Inflatable Face Cushion for Prone Oxygen Mask Continuity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical treatment tables with face holes do not allow for adjustable height or lateral movement of a patient's face, causing discomfort and requiring removal of oxygen masks during prone positions, which complicates procedures and increases infection risk.
Innovation Solution
A face cushion with an inflatable body divided into alternating air bags, allowing different parts of the face to contact intermittently, and a structural configuration that enables medical oxygen masks and tubing to pass through, allowing patients to remain masked during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a face hole is formed on the headrest for receiving the patient's face, then the patient's nose can be suspended without contacting the medical treatment table, but the areas surrounding the face hole cannot be adjusted to change the patient's face height or lateral position
Solution Approach 1:
The face cushion uses inflatable air bags that can dynamically adjust their volume and shape to provide different support heights and positions for the patient's face, transforming a static headrest into a dynamically adjustable support system
Solution Approach 2:
The face cushion is divided into multiple independent air bags (first air bag, second air bag, third air bag) that can be inflated or deflated independently, allowing different portions of the patient's face to be supported at different heights and positions
2Reliability
If the patient wears a medical oxygen mask with tubing, then the patient can receive oxygen during the procedure, but the patient must remove the mask and tubing before lying on the medical treatment table in prone position
Solution Approach 1:
The face cushion serves multiple functions: it provides facial support, creates passages for oxygen mask and tubing, and allows the patient to maintain oxygen therapy throughout the procedure without removal
Solution Approach 2:
The face cushion acts as an intermediary structure that accommodates both the patient's face and the oxygen delivery system, allowing the tubing to pass through the cushion body while maintaining patient comfort and oxygen supply
3Ease of operation
If the patient lies on the medical treatment table in prone position with face in the face hole, then the patient can breathe smoothly, but the repeated removal and wearing of the medical oxygen mask increases infection risk and procedural complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The face cushion enables continuous oxygen supply throughout the procedure by maintaining the oxygen mask in place, eliminating the intermittent removal and reapplication cycles that create infection risks and procedural interruptions
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 face cushion provides adjustable contact points for comfort and prevents the need to remove oxygen masks, reducing procedural complexity and infection risk by allowing patients to remain masked during prone positions.
Implementation Method 1
an inflatable body, which is divided into a first air bag and a second air bag, and is inflated alternately with gas supplied from a gas supply device
Data Source
AI summary
A face cushion includes a hollow-out portion located at a central portion of the face cushion; an inflatable portion having an inner peripheral edge located adjacent to the hollow-out portion, an outer peripheral edge, and two slit edges located between the inner and the outer peripheral edge, with an area between the inner and the outer peripheral edge being divided into a first and a second air bag; a slit section formed between the two slit edges; and a plurality of inflating connections separately connected to the first and the second air bag. The first and the second air bag are inflated alternately with gas supplied from a gas supply device to the inflatable body via different pipelines at different time points to produce on the face cushion a facial configuration similar to a patient's face, allowing different parts of the patient's face to contact with the face cushion intermittently.