Foldable Textile Phototherapy Device for Homogeneous Light Exposure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current flexible phototherapy devices for treating infant jaundice and Crigler-Najjar disease are limited in providing homogeneous exposure and maintaining patient position, leading to reduced treatment effectiveness and risks of sensitive areas being exposed to light due to inadequate movement restriction.
Innovation Solution
A single-patient textile device with a back and ventral wall structure that folds to enclose the patient, incorporating light-diffusing layers and straps for secure positioning, allowing for full-body exposure and heat dissipation while minimizing light leakage and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the patient is positioned in the fetal position to prevent sliding, then patient stability is improved, but light exposure homogeneity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a static fetal position design to a dynamic system where the ventral wall can be folded back to change the patient's position from fetal to supine, enabling homogeneous light exposure across the entire body surface while maintaining stability through the folded wall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The ventral wall is designed as a separable component that can be folded back independently, allowing the device to adapt between different patient positioning modes (fetal vs. supine) to optimize both stability and light exposure homogeneity for different treatment requirements
2Productivity
If high-intensity light is used for effective treatment, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ventral wall incorporates a porous foam material that provides thermal insulation while allowing air circulation through its porous structure, enabling heat dissipation during high-intensity phototherapy treatment to prevent overheating while maintaining treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes air circulation through the porous ventral wall to create a convective cooling effect, allowing heat generated by high-intensity light to be dissipated naturally without mechanical cooling systems, thus managing temperature during prolonged high-intensity treatment
3Manufacturing precision
If the ventral wall is folded back to enable full body exposure, then light exposure homogeneity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ventral wall is constructed as a flexible, foldable component that can be easily repositioned between covering and exposed states, enabling full body light exposure homogeneity without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms - the simplicity of folding provides the needed adaptability
4Ease of operation
If the device structure is simplified for ease of use, then ease of operation is improved, but patient positioning control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ventral wall is pre-configured with porous foam material that provides structural support and patient comfort, allowing the wall to be folded back into position to maintain patient stability without requiring additional complex positioning mechanisms - the preliminary inclusion of supportive material enables simple folding action to achieve proper positioning control
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 device ensures effective and comfortable phototherapy treatment by maintaining optimal patient positioning, reducing light exposure risks, and allowing for prolonged high-intensity treatment sessions with improved air circulation and heat management.
Implementation Method 1
a light source in the visible range emitting at wavelengths which correspond to blue light. Blue light absorbed by bilirubin converts free bilirubin into water-soluble degradation products
Implementation Method 2
the ventral and dorsal walls each have an internal surface capable of diffusing light into said volume
Implementation Method 3
The ventral wall is made of a porous foam material which makes it possible to carry out treatments over longer periods of time and also at higher light intensity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a single-patient textile device (1) for providing phytotherapy treatment to a patient (2), said device comprising: a dorsal wall (3) intended to receive the patient (2) in a lying position, said dorsal wall (3) including an upper part (31) and a lower part (32); a ventral wall (4) attached to the lower part (32) of the dorsal wall (3); and two side walls (5, 6) which are disposed on either side of the dorsal wall (3) and can be folded onto said wall. Once folded, the ventral walls (4) and the side walls (5, 6) form a space (7) for the patient (2), with an opening (8) for the patient's (2) head being provided in the upper portion (31) of the dorsal wall (3). The device is characterised in that the ventral wall (4) can be folded onto the dorsal wall (3) such that the ventral wall (4) and the dorsal wall (3) each have an inner surface (22) that can diffuse light inside the space (7).