Patient Transport Litter Trolley Pin Docking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patient transport apparatuses, such as cots and stair chairs, often require patients to be transferred between different devices during ambulance transport, especially when stairs are involved, due to limited storage and configuration issues in ambulances, leading to inefficient patient handling and care.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus with a base and litter system that includes a trolley with pin stops for docking and undocking, allowing the litter to adjust its position relative to the base, enabling seamless transition between configurations for stair transport and ambulance loading, thereby eliminating the need for multiple device transfers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate patient transport apparatuses (cot and stair chair) are used, then specialized functions for each transport scenario are achieved, but patient transfer between devices is required and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a stair chair and cot into a single integrated patient transport apparatus. The litter can be configured in different modes: as a stair chair with track engagement features for staircase transport, or as a cot with base frame engagement for ambulance transport. This merging eliminates the need for separate devices while maintaining specialized functions for each transport scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed with universal functionality to perform multiple transport roles. The litter includes configurable elements such as track engagement features for stair transport and base frame engagement mechanisms for ambulance transport. A single device can thus serve as both a stair chair and a cot, adapting to different transport needs without requiring device transfers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate patient transport apparatuses are used, then specialized transport capabilities are achieved, but patient transfer time and handling complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging stair chair and cot functionalities into one apparatus, the patent eliminates the time-consuming patient transfer process. The patient remains on the same litter throughout transport, whether moving through stairs or being loaded into an ambulance, thus reducing loss of time and improving operational efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cot and stair chair storage is used in ambulances, then storage space is limited, but accommodating both device types is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated apparatus provides universal transport capability, allowing a single device to replace both the stair chair and cot in ambulance storage. The litter can be configured for stair transport with track engagement or for ambulance transport with base frame engagement, thereby reducing the volume of equipment needed while maintaining full transport configuration versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus for patients. The patient support apparatus comprises a base having a base frame and an intermediate frame. The patient support further comprises a litter configured to be docked to and undocked from a trolley that is configured to slidably translate along the intermediate frame between a plurality of positions including a trolley forward position and a trolley docking position. The litter includes a lower pin and an upper pin. The trolley is configured to receive the upper pin and the lower pin and includes a lower pin stop and an upper pin stop. The lower pin is configured to abut the lower pin stop and the upper pin is configured to abut the upper pin stop to dock the litter to the base.