Articulating Joint Patient Handling Device for Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patient handling devices, such as slings, are cumbersome and require different designs for various patient positions, making it difficult to reposition patients comfortably and efficiently in healthcare settings.
Innovation Solution
A patient handling device with articulating joints that allow support members to be positioned and oriented relative to each other, enabling the device to accommodate various patient postures without enveloping the patient, and can be integrated with a patient lifting system for secure and comfortable transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional slings are used to handle patients, then patients can be lifted and moved, but the slings are cumbersome and require different designs for various patient positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patient handling device is divided into multiple support members (first support member, second support member, third support member) that can be independently positioned and oriented. Each support member can be selectively articulated relative to the others, allowing the device to adapt to various patient positions without requiring multiple different sling designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The support members are coupled through articulating joints that allow dynamic adjustment of the device configuration. The articulating joints enable the support members to be selectively articulated through various angles, providing adaptability for different patient positions while maintaining a single unified device design.
2Ease of operation
If slings are used to reposition patients, then patients can be moved to different locations, but positioning the patient in the sling is complicated and requires the sling to be positioned entirely around the patient's body
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring a single sling to envelop the entire patient body, the device uses multiple support members that can be independently positioned beneath different body parts. This segmentation simplifies the positioning process, as each support member can be placed and adjusted separately rather than requiring complex full-body sling positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple support members can be selectively positioned to accommodate various patient positions and body types. The same unified device structure serves multiple functions by articulating its support members in different configurations, eliminating the need for different sling designs for different patient positions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If articulating joints are added to allow support members to articulate through various angles, then the device can accommodate various patient postures, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The articulating joint mechanism is divided into multiple discrete joints coupling different support members. Each joint provides articulation between specific members, allowing the complexity to be distributed and managed through modular segmentation rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulating joints provide multi-functionality by enabling the same joint structure to accommodate various patient postures through selective articulation. The joints allow the support members to be positioned in multiple configurations, making the device adaptable to different patient positions without requiring separate mechanisms for each posture.
Data Source
AI summary
Patient handling devices for transporting patients in health care settings are disclosed herein. The patient handling devices may include a support member and a torso support member. The patient handling device includes at least one articulating joint that is coupled to the support member and the torso support member. The articulating joint is selectable to arrest or allow articulation of the respective torso support member or the lower extremities support member relative to the support member through a variety of orientations.