Patient Bed Pedal-Triggered GUI Deployment for Hands-Free Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient bed systems lack integrated solutions for enhanced patient and caregiver interaction, efficient bed functionality control, and seamless integration of therapeutic features, leading to suboptimal patient care and operational inefficiencies in healthcare settings.
Innovation Solution
A bed control cart with a wheeled base, a graphical user interface (GUI) supported by a pole, and circuitry that sends wireless signals to control bed features, including foot and hand inputs for controlling the bed's position, mattress therapy functions, and communication with other healthcare equipment, enabling wireless control and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If foot pedals are used to control bed functions, then caregiver hands-free operation is improved, but control precision and patient safety may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that detect foot pedal activation and provide feedback signals to the bed control system. This feedback mechanism ensures that the bed responds accurately to caregiver inputs while maintaining the ability to verify control actions, thus preserving both hands-free operation convenience and control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary control system is introduced between the foot pedal and the bed functions. This intermediary layer processes signals from the foot pedal, validates them through sensors, and then executes the appropriate bed adjustments, ensuring that hands-free operation does not compromise control accuracy or patient safety.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple control interfaces (foot pedals and hand controls) are integrated, then versatility of control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed with universal architecture that can accommodate multiple input interfaces (foot pedals and hand controls) through a common control platform. This multi-functional design allows the system to accept various control methods without requiring separate independent control systems, thereby improving versatility while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot pedal control system and hand control system are merged into a single integrated control architecture. By combining these control interfaces into one unified system rather than maintaining separate systems, the patent achieves versatile control options while reducing overall system complexity through consolidation of control logic and signal processing.
3Ease of operation
If wireless control signals are used to communicate bed status, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of signal transmission may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication system incorporates feedback mechanisms that verify signal transmission and reception. Sensors detect bed position and control signals, and the system provides feedback to confirm successful wireless communication, ensuring that the ease of wireless operation does not compromise the reliability of signal transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient bed has a pedal that is engaged by a user's foot to control a feature of the patient bed. The patient bed also has a user input such as a control panel or graphical user interface (GUI). The user input deploys from a storage position to a use position in response to engagement of the pedal by the user. For example, the user input deploys automatically out of a cavity in a siderail of the patient bed to a use position in response to a brake pedal of the patient bed being moved to a brake position to brake casters of the patient bed.