Medical support apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hospital beds pose challenges for patient mobility as they do not easily facilitate transitions from a lying position to a sitting or standing position, hindering the recovery process by making it difficult for patients to become more mobile.
Innovation Solution
A medical recliner chair with a base, seat, and actuators that allow the seat to tilt and lift, controlled by a system that moves the seat between sitting and standing positions while maintaining the patient's upper body alignment, equipped with a braking system to ensure safe movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional hospital bed is used, then the patient can remain in a lying position, but the patient mobility and ease of egress are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The chair mechanism is divided into separate functional modules: a tilt mechanism controlled by a first actuator that tilts the seat relative to the base, and a lift mechanism controlled by a second actuator that lifts the seat relative to the base. This segmentation allows independent control of tilting and lifting functions, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling complex sit-to-stand transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair employs dynamic control through coordinated actuation of both tilting and lifting mechanisms. The controller synchronizes the operation of the first and second actuators to move the seat between sitting and standing positions in a controlled manner, allowing the seat to be both lifted and tilted simultaneously during the transition.
2Loss of time
If the seat is moved quickly between positions, then the transition time is reduced, but the patient safety and comfort are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor the position and movement of the seat during transitions. The controller adjusts the actuation speed and sequence based on real-time conditions, ensuring that the seat moves at safe rates while completing the transition efficiently. This feedback control allows optimization of both transition time and patient safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair performs preliminary actions before the main transition, such as tilting the seat forward before lifting, to prepare the patient for the stand-up motion. This staged approach allows the patient to acclimate to each phase of movement, reducing the risk of injury while maintaining overall transition efficiency.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the brake is engaged during seat movement, then the chair stability is improved, but the mobility and ease of repositioning are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The braking system is dynamically controlled based on the operational state of the chair. The brake is automatically engaged when the chair is stationary to provide stability, and automatically disengaged when seat movement is initiated to allow repositioning. This dynamic brake control enables the chair to maintain stability when needed while facilitating easy movement when required.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical chair includes a seat supported by a base and actuators adapted to both tilt and lift the seat with respect to the base. A controller controls the actuators to both lift and tilt the seat as the seat moves from the sitting position to the standing position. The movement from the sitting position to the standing position assists in the egress of an occupant from the chair, while the movement from the standing position to the sitting position assists in the ingress of an occupant to the chair. A backrest on the chair remains substantially vertically oriented during movement between the sitting and standing position so as to provide more comfort to the occupant during the sit-to-stand or stand-to-sit movement. The backrest also moves in a manner that generally keeps the occupant's torso vertically aligned with his or her hips during this movement.