Hospital Bed Support Surface With Inflatable Gap Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern hospital beds with reconfigurable patient support apparatuses often struggle to properly cushion patients when the support surfaces are tilted, pivoted, or expanded, as existing support surfaces may not adequately cover the gaps formed between deck sections during these movements.
Innovation Solution
A patient support system featuring a movable deck with a controller that inflates a fill bladder to cover gaps between deck sections, along with inflatable bladders and a cover with expandable folds, ensuring continuous support and therapy application during reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the head-deck section is moved to create a gap for patient repositioning, then patient positioning flexibility is improved, but support surface continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fill bladder is pre-positioned at the interface between deck sections and inflated when a gap is detected, proactively maintaining support surface continuity before the gap can cause patient discomfort or safety issues
Solution Approach 2:
The fill bladder acts as an intermediary element that fills the gap created by moving deck sections, providing continuous support between the head-deck and seat-deck sections while allowing independent movement of each section
2Stability of the object's composition
If the support surface is made rigid to provide stable support, then support stability is improved, but adaptability to deck reconfiguration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface incorporates inflatable bladders that can dynamically adjust their volume and firmness in response to deck reconfiguration, allowing the surface to adapt its properties based on the operational state rather than being fixed in one configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface is divided into multiple independent bladder sections that can be controlled separately, allowing different regions to maintain different firmness levels and adapt to local requirements during deck reconfiguration
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 supports patients in various positions by maintaining cushioning and applying therapies, even when the deck is reconfigured, enhancing patient comfort and safety during movements like tilting and pivoting.
Implementation Method 1
The controller may be configured to inflate the fill bladder in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position so that the fill bladder covers the gap formed between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support system includes a patient support apparatus and a support surface mounted on the patient support apparatus. The patient support apparatus is reconfigurable among a plurality of different configurations for supporting a patient on the support surface in a plurality of positions. The support surface is mounted on the patient support apparatus to move in response to reconfiguration of the patient support apparatus.