Bedridden Patient Excrement Care Robot with Motion Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional excrement treating apparatuses for bedridden patients are poorly designed, leading to usability issues due to difficulty in contact with the body's bends, resulting in leakage and discomfort, and fail to accommodate position changes, which can cause bedsores.

Innovation Solution

An excrement care robot with a body-fitted treating apparatus equipped with a sensor unit and motion analysis unit that measures and analyzes three-axis rotation angles to determine the patient's position and condition, enabling appropriate pressure distribution and preventing bedsores by integrating motion and condition analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the excrement treating apparatus is designed to focus only on excrement treatment function, then the excrement treatment capability is improved, but the usability and contact with body bends deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexcrement treatment capabilityVSAvoidusability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The excrement treating apparatus is designed to perform multiple functions: excrement treatment, motion analysis, and condition monitoring. The sensor unit and motion analysis unit are integrated into the apparatus, enabling it to not only treat excrement but also analyze the user's position and induce appropriate pressure distribution, thereby improving usability while maintaining excrement treatment capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If the excrement treating apparatus does not consider the user's body structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the contact with body bends and leakage prevention deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidleakage prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus applies different properties to different parts of the body. The sensor unit is strategically placed to detect position changes in critical areas, and the pressure distribution is locally adjusted based on detected motion and body structure, improving leakage prevention without significantly increasing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If the bedridden patient cannot change position while wearing the excrement treating apparatus, then the apparatus stability is improved, but bedsores occur due to prolonged pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapparatus stabilityVSAvoidbedsore risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor unit continuously monitors the user's position and motion, providing feedback to the motion analysis unit. Based on this feedback, the system induces appropriate pressure distribution by adjusting the apparatus's pressure application points, enabling position changes without removing the apparatus, thus preventing bedsores while maintaining stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Ease of operation

If the excrement treating apparatus requires removal for position changes, then the contact with body is maintained, but the convenience and continuous treatment capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveconvenienceVSAvoidcontinuous treatment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus performs self-adjustment based on sensor data and motion analysis. The system automatically induces appropriate pressure distribution and facilitates position changes without requiring user intervention or removal of the apparatus, maintaining both convenience and continuous treatment capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 excrement care robot effectively prevents leakage and bedsores by ensuring proper contact with the body and facilitating position changes, improving usability and comfort for bedridden patients.

Implementation Method 1

The sensor unit may include an inertial sensor that measures rotation angles with respect to a X (pitch) axis, a Y (roll) axis, and a Z (yaw) axis of the body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInertial sensing: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP3838234B1Excrement care robot with integrated analysis function for motion and condition of bedridden patient
Publication Date: 2023.05.24 CURACO
  • EP3838234B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3838234B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3838234B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is an excrement care robot with an integrated analysis function on the motion and condition of a bedridden patient according to the present invention including: a body-fitted type treating apparatus including a body which has a shape corresponding to bends of the genitals and buttocks of a human body and is formed with a treatment space that is opened in a direction of the genitals and buttocks of the human body to receive excrement discharged from the human body, a discharge unit which is provided in the body and communicates with the treatment space to discharge the excrement of the treatment space to the outside, and a sensor unit that is provided in the body to measure a direction of movement of the body; and a motion analysis unit that receives sensor data of the sensor unit to analyze the motion of the human body through the movement of the body.