Support apparatus, system and method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mitigating and treating decubitus ulcers, such as pressure redistribution techniques, fail to adequately maintain subcutaneous blood flow and provide relief from shear and environmental effects.
Innovation Solution
The use of support surface overlays with inflatable compartments that selectively apply high interface pressure at discrete points and low or no pressure at other areas, mimicking the spacing of skin's perpendicular perforator vessels, while allowing interstitial blood flow and controlling microclimate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If traditional pressure redistribution techniques are used to distribute user weight over a large area, then interface pressure is reduced below the vascular occlusion threshold, but subcutaneous blood flow is not adequately maintained and shear forces are not sufficiently relieved
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface is divided into multiple independently controllable inflatable cells arranged in a grid pattern. Each cell can be inflated or deflated independently to create localized pressure zones, allowing selective pressure application to specific body areas while maintaining blood flow in other regions. This segmentation enables precise control over pressure distribution that traditional uniform redistribution cannot achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the support surface are given different pressure characteristics through selective inflation of individual cells. High pressure is applied locally to bony prominences to prevent pressure ulcer formation, while adjacent areas maintain lower pressure to preserve blood flow. This local differentiation of pressure quality resolves the contradiction between pressure reduction and blood flow maintenance.
2Reliability
If high interface pressure is applied to small areas to improve blood flow, then subcutaneous blood flow is enhanced, but the risk of vessel pinching increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable cells are cycled between inflated and deflated states in a periodic sequence. During inflation, high pressure is applied to promote blood flow; during deflation, pressure is released to prevent vessel pinching. This periodic action allows the system to achieve the benefits of high pressure while mitigating the harmful effects through temporal separation of pressure application and release.
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface transitions from a static pressure distribution to a dynamic one, where cell inflation states change over time based on user needs. The system can adapt pressure patterns dynamically, switching between different inflation configurations to optimize blood flow while preventing tissue damage. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between improving blood flow and preventing vessel pinching.
3Stress or pressure
If alternating inflatable compartments are used to distribute weight, then pressure is reduced through redistribution, but relief from shear and environmental effects is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes multiple parameters simultaneously - not just pressure magnitude but also pressure distribution pattern, temporal variation, and spatial configuration. By varying cell inflation states in different patterns (sequential, alternating, simultaneous), the system addresses shear forces and environmental effects that traditional single-parameter pressure reduction cannot resolve.
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
Improves subcutaneous blood flow and reduces the risk of decubitus ulcers by focusing pressure on specific points while maintaining interstitial flow and managing environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The inflatable cells may be inflated with a gas or liquid such that the cells form contact nodes that impart focused pressure at discrete points on a user's body
Implementation Method 2
The contact nodes and interstices may define a microclimate about a user disposed on the support surface overlay by allowing flow of air or another fluid through the interstitial regions
Data Source
AI summary
A therapeutic support device includes a bladder having one or more independently inflatable compartments, each including a plurality of inflatable cells. When inflated, each inflatable cell forms a contact node that may support a user or another object disposed thereon. The inflatable compartments can be alternately inflated and deflated such that contact pressure can be applied to and relieved from corresponding portions of the user's body in an alternating manner.