docked to the trolley.