Particulate Bladder Support With Gas Evacuation for Contour Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing body support devices, such as pillows and pads, often retain memory and fail to customize flow characteristics effectively, limiting their ability to maintain contour and provide optimal support for varying body parts.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilizes a bladder filled with fluidized particulate material, where the flow characteristics are customized through the controlled evacuation of interstitial gas, allowing for a support that can be stiffened or softened based on specific needs, such as in an operating room or ICU setting, by adjusting the gas pressure from 500 millibars to 5 millibars or lower.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a support is made from foam, gel or polyfill materials, then it provides basic cushioning and support, but it retains memory and fails to maintain contour to body parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the flow characteristics of the particulate material through gas evacuation. By removing gas from the interstitial spaces between particles, the material transitions from a high-flow state (memory retention) to a low-flow state (contour maintenance), directly resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite system consisting of particulate material (such as beads or spheres) combined with controlled gas evacuation. This composite approach allows the material to achieve both support and contour maintenance by adjusting the flow characteristics through the removal of interstitial gas, overcoming the limitations of traditional homogeneous materials like foam or gel.
2Strength
If gas is evacuated from the particulate material to change flow characteristics, then support stiffness is customized, but flow capabilities are severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by evacuating a specific amount of gas to achieve the desired flow characteristic without completely removing all gas. This allows the material to maintain adequate flow capabilities while achieving the necessary support stiffness, avoiding the harmful effect of severe flow limitation that would occur with complete evacuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates feedback control in the gas evacuation process, where the flow characteristics are monitored and adjusted to achieve the target stiffness while maintaining minimum flow capabilities. This ensures that the evacuation process does not exceed the threshold that would severely limit flow functionality.
3Shape
If a support is designed to be rigid with no flow characteristics, then it maintains contour to body parts, but it cannot adapt to different body extremities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the flow characteristics of the particulate material adjustable through gas evacuation. The material can transition between different flow states (from high flow to low flow) depending on the application requirements, allowing the same support structure to adapt to different body extremities while maintaining contour, thus resolving the contradiction between rigidity and adaptability.
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
Enables a support that maintains three-dimensional micro-contouring and provides customizable support characteristics, allowing for precise fitting and comfort across different body extremities by altering the flow characteristics of the material, ensuring both support and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
The composition can flow and stress in response to a deforming pressure exerted on the composition
Implementation Method 2
permanent and controlled evacuation of interstitial gas during the manufacturing process
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and system for customization of flow characteristics of a support using permanent and controlled evacuation of interstitial gas during the manufacturing process. The flow characteristics can be customized to provide a stiffer or less stiff support by a comparative degree. The flow characteristics can be permanently changed. The support includes a bladder filled with a fluidized particulate material. The medium of the fluidized particulate material includes interstitial spaces. A predetermined amount of gas can be removed to provide a support having a desired specific support characteristic.