Infusion Management System With Angled Trunk And Deployable Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intravenous (IV) poles are unstable, difficult to maneuver, and inefficient for providing mobility assistance, often tipping over and hindering patient movement due to their rigid, heavy, and poorly designed geometry, which poses safety risks and storage challenges in clinical settings.
Innovation Solution
A redesigned infusion management system (IMS) with a large, open-ended base footprint and angled trunk configuration that provides stability and mobility assistance, featuring deployable wheels, adjustable components, and compact storage capabilities, allowing for easy handling of heavy medical devices and accessories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional IV pole with vertical pole and wheeled base is used, then the system provides basic intravenous support, but the system is inherently unstable and prone to tipping when heavy medical components are attached
Solution Approach 1:
The base structure is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the side arms to be positioned at different angles and heights to optimize stability for specific load conditions and user needs, transforming the static base into an adaptive stability system
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows modification of key geometric parameters including base arm length, base arm angle, and height of the vertical pole to change the center of gravity position and leverage ratios, enabling optimization of stability characteristics for different medical components and patient requirements
2Strength
If a rigid and heavy IV pole design is used, then the pole provides structural support, but it is difficult to maneuver and roll
Solution Approach 1:
The pole structure is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can be adjusted in length and collapsed into each other, allowing the structure to maintain strength when extended for support while enabling compact configuration for easy transport and storage
Solution Approach 2:
The pole incorporates adjustable height mechanisms and collapsible sections that allow it to transition between a tall, rigid support structure and a compact, maneuverable form, adapting to both patient support needs and mobility requirements
3Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional IV pole configuration is used, then the pole can hold medical components, but it is difficult to store when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping pole sections and collapsible base arms are designed to nest within each other when collapsed, with the base arms folding parallel to the pole and the pole segments telescoping into one another, creating a compact storage configuration that minimizes hospital space requirements
4Reliability
If the base arms are positioned to provide a large base footprint, then the system stability is improved, but the base may interfere with patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The base arms are designed to be dynamically adjustable in position and angle, allowing them to be configured to provide maximum stability when needed and folded back or positioned to clear the patient's path during ambulation, adapting to different operational states
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated infusion management system provides for stable support of components attached to the system, even when the system is mobile. The system is optionally a mobility assist or walker for a patient who is attached to any number of medical components. A central trunk connects to a two-sided base that does not interfere with patient motion. The trunk may be angled with respect to vertical and oriented to support medical components in a configuration that is tip-resistant. The system is optionally deployable to facilitate conversion between a compact storage configuration and a stable deployed configuration. In an embodiment, additional deployable features include holding arms for holding various medical components, wheels, mobility arms and handles. Also provided is a novel wheel system with deployable wheels and methods associated with providing compact storage of any one or more of the systems presented herein.