Integrated Critical Care Unit for Portable Patient Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical emergency transport systems, such as the SMEED, are cumbersome, obstruct access to patients, and inefficient in loading and accessing various medical devices due to weight, size, and moment arm issues, necessitating a more portable and accessible solution for emergency medical support.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, portable critical care unit that integrates patient monitoring and treatment devices, two-way communications, and is adaptable to different litter designs, providing 90% accessibility and redundancy for continuous patient care during transport, enabling remote medical oversight and simultaneous treatment of multiple patients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the SMEED bracket is used to mount life support devices on the stretcher, then multiple devices can be mounted independently, but the system becomes heavy and cumbersome with excessive moment arm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent life support devices (ventilator, monitor, infuser, suction device) into a single integrated medical support system that mounts to the stretcher as one unified unit, eliminating the need for separate mounting brackets for each device and reducing overall system weight
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated medical support system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - ventilation, monitoring, fluid infusion, and suction - all within one device platform that can be mounted to various stretcher types, providing universal adaptability without requiring device-specific mounting hardware
2Adaptability or versatility
If the SMEED bracket is used to mount life support devices, then devices can be positioned independently, but access to the patient is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated medical support system positions devices in a distributed three-dimensional arrangement around the patient rather than mounting them all on one side, allowing medical providers to access the patient from multiple directions including head, foot, and sides without obstruction from a single large bracket
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different respiratory support and monitoring devices are loaded on the SMEED, then device functionality is comprehensive, but space consumption and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates ventilation, monitoring, infusion, and suction functions into one consolidated platform with shared mounting hardware, power supply, and control systems, eliminating the need for separate mounting brackets and reducing the overall volume required to accommodate all devices
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated medical support system provides comprehensive respiratory support and monitoring capabilities through multiple specialized devices that are coordinated through a single unified mounting and power system, achieving full functionality with reduced space and weight compared to independent device mounting
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods for monitoring and treating a patient on route to a medical facility are disclosed. The system comprises a critical care unit; at least one patient monitoring device coupled to the critical care unit, wherein the critical care unit obtains physiological data about the patient from each patient monitoring device; at least one patient treatment device coupled to the critical care unit, wherein the critical care unit provides treatment instructions to each patient treatment device; a two way communications device coupled to the critical care unit; and a remote communications terminal in communication with the two way communications device. The critical care unit preferably sends the physiological data to the remote communications terminal and receives the treatment instructions from the remote communications terminal via the two way communications device.