Cooling Gel Pad Layout for Pressure Ulcer Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients develop pressure sores and ulcers due to prolonged immobility, which causes decreased circulation, heat, and moisture buildup at the skin-mattress interface, leading to increased tissue damage, and existing low air loss systems are position-dependent and not adjustable.
Innovation Solution
A temperature management pad with a cushioning layer and a fluid conduit for circulating cooled fluid across the patient-facing side, designed to be adjustable and position-independent, reducing heat and pressure on vulnerable areas of the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a low air loss system is used to reduce moisture at the patient/mattress interface, then moisture control is improved, but the system becomes position dependent and less adjustable
Solution Approach 1:
The pad incorporates a movable and adjustable design that can be repositioned to align with different vulnerable areas on the patient's body. The fluid conduit system can be dynamically adjusted to target specific pressure points, making the system adaptable to varying patient positions and needs rather than being fixed in one location.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling pad is designed as a separate, independent component that can be positioned and adjusted independently from the mattress structure. This segmentation allows the cooling function to be targeted at specific body areas rather than requiring a position-dependent integrated mattress system.
2Temperature
If a fluid conduit is placed directly under the patient for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the conduit may be occluded by patient weight
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid conduit is embedded within a three-dimensional cushioning layer rather than being placed directly in the two-dimensional contact surface. This vertical positioning in another dimension allows the conduit to remain protected from direct compression by patient weight while still providing effective cooling through thermal conduction from the cushioning material.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning layer serves as an intermediary between the patient's body and the fluid conduit. This intermediate layer transmits the cooling effect from the fluid conduit to the patient while simultaneously protecting the conduit from occlusion by patient weight, resolving the conflict between cooling efficiency and conduit reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If the pad is made to cover the entire mattress surface for maximum coverage, then area of coverage is improved, but the pad loses adjustability for targeting specific vulnerable areas
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is designed to provide localized cooling coverage rather than uniform coverage across the entire mattress. By concentrating the cooling function in a smaller, movable pad, the system can target specific vulnerable areas on the patient's body with higher intensity, improving both the effectiveness of pressure ulcer prevention and the adjustability for different patient needs.
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 pad effectively cools the skin, reduces pressure and shear, and prevents tissue damage by maintaining a lower skin temperature, thereby minimizing the formation of pressure ulcers while allowing for adjustable positioning to suit individual patient needs.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid conduit for circulating fluid, such as cooled liquid, through the pad across the cushioning layer adjacent the patient facing side
Implementation Method 2
The cushioning layer is adapted to at least reduce (1) shear between the patient facing layer and the support surface on which the pad is supported or (2) pressure on the patient's skin
Implementation Method 3
The gel cushioning layer has a continuous upper surface for supporting the patient facing side, with channels formed therein for locating the fluid conduit
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature management pad includes a patient facing side, a cushioning layer for supporting the patient facing side above a surface, a cooling component located in, on, or adjacent the cushioning layer for cooling the patient facing side of the pad for cooling a patient lying thereon, wherein the cooling component includes a conduit formed between the patient facing side and the cushioning layer for circulating fluid through the pad across the cushioning layer. The cushioning layer comprises a gel cushioning layer with a continuous upper surface supporting the patient facing side, which includes channels formed therein. The conduit is supported in the channels for circulating fluid laterally across the gel cushioning layer and through the pad.