Bedpan with Apertured Handles and Disposable Liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bedpans are difficult to handle due to their smooth surface, making it challenging for patients and nursing staff to insert and remove them without spilling contents, and the handling process is tedious and requires special vigilance to avoid unsanitary contact.
Innovation Solution
A bedpan design featuring a body member with a reservoir, a receptacle portion for a liner, and apertured handles extending through the peripheral and bottom walls for easy insertion and removal, along with a disposable liner to facilitate handling and reduce contact with unsanitary substances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bedpan outer surface is kept smooth, then manufacturing is simple and clean, but prehension is difficult and spillage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bedpan is divided into two functional parts: a smooth body member for easy cleaning and manufacturing, and a separate liner with textured surface for enhanced grip. The liner is inserted into the body member, allowing each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
A textured liner is introduced as an intermediary element between the smooth bedpan body and the user's hand. The liner provides the necessary friction and grip texture while the smooth body member maintains ease of manufacture and cleaning. The liner acts as a mediator that resolves the contradiction between smooth surface requirements and grip requirements.
2Device complexity
If the bedpan is designed without a liner, then the structure is simpler, but contact with unsanitary substances increases and hygiene is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A disposable liner is introduced into the bedpan structure. The liner is made of inexpensive, single-use material that can be easily discarded after use. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning and sterilization procedures while providing a barrier against unsanitary contact. The simplicity of the liner design allows it to be integrated without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
3Productivity
If the bedpan handling process is simplified, then productivity increases, but the risk of spillage and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bedpan is segmented into a body member and a liner, where the liner is specifically designed with features to prevent spillage during handling. The liner extends beyond the body member at the open end, creating a containment barrier that prevents waste from spilling out during insertion, removal, and transport operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner provides a protective barrier beforehand, cushioning against the risks of spillage and contamination during handling operations. By having the liner in place before any handling occurs, it prevents direct contact with unsanitary substances and maintains containment throughout the entire handling process, thereby improving both productivity and reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A bedpan comprises a body member defining a reservoir, the reservoir being shaped and dimensioned for receiving bodily waste, the body member including a receptacle portion shaped for receiving therein a bedpan liner and an open support section including a central opening providing access to the reservoir defined by the body member. The support section is defined by a peripheral wall extending downwardly from a peripheral edge of the central opening into the reservoir. A bottom wall may or may not be provided at a bottom of the peripheral wall. If it is provided, it is defined at a downward edge of the peripheral wall opposite to the central opening to close a bottom of the reservoir. At least one handle is provided for insertion and removal of the bedpan under a patient's buttocks, the handle including an opening extending through at least one of the bottom wall (if present) and the peripheral wall. The central opening of the reservoir is covered by the bedpan liner when the liner is received by the receptacle portion.