Hospital Bed Deck with Lowerable Foot Section for Patient Egress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hospital beds lack an efficient mechanism to transition patients from a horizontal to a chair position, which is essential for patient care and mobility, especially for bariatric patients, as they often require complex and cumbersome operations.
Innovation Solution
The bed features a longitudinally movable deck with a lowerable foot section that moves from a horizontal to a vertical position using gravity and cam guide assemblies, allowing the patient to be elevated and positioned for easy egress, incorporating pneumatic cylinders and articulation systems for back and thigh sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional hospital bed uses fixed horizontal positioning, then the bed structure is simple and stable, but the patient cannot be efficiently positioned for egress to a chair position
Solution Approach 1:
The deck is divided into multiple independently controllable sections (head section, back section, thigh section, foot section) that can be positioned separately. This segmentation allows the patient to be gradually repositioned from horizontal to chair position through coordinated movement of individual sections, achieving complex positioning functionality while maintaining manageable system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The bed employs dynamically adjustable deck sections with independent motion control, allowing real-time repositioning of each section. The system transitions from a static horizontal configuration to a dynamic multi-position system that can adapt to different patient needs, enabling efficient egress positioning through controlled movement of individual deck segments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the deck is made longitudinally movable with lowerable foot section, then patient egress to chair position is enabled, but the mechanical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deck is segmented into multiple independently controllable sections (head, back, thigh, foot) that can be positioned separately. This segmentation allows the patient to be gradually repositioned from horizontal to chair position through coordinated movement of individual sections, achieving complex positioning functionality while maintaining manageable system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The longitudinally movable deck with lowerable foot section serves multiple functions: it enables patient egress to chair position, provides adjustable positioning for various patient needs, and maintains bed stability during normal use. This multi-functionality justifies the added mechanical complexity by delivering versatile positioning capabilities that conventional fixed beds cannot provide.
3Use of energy by moving object
If gravity is used to lower the foot deck section, then energy consumption is reduced, but control precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The foot deck section utilizes gravity to assist its own lowering movement, eliminating the need for additional energy input from motors or actuators. The weight of the foot section itself provides the force needed to move it into the lowered position, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate control through the mechanical guidance system.
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
This configuration enables safe and efficient patient positioning from a horizontal to a chair position, facilitating patient mobility and comfort, particularly beneficial for bariatric patients, with a focus on simplicity and reduced mechanical complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The bed includes means for moving the deck relative to the frame from a first position to a second position towards the foot of the bed so that the lowerable foot deck section moves from a first generally horizontal position to a second generally vertical position
Data Source
AI summary
A hospital bed including a frame, head and foot supports, and a deck coupled to the frame. The deck includes a lowerable foot portion disposed between the head and foot supports in a first position and outside the head and foot supports in a second position.