Head-End Foot Controls for Patient Support Deck Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient support apparatuses with controls on the siderail are inconvenient and unhygienic for healthcare professionals, as they require hand use and may lead to accidental re-positioning or tripping, and existing foot controls at the foot-end hinder simultaneous patient care and deck positioning.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus with foot controls mounted at the head-end, within the periphery of the base frame, allowing healthcare professionals to adjust the deck while administering care without hand contamination and reducing accidental activation or damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If controls are provided on the siderail of the patient support apparatus, then the controls are easily accessible, but the healthcare professional must use their hands to operate them which is unhygienic and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hand-operated mechanical controls with foot-operated controls. The foot controls include pressure-sensitive switches that detect foot pressure and convert it into control signals, eliminating the need for hand contact with controls during patient care activities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces foot pedals as an intermediary device between the healthcare professional and the control system. The pedals are mounted on the patient support deck and can be operated with the foot, serving as a mediator that allows control operation without hand contamination
2Object-affected harmful factors
If foot controls are provided at the foot-end of the patient support apparatus, then the healthcare professional can operate them without hand contamination, but they cannot position the patient support deck at the same time as attending to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the controls from the foot-end to the head-end of the patient support apparatus. This spatial repositioning allows the healthcare professional to reach the controls with their foot while standing at the head of the bed, enabling simultaneous patient care and deck positioning without moving to the foot-end
3Ease of operation
If controls are mounted externally to the bed frame at the foot-end, then they can be operated with foot, but they may be accidentally knocked thereby unintentionally re-positioning the patient support deck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the controls with the patient support deck structure by mounting them on the head-end of the deck. This integration ensures the controls move with the deck and are positioned within the deck's perimeter, reducing the risk of accidental knocking while maintaining foot-operability
4Ease of operation
If controls are mounted externally to the bed frame, then they can be accessed, but they present a trip hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the controls within the perimeter of the patient support deck by mounting them on the head-end. This nesting ensures the controls are contained within the deck's boundary, eliminating protruding elements that could pose a trip hazard while remaining accessible to the healthcare professional
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a patient support system (100) having a head end and a foot end. The patient support system comprises: a base frame (102) comprising supporting elements (120) to support the patient support apparatus on a ground; a patient support deck (104) movable relative to the base frame (102); a controller (106) configured to control the movement of the patient support deck (104); and a control panel (110), mounted to the head end of the base frame (102), configured to receive an input from the foot of a healthcare professional and communicate the input to the controller (106). The control panel (110) is mounted such that it is positioned within the periphery of the patient support apparatus (100).