Flexible MITS Liner for Negative Pressure Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile personal isolation systems are inadequate for transporting infected or contaminated patients, as they do not effectively isolate both the patient and medical personnel, and the transport vehicle often becomes contaminated, posing a health risk and requiring extensive decontamination.

Innovation Solution

A flexible, rapid-deployable medical isolation transport system (MITS) creates an isolated space within a medical transport vehicle using a tent-like liner and a portable HEPA filtration system to maintain a negative pressure environment, ensuring containment of contaminants and safety for both patients and personnel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional mobile personal isolation system is used, then the patient is isolated, but medical personnel cannot easily access the patient and the transport vehicle becomes contaminated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveisolation effectivenessVSAvoidpatient access difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The isolation system is nested within the transport vehicle, with the liner forming an isolated compartment that contains the patient while allowing the vehicle to remain operational. The system fits inside the existing vehicle structure without requiring external modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The liner acts as an intermediary barrier between the patient and the vehicle interior, allowing medical personnel to access the patient through the liner's openings while preventing contamination of the vehicle. The liner mediates between isolation requirements and operational needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a traditional mobile personal isolation system is used, then the patient is isolated, but the transport vehicle becomes contaminated requiring extensive decontamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveisolation effectivenessVSAvoiddecontamination time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The isolation barrier is extracted from the vehicle structure and implemented as a separate, removable liner. This allows the liner to be easily removed and disposed of after use, eliminating the need for time-consuming vehicle decontamination while maintaining effective isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The liner is designed as a disposable component that can be easily replaced after each use. This single-use approach prevents contamination of the vehicle and eliminates decontamination requirements, as the liner is discarded rather than cleaned.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If a rigid isolation structure is used, then effective isolation is achieved, but the system is difficult to deploy and store

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveisolation effectivenessVSAvoiddeployment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The isolation structure uses a flexible liner made of thin film material that can be rapidly deployed and conform to the vehicle interior. This flexible design is much simpler to deploy and store than rigid structures while maintaining effective isolation when properly positioned.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible liner that can be quickly deployed, adjusted, and removed. The liner's flexibility allows it to adapt to different vehicle configurations and be easily stored when not in use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 MITS effectively isolates patients and medical personnel during transport, reducing the risk of contamination to others and minimizing the need for costly decontamination of the vehicle, while being compact, lightweight, and easily deployable.

Implementation Method 1

The system may be connected to a portable medical high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system to create a negative pressure environment so that contaminants remain inside the room. Air flows thru the filtration system where it is essentially 'scrubbed' of contaminants.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHEPA filtration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 2

The in-flow or 'make-up' air is restricted as compared to the outflow via the HEPA scrubber, thus creating a slight negative pressure environment.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNegative pressure: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 3

The MITS accomplishes this by an integrated air structure that is inflated and forms the interior shape of the vehicle.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentUS11571348B2Medical isolation transport system—MITS

Publication Date: 2023.02.07 AIR SHELTERS USA LLC

AI summary

A flexible rapid deployable system that may be used create an isolated space within a medical transport vehicle for use when transporting infected or contaminated patients, including a flexible tent-like liner that creates a room inside the vehicle where both the patient and medical personnel can be isolated and that isolates contaminants within and a filtration system capable of producing the required air flow to maintain a negative pressurized isolated environment, sized to effectively accomplish this for the isolated cubic space.