Hydrostatic Compression Chair for Body Fluid Redistribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices for managing adverse effects of gravitational forces, such as those causing preeclampsia, clinical shock, hypertension, and motion sickness, are either ineffective, cumbersome, or uncomfortable, leading to poor patient compliance and lack of effective treatment options.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using flexible bladders filled with a substance to exert a gradient of pressure forces on the body, redistributing weight from primary bearing regions to larger surfaces, mimicking hydrostatic forces, and incorporating a frame for support and reducing friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing medical devices for managing gravitational forces are used, then treatment effects are achieved, but patient compliance deteriorates due to discomfort and cumbersomeness
Solution Approach 1:
The body is divided into multiple zones with independent pressure control. The compression garment incorporates multiple inflatable chambers or segments that can be independently pressurized to different levels, allowing targeted treatment of specific body regions while maintaining overall comfort and compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the body receive different pressure levels tailored to their specific medical needs. The system applies varying degrees of compression to different body parts based on local physiological requirements, such as higher pressure in dependent areas affected by gravity and lower pressure in sensitive regions.
2Reliability
If uniform compression is applied to the body, then some therapeutic effects are achieved, but fluid redistribution efficiency deteriorates due to lack of pressure gradient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a pressure gradient by applying different compression levels to different body regions. Higher pressure is applied to dependent areas where fluid accumulation occurs, while lower pressure is applied to upper regions, creating a directional force that promotes efficient fluid redistribution from lower to upper body areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic inflation of chambers or bladders to generate controlled pressure gradients. By varying the air pressure in different segments of the compression garment, the system creates a hydraulic-like force distribution that mimics natural fluid dynamics and enhances fluid movement through the body's vascular and lymphatic systems.
3Productivity
If gradient pressure is exerted on the body, then fluid redistribution is facilitated, but device complexity increases due to multiple pressure zones and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The compression garment is divided into multiple independent inflatable chambers or segments that can be controlled separately. This segmentation allows the complex gradient pressure requirement to be broken down into simpler, independently controllable units, making the overall system more manageable despite the multiple pressure zones needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to serve multiple therapeutic functions through a single integrated device. The same gradient pressure mechanism addresses various conditions including edema, venous insufficiency, and lymphedema, reducing the need for multiple separate devices and thereby managing complexity while maintaining versatility.
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 system effectively reduces sympathetic activity, minimizes discomfort, and facilitates fluid redistribution, providing therapeutic benefits for conditions like preeclampsia, clinical shock, hypertension, and motion sickness without the need for pharmacological interventions.
Implementation Method 1
exert a gradient of pressure forces on the body, redistributing weight from primary bearing regions to larger surfaces, mimicking hydrostatic forces
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for applying a gradient of external compressive forces on the body of a person, in a manner analogous to how water exerts hydrostatic forces on the body of person immersed in water. The system may be a chair or a suit, comprising at least one of the following: one compression unit holding fluid around the person to exert a gradient of hydrostatic forces, at least one rigid or semi-rigid frame or a shell supporting the body and the compression units to support the pressure and off-loaded weight of the person and transfer the weight to an external support such as floor. Additionally, the system may contain additional means to reduce the frictional forces on the body surface and between various moving parts, and a means to modify pressure on the body of the person. The system and method is applicable for effecting physiological changes in the body such as increased diuresis and/or amniotic fluid levels, treat preeclampsia in pregnant women, reduce hypertension, shift fluids from interstitial space into intravascular compartment, increase venous return from lower extremities, reduce sympathetic tone and total peripheral resistance, reduce work load on the heart, reduce motion sickness and the like.