Patient support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support systems, such as mattresses for bariatric beds, often require manual adjustments and can result in excess material or slack when the inflatable expansion bladders are deflated, leading to improper use and reduced snugness of the mattress cover.
Innovation Solution
A patient support system featuring a mattress with inflatable expansion bladders and an elastic member that biases the mattress cover to return to its unexpanded configuration automatically when the bladders are deflated, preventing excess material and ensuring a snug fit without caregiver intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mattress cover is made expandable to accommodate increased width, then the mattress can accommodate larger patients, but the cover may have excess material or slack when the bladders are deflated
Solution Approach 1:
The mattress cover is designed with dynamic expandability through zipper sections that can be opened or closed to change the cover's width configuration. This allows the cover to adapt between expanded and unexpanded states, maintaining snugness in both configurations without excess material slack.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover's width parameter is made variable through the zipper mechanism, allowing it to change between different width states. When the expansion bladders are inflated, the cover can be unzipped to accommodate the increased width; when deflated, the zipper is closed to restore the original width and eliminate slack.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment of the cover is required to reconfigure it, then the cover can be adjusted to fit, but the process is time-consuming and requires caregiver intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The cover incorporates a dynamic zipper system that enables quick reconfiguration between expanded and unexpanded states. The zipper sections can be rapidly opened or closed without requiring complex manual adjustments, significantly reducing the time needed to adapt the cover to different mattress widths.
3Ease of operation
If the cover is left unadjusted after bladder deflation, then no manual intervention is needed, but the cover will have excess material that interferes with proper mattress use
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates visual feedback through the zipper mechanism's position. When the expansion bladders are deflated, the closed zipper configuration provides visual confirmation that the cover is properly secured, eliminating excess material. The zipper's open or closed state serves as an intuitive indicator of the cover's configuration status.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains a compact and secure mattress configuration when bladders are deflated, preventing slack and ensuring proper use, enhancing user safety and convenience by eliminating the need for manual adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
the mattress includes at least one elastic member that extends under the main patient support cushion and is coupled to the cover to apply a biasing force to pull the cover inward from its expanded configuration toward its unexpanded configuration when the sleeve is deflated
Implementation Method 2
the sleeve is sealed to form an inflatable expansion bladder and is in fluid communication with a pneumatic system to fill or remove air from the sleeve and, therefore, inflate or deflate the inflatable expansion bladder
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support is provided in the form of a mattress for supporting a patient on a bed, such as a hospital bed, and a mattress cover. The mattress and mattress cover may be configured to expand and contract to accommodate larger patients, such as bariatric patients, and to return the mattress and its cover to their unexpanded configuration, or in some cases an intermediate configuration, without requiring user adjustments to the cover.