Extendable Foot Section for Bariatric Bed Heel Pressure Relief

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional patient supports fail to effectively accommodate patients of varying sizes and provide adequate heel pressure relief, leading to potential decubitus ulcers and transportation challenges due to fixed bed lengths.

Innovation Solution

A patient support system with a frame and deck that can adjust in length and width, featuring an extension assembly and sliding panels, allowing for customizable support surfaces and heel pressure relief through a deck extension mechanism that can be lengthened or shortened, and siderail adjustments for accommodating patients of different sizes and facilitating transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the bed has a fixed length, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate patients of varying sizes and creates transportation challenges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of patients of varying sizesVSAvoidbed structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bed is divided into multiple deck sections (head section, seat section, thigh section, foot section) that can be independently adjusted in length and width. The extension assembly can be positioned at different locations to create variable deck configurations, allowing the bed to adapt to different patient sizes without requiring a completely different bed structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bed features dynamically adjustable deck sections with movable extension assemblies that can be extended or retracted based on patient needs. The siderails are also movable, allowing the bed structure to change its dimensions and configuration rather than being fixed, thereby accommodating various patient sizes effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the support surface is fixed, then the structure is simple, but it cannot provide adequate heel pressure relief

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheel pressure relief effectivenessVSAvoidsupport surface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support surface is segmented into multiple independently adjustable deck sections. The foot section can be extended or retracted relative to other sections, creating variable gaps and pressure distribution zones that provide heel pressure relief while maintaining structural simplicity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The extension assembly can be positioned at different locations along the deck to create localized adjustments in support surface configuration. This allows specific areas (such as the heel region) to have different pressure characteristics than other areas, providing targeted pressure relief where needed without complicating the entire support surface structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If the bed length is extended for larger patients, then patient accommodation is improved, but transportation becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient size accommodationVSAvoidtransportation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8104122B2Patient support having an extendable foot section

Publication Date: 2012.01.31 HILL ROM SERVICES INC

AI summary

A patient support having a deck with an adjustable length. The patient support includes a portion configured to extend the length of the deck. The hospital bed is configured to support a bariatric, large, or obese patient.