Hospital Bed Control Unit with Integrated Phone Dock and Angle Lockout

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, do not adequately address patients' needs for easy access and ergonomic use of their smartphones, and they lack effective mechanisms to maintain the head-of-bed angle within recommended ranges to prevent pneumonia and pressure ulcers.

Innovation Solution

A patient control unit with a housing that includes user inputs for controlling hospital bed functions and a dock to secure handheld phones, along with a head-of-bed angle lockout system that prevents the head section from being lowered below a threshold angle, ensuring ergonomic phone use and maintaining recommended bed angles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a patient support apparatus provides basic bed functions, then it fulfills basic patient support needs, but it does not provide adequate smartphone access and ergonomic use capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesmartphone access capabilityVSAvoidcontrol unit structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the smartphone dock, control unit, and charging system into a single integrated housing structure. The dock is built into the control unit housing, allowing the smartphone to be secured and charged while the patient is in bed, eliminating the need for separate devices or complex arrangements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit housing serves multiple functions: it houses the bed control system, provides a secure dock for the smartphone, offers charging capabilities through integrated ports, and acts as a support structure for the smartphone at various angles. This multi-functionality addresses the versatility need without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If the head section of the bed is made adjustable to various angles, then patient comfort is improved, but the risk of pneumonia and pressure ulcers increases when lowered below threshold angles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient comfortVSAvoidpneumonia and pressure ulcer risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor the head-of-bed angle and provide feedback to the controller. When the angle falls below the threshold (30 or 45 degrees), the system triggers an alarm and can automatically adjust the bed back to the safe angle, ensuring patient safety while maintaining comfort when appropriate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The bed system monitors its own position through integrated angle sensors and automatically corrects unsafe positions by activating the motor to raise the head section when the angle drops below the threshold, without requiring external intervention from caregivers or patients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If head-of-bed angle monitoring with alarm is implemented, then patient safety is improved, but caregiver productivity decreases due to increased alarm responses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient safetyVSAvoidcaregiver productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes safe operating parameters in advance by setting threshold angles (30 or 45 degrees) before problems occur. The lockout feature prevents the bed from being lowered below these thresholds without proper authorization, proactively preventing unsafe conditions rather than just reacting to them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on the clinical situation. The threshold angle can be changed between 30 and 45 degrees depending on patient needs, and the lockout feature can be enabled or disabled by caregivers based on the specific patient condition, allowing flexibility in safety monitoring intensity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If a dock to secure handheld phones is added to the control unit, then smartphone accessibility is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesmartphone accessibilityVSAvoidcontrol unit structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dock is integrated into the existing control unit housing rather than being a separate attachment. The housing structure itself is designed to accommodate the dock, clamp mechanism, and charging ports, combining multiple functions into a single unified device that doesn't significantly increase overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20230320913A1Patient bed having head-of-bed angle indicator and mobile phone holder

Publication Date: 2023.10.12 HILL ROM SERVICES INC

AI summary

A patient control unit for controlling functions of a hospital bed includes a housing having a first side that includes a plurality of user inputs to control the functions of the hospital bed. The housing has a second side that includes a dock to secure a handheld phone in place on the housing. A hospital bed has a head-of-bed angle (HOBA) lockout selector that is used to signal a controller to prevent a head section of the bed from being moved below a threshold.