Automated Rolling Bed with Independent Roller Shafts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bed repositioning devices fail to automatically roll patients from side to back without placing them in an uncomfortable face-down position, often requiring proprietary bed frames and manual nurse interaction, and do not efficiently mitigate the risk of decubitus ulcers.
Innovation Solution
A motorized bed system with parallel roller shafts and independent carriages that affix to standard bed frames, allowing patients to be rolled from side to back without facing down, using a motorized footboard to transfer power to an unmotorized headboard, with a controller for automated and pre-programmed positioning to reduce nurse labor and risk of pressure ulcers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a proprietary bed frame with arms is used to roll and drag the patient, then the patient can be completely rolled from back to face, but the bed width increases and cannot be placed close to walls
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rolling function from a proprietary bed frame with arms and implements it through independent roller shafts that can be attached to standard bed frames. This separates the rolling mechanism from the bed structure, allowing the mechanism to be removed and reconfigured without changing the bed's fundamental dimensions or wall clearance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling mechanism is segmented into independent roller shafts positioned at different locations (headboard and footboard). Each roller shaft operates independently with its own carriage system, allowing the patient to be rolled through multiple discrete stages rather than requiring a single integrated arm structure that would increase bed width.
2Ease of operation
If the patient is rolled onto face down position, then complete rolling from back is achieved, but the patient experiences discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements dynamic control of the rolling process through independently controllable roller shafts and carriages. The system can adjust the rolling motion in real-time to stop before the patient reaches the face-down position, allowing the patient to remain in comfortable side-lying or back positions throughout the rolling sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the patient's body are treated differently during the rolling process. The roller shafts are positioned to apply rolling force to specific areas (back and sides) while avoiding direct pressure on the face, creating localized rolling action that achieves repositioning without forcing the patient into uncomfortable face-down positions.
3Reliability
If manual nurse interaction is required for patient repositioning, then patient safety can be monitored, but nurse labor increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling bed system performs the patient repositioning function autonomously through automated roller shafts and carriages controlled by a motorized system. The device self-executes the rolling sequence without requiring continuous manual intervention from nurses, while safety features such as position sensors and controlled motion ensure patient safety is maintained throughout the automated process.
4Area of stationary object
If a compact mechanism is used for patient turning, then the device can be placed adjacent to walls, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller shafts and carriage systems are designed as universal components that can be attached to standard bed frames of various sizes. The same basic mechanism configuration works across different bed types, reducing the need for custom-designed complex mechanisms for each application and simplifying the overall design while maintaining compact footprint.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical bed for automatically rolling a patient from back to either side to help avoid the pressure points causing decubitus ulcers. A footboard is provided with a pair of driving mechanisms to independently move a first carriage and a second carriage. The driving mechanisms each translate force to a corresponding unpowered third carriage and fourth carriage on the headboard. The first and third carriages are connected by a first roller shaft. The second and fourth carriages are also connected by a second roller shaft. The first roller shaft and second roller shaft are connected to opposing parallel edges of a sheet. The first and second roller shaft each independently spool the edges of the sheet. As the first roller shaft spools the sheet and the first and third carriages move carrying the first roller shaft, the patient is rolled in a first direction. Independently, the second roller shaft spools the opposing edge of the sheet and the second and fourth carriages move the second roller shaft to roll the patient in a second direction. A middle position leaves the patient on their back.