Collapsible Airway Bridge for Rapid CPR Airway Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airway bridges used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are difficult to deploy efficiently due to packaging issues, which delay treatment and hinder effective ventilation when a patient's tongue blocks the oral airway, especially in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable and collapsible airway bridge with a base, head rest, and incline/vertical portions, featuring adjustable supports and locking mechanisms, designed for easy assembly and storage, ensuring the patient's airway remains accessible during CPR.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the airway bridge is vacuum packed and sealed to save space during transport, then the packaging volume is reduced, but the seal can be broken or removed during transit, causing the foam to prematurely expand and making it difficult to remove from packaging
Solution Approach 1:
The airway bridge is divided into multiple collapsible segments or layers that can be nested within each other during storage and then sequentially deployed during use. This segmentation allows compact packaging without permanent sealing, enabling easy removal while maintaining space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The airway bridge transitions from a collapsed, compact state during transport to an expanded, functional state during use. The dynamic structure allows it to be stored in a space-efficient manner and then quickly deployed when needed, avoiding the problems of sealed vacuum packaging while maintaining volume reduction benefits.
2Ease of operation
If the airway bridge is made adjustable and collapsible for easy storage and transport, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airway bridge components are designed to nest within each other when collapsed, similar to nested dolls. The incline portion, vertical portion, and support structures can be folded or telescoped into a compact configuration that fits within a small storage container, simplifying both storage and deployment while maintaining adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is divided into modular segments that can be independently adjusted, collapsed, or stored. This segmentation allows complex functionality to be achieved through simple, repeatable structural units that are easy to manipulate and store.
3Reliability
If the airway bridge uses adjustable supports and locking mechanisms for proper positioning, then the reliability of airway maintenance is improved, but the ease of operation during emergency situations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanisms and adjustable supports are pre-configured or pre-positioned during manufacturing so that during emergency use, the responder only needs to activate pre-set functions rather than making multiple adjustments. This preliminary preparation maintains reliability while reducing deployment complexity and time.
Solution Approach 2:
The airway bridge incorporates self-locking mechanisms or automatic positioning features that engage without requiring complex manual operations. Once deployed, the structure self-stabilizes or self-locks into the correct position, maintaining reliability while minimizing the skill and time required for operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a patient. The device is an extendable airway bridge which is initially in a collapsed or storage configuration. Upon use, the airway bridge is unfolded and then fixed into an operating configuration by locking at least one incline portion and at least one vertical portion into a static position. The structural strength of the airway bridge is then increased by manipulating a support disposed on the incline portion so that it is engaged with a slot or aperture defined within a base of the airway bridge. Once in the operating configuration, the patient is laid onto the airway bridge which holds the patient in a position so as to prevent occlusion of the patient's oral airway. CPR may then be performed on the patient.