Modular Litter Adaptor with Standardized Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing litters, including NATO and civilian emergency medical litters, lack an efficient and effective way to attach medical equipment for transport, often requiring additional personnel or compromising patient access and stability.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight modular system using standardized rails and receivers with locking mechanisms that allows for flexible equipment mounting on litters, maintaining patient access and enabling independent equipment transport without additional personnel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If medical equipment is placed on top of the patient, then equipment can be transported with the patient, but the equipment may shift around and fall off, compromising patient safety and equipment stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a litter adapter as an intermediary device between the litter and medical equipment. The adapter includes a platform that attaches to the litter and provides dedicated mounting locations for equipment, preventing equipment from being placed directly on the patient. This intermediary structure ensures equipment stability while maintaining transport capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter system is segmented into multiple components: a platform portion that attaches to the litter, a side rail portion for additional equipment mounting, and various mounting mechanisms. This segmentation allows flexible configuration of equipment positions while maintaining overall system stability during transport.
2Reliability
If a rigid platform is used to mount equipment on the litter, then equipment stability is improved, but access to the patient is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter platform is designed with varying degrees of rigidity in different areas. The central area remains open or has reduced structure to maintain patient access, while specific localized areas provide rigid mounting surfaces for equipment. This local differentiation allows equipment stability without compromising overall patient accessibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If equipment is mounted on the litter without a modular system, then setup is simpler, but flexibility in equipment orientation and configuration is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter system incorporates dynamic mounting mechanisms that allow equipment to be positioned and oriented in multiple configurations. The side rail portion can be adjusted to different positions and angles, and the platform provides multiple mounting locations. This dynamic adjustability enables flexible equipment configuration while maintaining relatively simple assembly through standardized attachment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular approach to mounting medical equipment on evacuation litters employs litter engagement members of various configuration and a plurality of rail members all having the same sectional profile. The rail members can be mounted to a variety of connectors and auxiliary pieces such that equipment supporting structures can be built on a patient bearing litter without sacrificing access to the patient.