Movable Privacy Screen for Patient Face Concealment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for patient privacy in healthcare settings, such as retractable canopies and shades, fail to effectively conceal a patient's identity from bystanders while allowing healthcare providers to view the patient, leaving the face exposed to those nearby.
Innovation Solution
A screen with a movable frame and translucent material that can be attached to patient handling devices, allowing the patient to see through while concealing their identity from bystanders, using materials like plastic film or fabric that are nontransparent or semi-transparent at a distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a nontransparent screen is used to conceal patient identity, then patient privacy is improved, but the patient's ability to see surroundings is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The screen employs different transparency characteristics in different regions: the upper portion is nontransparent to conceal the patient's face and identity from bystanders, while the lower portion is transparent to allow the patient to see their surroundings and maintain awareness of their environment. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between privacy concealment and patient awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is divided into distinct functional segments: an upper nontransparent section for identity concealment and a lower transparent section for maintaining patient awareness. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function independently, resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and patient environmental awareness.
2Illumination intensity
If a transparent screen is used to allow patient view, then patient awareness is improved, but patient privacy concealment is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the screen have different optical properties: the upper area uses nontransparent material to conceal identity, while the lower area uses transparent material to preserve patient awareness. This local quality differentiation simultaneously achieves both privacy protection and environmental awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is segmented into functional zones with different transparency characteristics. The upper segment provides privacy concealment while the lower segment maintains patient awareness, allowing both objectives to be achieved concurrently through spatial differentiation.
3Loss of information
If a retractable canopy is used to provide privacy, then patient privacy is improved, but the patient's face remains visible to bystanders
Solution Approach 1:
The screen uses nontransparent material specifically in the upper portion where the patient's face is located, ensuring effective concealment from bystanders. The transparent lower portion allows patient awareness while the nontransparent upper portion reliably hides identity, addressing the reliability concern.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is segmented such that the upper segment provides reliable face concealment through nontransparent material, while the lower segment maintains transparency for patient awareness. This segmentation ensures that the critical function of identity concealment is reliably performed.
4Loss of information
If the screen is positioned close to the patient's face, then identity concealment is improved, but the patient's view is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is segmented vertically into an upper nontransparent portion for identity concealment and a lower transparent portion for maintaining patient awareness. This segmentation allows the screen to be positioned close to the patient's face without obstructing their view, as the lower transparent section remains visible.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the screen have different optical properties positioned at different heights. The upper nontransparent portion conceals identity when positioned close to the face, while the lower transparent portion maintains patient awareness, resolving the obstruction problem through local differentiation.
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 screen effectively shields a patient's identity from bystanders while enabling them to view their surroundings, with healthcare providers able to see through the material at close range, enhancing patient privacy in public or semi-public environments.
Implementation Method 1
a translucent material secured to the movable frame; wherein a patient is not impeded by the screen in the retracted position when the patient is being placed upon or removed from the patient handling device, and the patient's face is shielded by the screen while in the shielded position
Data Source
AI summary
A patient handling device in combination with a screen for shielding a patient's face. The screen comprises a movable frame which is movable from a retracted position to a shielded position. The screen further includes means for attaching the movable frame to the patient handling device, and a semi-transparent, or translucent, material secured to the movable frame. The patient is not impeded by the screen in the retracted position when the patient is being placed upon or removed from the patient handling device, and the patient's face is shielded by the screen while in the shielded position.