Moldable Infant Support Structure for Stable Neonatal Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current infant positioning aids in neonatal care are inadequate as they do not naturally accommodate tubing and wires, lack stability, complicate readjustment, and often lose shape over time, making it difficult to maintain precise positioning and secure attachment of medical devices.
Innovation Solution
A ductile sheet covered with infant-compatible material is used to create a support device that can be bent into various shapes to securely hold infants, allowing for easy adjustment of pitch and roll angles, and features stand engagement elements and fingers to accommodate tubing and wires while maintaining stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solid blocks or rolls are used for infant positioning, then the infant can be supported in a specific position, but tubing and wires cannot be naturally accommodated and access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible positioning device made from thin film material that can be molded into various shapes to support the infant. This flexible structure naturally accommodates tubing and wires by allowing them to pass through or alongside the device, while still maintaining stable positioning of the infant in the desired orientation.
2Ease of operation
If multiple spaced devices are used to accommodate tubing, then tubing access is improved, but stability is reduced and readjustment becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple positioning functions into a single integrated flexible device. This unified structure maintains stability while incorporating channels or spaces that accommodate tubing, eliminating the need for multiple separate devices and simplifying readjustment procedures.
3Ease of operation
If pillows or soft objects are used to elevate the head, then the infant can be positioned, but the devices lose shape over time requiring constant monitoring and adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible positioning device made from thin film material that maintains its molded shape over time. The device's structural integrity is preserved while retaining flexibility, eliminating the need for constant monitoring and adjustment required by traditional pillows or soft objects.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a single molded device is used, then stability is improved, but adaptability to different positioning needs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a flexible positioning device that can be molded into different configurations to meet various positioning needs. The device maintains stability in its molded form while allowing easy reconfiguration, providing both stability and adaptability for different clinical requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An infant holding device, including an infant holding portion, including a ductile sheet covered with infant-compatible material and a stand portion, adapted to support the infant holding portion in a vertically diagonal position, so that the infant holding portion thereby has a top and a bottom. In one preferred embodiment the ductile sheet is made of aluminum. In an additional preferred embodiment the infant holding portion is separable from the stand portion.