Patient Support Mobility Sensing for Pressure Ulcer Risk Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support apparatuses rely on conventional pressure ulcer risk scores that are often inaccurate, leading to either unnecessary labor or preventable pressure ulcers due to underinclusion or overinclusion of patients who need turning.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus equipped with sensors to monitor occupant movement and generate a mobility score, using video cameras, thermal image sensors, ultrasonic sensors, pressure sensors, and load cells to assess mobility and predict pressure ulcer risk, recommending actions to reduce the likelihood of ulcers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional pressure ulcer risk scores (Braden scale, Norton scale) are used to determine patient turning needs, then the assessment process is simple and quick, but the accuracy of risk assessment is insufficient leading to overinclusion or underinclusion of patients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual caregiver assessment (mechanical observation and scoring) with an automated sensor-based system that objectively measures patient movement, posture changes, and pressure distribution to generate mobility scores, thereby improving assessment accuracy while reducing human labor requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables patients to be continuously monitored without requiring constant caregiver intervention. Sensors automatically track movement patterns and generate mobility assessments, allowing the system to serve itself in terms of data collection and initial analysis, freeing caregivers from routine monitoring tasks
2Reliability
If patients are turned frequently based on conservative risk assessment, then pressure ulcer prevention is improved, but unnecessary labor and resource expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously collects data on patient movement and posture through sensors, processes this information to generate mobility scores, and provides real-time feedback to caregivers about which patients require attention. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of turning schedules based on actual patient behavior rather than static risk scores
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying uniform turning protocols to all patients, the system implements partial action by targeting interventions only to patients who demonstrate low mobility scores and high risk characteristics, thereby avoiding excessive turning of patients who are already mobile and reducing unnecessary labor
3Measurement precision
If manual mobility assessment by caregivers is used, then the system is simple to implement, but the objectivity and consistency of assessment is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system operates continuously to monitor patient movement and posture, eliminating the discontinuous nature of manual assessments. Sensors collect data 24/7 without interruption, providing a continuous stream of objective mobility information that captures subtle changes in patient behavior that would be missed during periodic manual checks
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates an objective digital copy of patient movement patterns through sensor data, replacing subjective caregiver observations. The sensors capture and record actual physical movements, postures, and pressure distributions, creating an immutable digital record that can be analyzed consistently without human interpretation variability
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus is provided, such as a bed, cot, stretcher, or the like, that includes a sensor adapted to detect movement of the occupant while the occupant is supported on the support apparatus. A controller monitors outputs from the sensor in response to a mobility assessment control being activated. After monitoring the outputs for a period of time, the controller generates a mobility score based on the outputs from the sensor. In some embodiments, the controller use outputs from the sensor to determine which region of a defined surface area the patient has moved to. The controller records these visited regions over a time period and uses them to generate the mobility assessment. The mobility assessment provides an objective measure of an important factor used in predicting a patient's risk of developing pressure ulcers.