Step system for patient stretcher
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient transport devices do not allow medical professionals to perform CPR or other medical procedures while the patient is being moved, as it is difficult to access the patient on a stretcher or bed during transport.
Innovation Solution
A deployable step system integrated into patient stretchers or hospital beds, allowing medical professionals to stand and perform procedures safely on both sides of the patient, with steps that can be deployed and retracted for easy maneuverability through hospital halls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a patient stretcher is designed for mobile transport with wheels and casters, then mobility and ease of transport is improved, but medical professionals cannot perform CPR or medical procedures during transport due to difficulty accessing the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The stretcher incorporates deployable steps that can be extended or retracted as needed. When transport is required, the steps are retracted to maintain mobility. When medical procedures are needed, the steps are deployed to provide stable platforms for medical professionals to stand and access the patient, thus dynamically adapting the structure to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The stretcher is divided into functional segments: the main patient support platform, the deployable step assemblies, and the mobility components (wheels and casters). The step assemblies are further segmented into multiple steps that can be independently deployed. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with others, enabling both mobility and procedural access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If attendant platforms are built into the stretcher to support medical professionals during transport, then ability to perform medical treatment during movement is improved, but device complexity and structural stability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The deployable steps are integrated directly into the stretcher frame structure, merging the support function with the existing mobility framework. The steps share structural components with the stretcher frame, such as vertical posts and horizontal beams, reducing the need for separate support structures and minimizing overall complexity while providing the required functionality.
3Ease of operation
If deployable steps are added to provide platforms for medical professionals, then access to patient during procedures is improved, but maneuverability through hospital halls may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The steps are designed to be retractable into the stretcher frame when not in use, minimizing the overall dimensions of the device during transport through narrow hospital corridors. When needed for medical procedures, the steps extend outward to provide adequate platform size for medical professionals to stand and perform procedures, thus dynamically adjusting the device dimensions based on operational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A step system including a patient support member having a deployable step assembly including a deployable step. The deployable step assembly is fixed and integral to the patient support member and is configured to deploy as needed to provide a sturdy platform for at least one medical professional in a standing position while performing medical procedures on a patient. The deployable step assembly may include deployable steps on both a right-side and a left-side of the patient support member.