Inflatable Bladder Patient Uprighting Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for devices that can safely and efficiently assist individuals who have fallen, particularly those who are obese or in environments where assistance is limited, to achieve an upright position without causing further injury to themselves or their helpers, as existing devices may not adequately address the challenge of lifting from lying positions without sufficient strength or support.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a frame with an inflatable bladder that inflates from a first to a second position, allowing a person to be brought upright, featuring a foot plate, telescoping legs for stability, and adjustable elements for comfort and safety, including straps, handles, and a rechargeable air pump for rapid inflation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a person has fallen and needs to be helped upright, then the urgency to prevent further injury is high, but the strength required to lift the person is often insufficient or unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical lifting with an automated pneumatic system. An inflatable bladder filled with air expands to lift the patient's body weight, eliminating the need for helpers to manually lift the patient. This substitutes human mechanical force with pneumatic pressure, solving the contradiction between lifting reliability and available strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a pneumatic bladder that can be inflated to generate lifting force. The bladder is filled with air through a hose connected to an air source, and the inflation process generates sufficient upward force to lift the patient from a lying position. This pneumatic mechanism directly addresses the force deficiency by providing automated, controlled lifting power.
2Ease of operation
If a helper is available to assist the person upright, then the risk of injury to the helper is reduced, but the complexity of the assistance process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to be self-operating with minimal human intervention. The patient can independently activate the lifting mechanism by pressing a button or switch that triggers the air pump to inflate the bladder. This self-service capability reduces the operational burden on helpers while maintaining relatively simple device architecture, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
3Power
If existing lifting devices are used, then the lifting function is provided, but the devices are often heavy and not portable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a lightweight inflatable bladder instead of a heavy rigid lifting structure. The bladder is made of flexible, light material that can be inflated to generate sufficient lifting force only where needed (at the patient's body contact points), rather than requiring a heavy overall device structure. This localized approach to force application reduces total device weight while maintaining lifting capability.
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 enables safe and efficient upright positioning of individuals who have fallen, reducing the risk of further injury and allowing for easy operation with minimal assistance, while being lightweight and portable for use in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
An inflatable bladder is attached to the frame on which the person's body rests when the bladder is in an uninflated state, the bladder being inflatable from a first position to a second position
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods for bringing a person that has fallen to the ground to an upright position comprise frames adapted to receive a person's body after a person has achieved a lying position, inflatable bladders attached to the frames on which the person's body rests when the bladders are in an uninflated state, the bladders being inflatable from a first position to a second position, and fittings attached to the inflatable bladders for receiving hoses to allow the inflatable bladders to be inflated from the first position to the second position.