Mobile Commode With Sealed Waste Containment for Independent Hygiene
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with limited mobility after surgery or medical treatment face challenges in accessing essential items and maintaining hygiene due to reduced mobility, leading to increased caregiver burden and potential strain, with existing solutions like bedpan mattresses being inconvenient and non-hygienic.
Innovation Solution
A programmable and mobile device, such as a commode, equipped with a multiple-use disposable waste containment system, that can be operated by non-ambulatory users, featuring height adjustment, sensor technology for health monitoring, and autonomous movement, allowing for point-of-care testing and minimizing caregiver assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bedpan is placed directly in the bed mattress cavity, then convenience for non-ambulatory persons is improved, but hygiene is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The bedpan system is segmented into a removable pan component and a mattress cavity. The pan can be taken out for cleaning and replacement, separating the waste containment function from the mattress structure. This allows the mattress to remain clean while providing easy access to the pan for hygiene maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs disposable liners or covers within the bedpan cavity that can be easily replaced. These single-use elements maintain hygiene by being discarded after use, preventing contamination of the mattress while providing continuous convenience for the user.
2Ease of operation
If a non-ambulatory person uses a bedpan in bed, then independence is improved, but mobility strain is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The bedpan system is designed to be self-contained within the mattress structure, allowing the non-ambulatory person to use it independently without requiring caregiver assistance for positioning or transfer. The pan is accessible through a cavity in the mattress that the user can reach into from their lying position.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a caregiver assists non-ambulatory persons to facilities, then hygiene is improved, but caregiver workload is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The bedpan system enables patients to independently manage their own hygiene needs without requiring caregiver assistance for transfer to toilets or bathrooms. This self-service capability significantly reduces the time and effort caregivers must spend on these routine tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The bedpan is pre-positioned within the mattress cavity before the patient needs to use it. This preliminary placement eliminates the need for caregivers to assist with transferring the patient to a separate facility, as everything is already prepared and accessible in the bed.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile equipment service device for use by non-ambulatory persons. The device can be a manually movable commode for permitting such persons to independently access a system to contain waste, seal the waste, prevent odors for emanating into the room, and permit later removal and disposal of the waste. The system may also introduce an odor absorbent material into the sealed area where the waste is retained. In a further embodiment, a programmable device, such as a commode, can be remotely operated by the person, increasing the person's ability to independently access and use the device by moving the device to and from that person, and then securing that device to permit safe use by those persons. Preferably, the programmable device is battery powered so as to be self-propelled. In addition, the device contains a data collection system that collects data on use, and transmits that data as directed to location.