Disposable Surgical Pillow Structure for Prone and Supine Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a surgical pillow that provides comfortable support to patients in both prone and supine positions during or after medical procedures, while being cost-effective and disposable to reduce patient cross-contamination.
Innovation Solution
A surgical pillow is fabricated from a single piece of resilient foam using a CNC contour cutting machine and die cut press to form a unitary body with cavities and access openings, allowing for head and face support, monitoring, and accommodation of medical equipment, and is designed to be low-cost and disposable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a surgical pillow is designed to support patients in both prone and supine positions with multiple cavities and openings, then the functionality and versatility are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow is divided into multiple functional zones including a first cavity for head support, a second cavity for face support, and various openings for medical equipment access. This segmentation allows each region to serve its specific purpose while maintaining overall structural integrity from a single foam piece
Solution Approach 2:
The single foam structure simultaneously provides prone position support, supine position support, head cushioning, face protection, and pathways for endotracheal tubes and monitoring equipment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple separate devices
2Reliability
If a disposable surgical pillow is used to reduce cross-contamination, then patient safety and hygiene are improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow is designed as a disposable single-use item made from cost-effective foam material. After one use, it is discarded rather than sterilized and reused, eliminating cross-contamination risks while keeping individual unit costs low through simple manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The foam material properties are optimized to provide adequate cushioning and support at a low cost. The density and elasticity parameters are selected to achieve clinical performance requirements while minimizing material expense
3Ease of operation
If access openings are added to the pillow for monitoring and equipment insertion, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The foam structure incorporates localized openings and notches at specific positions for endotracheal tube insertion and monitoring equipment access. These local modifications are strategically placed to provide necessary access while minimizing impact on the overall structural strength of the pillow
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 pillow effectively supports patients in both prone and supine positions, enabling easy monitoring and equipment access without altering the patient's position, while being cost-effective and reducing cross-contamination risks.
Implementation Method 1
The resilient body is formed from a compressible foam material for holding and cushioning the head and face of a patient
Implementation Method 2
a unitary resilient body that is formed from a compressible foam material for holding and cushioning the head and face of a patient
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for fabricating a disposable free-standing surgical pillow is described and includes employing a contour cutting machine to form lateral notches, profile portions and base portions in an intermediate workpiece, wherein the profile portions include opposed side support portions and a medial notch. A die cut press executes through-cuts and partial cuts to form medial cutout portions. At least one lateral cut and at least one longitudinal cut are executed to separate the intermediate workpiece into a plurality of individual workpieces in the form of the surgical pillows.