Inflatable Patient Turning Pad for Safe Bedside Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for turning and shifting bedridden patients, particularly during labor or Cesarean sections, are inefficient and often result in labor nurse injuries and equipment dislodgment, as they require significant effort and can be ineffective for larger or heavier patients, leading to complications such as fetal heart rate decelerations and epidural catheter dislodgment.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a turning pad with inflatable chambers and an inflatable positioning pad, connected by air-supply hoses and an air-supply system, allowing for rapid inflation and deflation to facilitate safe and efficient patient turning and shifting, with features like semi-permeable fabric and quick-release valves to minimize friction and effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foam wedge pillows are used to position patients in lateral position, then patient positioning is achieved, but the wedge often gets pushed off the bed or completely flattened due to patient size, making it ineffective for large and heavy patients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an inflatable positioning device with air chambers that can be inflated to provide support. The air-filled chambers can be adjusted to accommodate different patient sizes and weights, replacing the fixed foam wedge structure with a flexible pneumatic system that adapts to various body types.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device allows adjustment of inflation parameters (air pressure and volume) to match different patient requirements. By changing the physical state of the positioning medium from fixed foam to adjustable air-filled chambers, the system can adapt its support characteristics to accommodate patients of varying sizes.
2Ease of operation
If labor nurses manually turn and position patients using current methods, then patient repositioning is achieved, but it requires significant effort and can result in labor nurse injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses inflatable chambers that can be rapidly inflated and deflated to facilitate patient turning. By inflating the chamber on the side the patient should turn toward, the device provides mechanical assistance that reduces the physical effort required by nurses while maintaining patient safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device transitions from a static foam wedge to a dynamic inflatable system that can rapidly change its support characteristics. The quick inflation and deflation capabilities enable fast patient repositioning without requiring nurses to manually move heavy patients, thereby reducing injury risk.
3Speed
If rapid patient turning is performed during fetal resuscitation, then fetal heart rate improvement is achieved, but equipment dislodgment and epidural catheter displacement can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The rapid inflation and deflation of the positioning device provides controlled mechanical assistance for quick patient turning during fetal resuscitation. The pneumatic system enables fast repositioning while the device's design ensures that medical equipment remains stable and undisturbed during the turning process.
4Ease of operation
If foam wedges are used for patient positioning during Cesarean section, then patient positioning is achieved, but it is hard to place prior to the procedure and to remove after delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable positioning device can be easily placed on the operating table and adjusted during the procedure. The air chambers can be inflated to provide support, and after delivery, the device can be quickly deflated and removed, offering superior ease of operation compared to fixed foam wedges while maintaining positioning effectiveness.
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 rapid and safe turning and shifting of patients, reducing the risk of labor nurse injuries and equipment dislodgment, improving patient comfort and medical efficacy by maintaining optimal blood flow and positioning during critical medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The device comprises of a turning pad with two inflatable chambers, fillable with a gas which is usually air. An inflatable positioning pad is placed between a patient and the turning pad. The inflation of the turning pad and the inflatable positioning pad is aided by air hoses and an air-supply system.
Implementation Method 2
The turning pad (100) and the inflatable positioning pad (102) are made of a fabric that is semi air-permeable.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention comprises of a device that allows health care providers to position the body of a patient for progression of labor, for assistance in fetal resuscitation, and for other medical procedures. The device has inflatable chambers that assist the labor and delivery health care provider in turning a patient onto her right or left side while laying in bed. An inflatable positioning pad is used to further assist with the turning of a patient and/or with the shifting of a patient toward the head or the foot of the bed as needed. This device and method will allow turning to be done frequently, rapidly and safely, especially in pregnant patients with epidurals, that are overweight, or that otherwise have difficulty moving on their own.