Selectable Foot Section Coupling for Bed-Based Rehabilitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hospital beds and patient care systems are inadequate for rehabilitation, as they do not effectively help patients regain muscle strength and independence, particularly for obese patients, as they require manual lifting and do not provide sufficient support for weight-bearing exercises.
Innovation Solution
A person support apparatus with a base frame, primary support frame, and a carriage that includes a torso and seat portion with a selectable trunnion, allowing the foot section to be coupled either to the primary support frame or the thigh segment of the seat portion, enabling variable configurations for rehabilitation exercises.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional hospital beds are used, then patients can be supported in bed rest, but patients cannot perform weight-bearing exercises and regain muscle strength
Solution Approach 1:
The foot section is designed with dynamic coupling capability through a selectable trunnion mechanism that can alternatively couple the foot section to either the primary support frame or the seat portion, enabling the system to adapt between different support modes for safe rehabilitation exercise
Solution Approach 2:
The foot section serves multiple functions by being selectively coupleable to different structures - when coupled to the primary support frame it provides stable support, when coupled to the seat portion it enables weight-bearing exercise, making the bed versatile for both rest and rehabilitation
2Ease of operation
If manual lifting by staff is used, then patients can be positioned for standing, but this is dangerous and psychologically degrading
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus enables patients to independently position themselves for standing and rehabilitation exercise through the selectable trunnion mechanism, eliminating the need for manual lifting by staff and preserving patient dignity while ensuring safety through controlled mechanical support
3Stability of the object's composition
If the foot section is fixed to the primary support frame, then stable support is provided, but rehabilitation exercise functionality is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The selectable trunnion mechanism transforms the static foot section into a dynamic component that can alternatively couple to different structures, providing stable support when coupled to the primary frame and rehabilitation exercise capability when coupled to the seat portion
4Adaptability or versatility
If the foot section is coupled to the seat portion, then rehabilitation exercise is enabled, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selectable trunnion acts as an intermediary mechanism that simplifies the coupling between the foot section and either the primary support frame or seat portion, providing complex functionality through a relatively simple selectable connection mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
Person support apparatuses with selectively coupled foot sections are disclosed. In one embodiment, the person support apparatus includes a base frame, a primary support frame supported on the base frame, and a foot section coupled to the primary support frame. The person support apparatus also includes a carriage that is freely translatable between a head end of the primary support frame and a foot end of the primary support frame, the carriage comprising a torso portion and a seat portion having a thigh segment and a gluteal segment. The person support apparatus further includes a selectable trunnion that selectively and severally couples the foot section to the primary support frame and the thigh segment of the seat portion.