Bed Repositioning Bladders for Centered Occupant Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hospital beds struggle to effectively reposition occupants laterally and longitudinally before initiating therapies like Continuous Lateral Rotation Therapy (CLRT) and Lateral Pressure Relief, as existing systems fail to correctly align the occupant's center of gravity with the bed's centerline, leading to inefficient or ineffective treatments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a mattress with repositioning bladders and a sensor array, controlled by a microprocessor, which identifies suboptimal occupant positioning and adjusts the inflation of bladders to create an elevation gradient, guiding the occupant to a target position aligned with the bed's centerline, ensuring proper alignment for therapeutic rotations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If turn assist bladders are inflated to tilt the occupant, then the occupant can be turned from prone to supine position, but the occupant may be elevated rather than turned if not laterally centered
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting occupant position and establishing an elevation gradient before initiating the turn assist therapy. The controller identifies if the occupant is mispositioned and commands the pump to inflate selected repositioning bladders to create a gradient that moves the occupant to the correct lateral center position before the turn assist bladders are inflated, ensuring the occupant is properly positioned for effective therapy
2Productivity
If CLRT or LPR therapy is initiated without prepositioning the occupant, then therapy can be applied immediately, but treatment effectiveness is reduced due to suboptimal occupant positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements preliminary action by automatically detecting occupant position and correcting mispositioning before therapy initiation. The controller monitors occupancy and determines if repositioning is needed, then commands the pump to establish the appropriate elevation gradient to center the occupant laterally and longitudinally, ensuring optimal positioning is achieved before CLRT or LPR therapy begins, thereby maintaining both timely delivery and high effectiveness of therapy
3Measurement precision
If the bed includes sensor array and automated control system for position detection, then occupant positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by using the sensor array to automatically detect occupant position and the controller to autonomously determine when repositioning is needed and command the pump to correct the position. This automated self-monitoring and self-correction eliminates the need for manual assessment and intervention by caregivers, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high measurement precision through the sensor array
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 ensures accurate pre-positioning of the occupant, allowing for effective lateral and longitudinal repositioning, thereby enhancing the efficacy of therapies like CLRT and LPR by maintaining the occupant's center of gravity aligned with the bed's centerline, ensuring proper alignment and reducing the risk of decubitus ulcers and fluid accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
establishing an elevation gradient having a direction, magnitude and position compatible with moving the occupant from the existing occupant position to the target position
Data Source
AI summary
A method of positioning an occupant (98) of a bed includes identifying (204) the presence of a discrepancy between an existing occupant position and a target occupant position, and establishing (206) an elevation gradient having a direction, magnitude and position compatible with moving the occupant from the existing occupant position to the target position. In one variant of the method the step of establishing an elevation gradient is one substep of a preordained sequence of bladder inflations and deflations. In another variant, the method includes determining (210) if the discrepancy has been corrected and responding to any noncorrection of the discrepancy. An associated bed (20) includes a mattress (82) at least one layer (100) of repositioning bladders (102, 104, 106, 108) a sensor array (130) a controller (140) and a pump (142). The controller is capable of receiving information from the sensor array (130) identifying (204) suboptimal positioning of the occupant as a function of the received information and also capable of issuing commands in response to the identification of suboptimal positioning, in particular commands for the pump (142) to inflate selected repositioning bladders, thereby urging the occupant from his or her existing position to the target position.