Apparatus and system for boosting, transferring, turning and positioning a patient
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices and methods fail to adequately protect bedridden patients from pressure ulcers, particularly in the sacral region, due to difficulties in turning and positioning patients, which is time-consuming and requires multiple caregivers, and often results in skin damage from friction and shear forces.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable patient support device with a gripping surface, absorbent pad, and wedges that utilize airflow and directional stitching materials to reduce friction and facilitate movement, allowing for easier turning and positioning of patients while minimizing the risk of pressure ulcers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional manual turning and positioning methods are used, then patient repositioning can be achieved, but it requires multiple caregivers, is time-consuming, and causes skin damage from friction and shear forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an inflatable device with multiple chambers that can be independently inflated and deflated. By inflating specific chambers beneath the patient's body, the device creates lifting forces that reduce friction and shear forces during patient repositioning. The pneumatic system enables caregivers to easily turn and position patients without manual dragging, thereby preventing skin damage while simplifying the operation.
2Reliability
If frequent turning is implemented to prevent pressure ulcers, then patient safety improves, but the time and resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable device features dynamically adjustable chambers that can be inflated or deflated on demand to facilitate patient repositioning. The system allows for quick transitions between different patient positions by selectively activating specific chambers, enabling frequent turning without significant time loss. This dynamic adjustment capability maintains pressure ulcer prevention while reducing the time burden on caregivers.
3Ease of operation
If pillows are used to support patient positioning, then patient comfort is improved, but pillows are non-uniform, can slip out from underneath, and do not provide consistent turning angles
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable device is divided into multiple independent chambers with specific geometric shapes and locations designed for particular positioning functions. Each chamber can be inflated to provide localized support at precise locations beneath the patient's body, ensuring uniform and stable positioning. This segmented chamber design replaces non-uniform pillows with engineered structures that maintain consistent turning angles and prevent slipping.
4Reliability
If inclined positioning is used for pulmonary reasons, then patient respiratory function improves, but patients slide downward toward the foot of the bed, causing skin damage and requiring frequent boosting
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable device acts as an intermediary between the patient and the bed surface during inclined positioning. By inflating chambers positioned at the patient's lower body and sacral region, the device creates upward counteracting forces that prevent downward sliding. This intermediary pneumatic support system maintains the therapeutic inclined position for respiratory function while eliminating the harmful sliding and shearing forces that cause skin damage.
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 enables safer and more efficient patient handling by reducing friction and shear forces, thereby minimizing the risk of pressure ulcers and reducing the physical strain on caregivers, improving patient safety and caregiver safety by simplifying the turning and positioning process.
Implementation Method 1
The passages are configured to permit air to pass from the cavity to the exterior of the device and to flow between a bottom surface of the device and a supporting surface upon which the device is configured to rest
Implementation Method 2
The passages are configured to permit air to pass from the cavity to the exterior of the device and to flow between a bottom surface of the device and a supporting surface upon which the device is configured to rest
Implementation Method 3
The top sheet has a high friction material on a top surface thereof, wherein the high friction material has a greater resistance to sliding than a material of the bottom sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An inflatable device for turning or positioning a person in a bed. The inflatable device includes an inflatable body formed by a top sheet and a bottom sheet disposed beneath the top sheet to define a cavity configured to be inflated such that the top sheet forms a top wall of the cavity and the bottom sheet forms a bottom wall of the cavity. The device further includes at least one port having a port opening in fluid communication with the cavity and configured to provide an air input for air for inflating the cavity, wherein the at least one port comprises an elastic member for adjusting a size of the port opening.