Mattress Bladder Control for Patient Bed Egress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern hospital beds with reconfigurable patient support apparatuses often struggle to properly cushion patients when the support surfaces are mounted on decks that are tilted, pivoted, expanded, or slid, leading to inadequate support during movement of the multi-component deck.
Innovation Solution
A patient support system featuring a movable deck with a seat-deck section and a head-deck section, a support surface with inflatable bladders, and a controller that adjusts the pressure in these bladders to maintain proper cushioning as the deck reconfigures, ensuring continuous support and comfort during changes in position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the head-deck section is moved away from the seat-deck section to create a gap for patient egress, then patient accessibility is improved, but the support surface continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fill bladder is designed to dynamically inflate and deflate based on the deck position. When the head-deck section moves away from the seat-deck section, the fill bladder inflates to fill the resulting gap, maintaining continuous support surface. When the deck returns to normal position, the fill bladder deflates. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the support surface to the changing deck configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state (inflation/deflation) of the fill bladder in response to deck position changes. The controller monitors the relative position between head-deck and seat-deck sections and adjusts the fill bladder's air pressure accordingly, transforming the support surface properties to maintain continuity during egress operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the support surface is mounted on a reconfigurable deck, then patient position flexibility is improved, but support surface stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback about the relative position between the head-deck section and seat-deck section and automatically adjusts the fill bladder inflation level in response. This closed-loop control system maintains support surface stability by compensating for deck movements, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and reliability.
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 system effectively maintains consistent support and comfort by inflating or deflating bladders in response to deck movements, ensuring the patient remains properly cushioned across various configurations, enhancing patient safety and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
The controller may be configured to inflate the fill bladder in response to movement of the head-deck section from the first position to the second position so that the fill bladder covers the gap formed between the seat-deck section and the head-deck section
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to patient support systems, such as hospital beds, and particularly to reconfigurable patient support systems movable among a number of different positions. The present disclosure further relates to control algorithms and interfaces for use in patient support systems.