Patient Positioning Device with Leg Wrapping for Heat Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transfer of patients between support surfaces in a hospital setting is challenging, leading to potential injuries for both patients and staff, and hypothermia is a common issue during surgery due to inadequate heat retention.
Innovation Solution
A patient positioning device with flexible substrates that wrap around the patient's legs and arms, providing heat retention and protection, and featuring handles for safe lifting and movement, along with optional legging configurations for lithotomy positions and integrated fasteners for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If patients are transferred between support surfaces using manual lifting and sliding, then patients can be moved between locations, but patients and staff are at risk of injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transfer board as an intermediary device between the patient and the support surfaces. The board provides a smooth, low-friction surface that allows the patient to be glided across during transfer, eliminating the need for direct manual lifting and sliding that causes injuries. The board acts as a mediator that distributes the transfer process, reducing concentrated stress on both patient and staff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical system of manual lifting and sliding with a low-friction glide mechanism. By using a transfer board with a smooth surface and potentially incorporating air rollers or other low-friction elements, the system substitutes direct mechanical contact and friction-based movement with a glide-based transfer mechanism, significantly reducing injury risk.
2Temperature
If blankets are used to cover patients to prevent hypothermia, then heat retention is improved, but blankets are bulky, frequently unravel, and may fall off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible, form-fitting covering that conforms to the patient's body contours, replacing traditional bulky blankets. This flexible shell-like structure maintains heat retention while eliminating the unraveling and falling-off problems associated with conventional blankets. The material and design allow it to stay in place while providing thermal insulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a dynamic, adaptive covering that can conform to the patient's body shape and movement. The flexible nature of the covering allows it to move with the patient during transfers and positioning, maintaining contact and heat retention without being bulky or prone to unraveling. The system adapts to changing patient positions and movements.
3Reliability
If surgical drapes or leggings are used to isolate surgical areas, then sterile environment is maintained, but they must be impervious to liquid strikethrough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures in the surgical covering that combine layers with different properties. The composite construction provides both sterility maintenance and liquid impermeability in a single integrated system, eliminating the need for separate drapes and leggings while meeting all requirements for sterile environment maintenance and fluid protection.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A positioning device is described. This device includes a planar sheet having first and second side edges and a top surface. A patient is positioned on the top surface where the first and second side edges are adjacent to the patient's legs. A first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate are coupled to the respective first and second side edge of the sheet and are capable of wrapping around an adjacent leg of the patient creating a wrapped engagement. This wrapped engagement of the patient's legs prevents heat loss during pre-surgery, surgery, post-surgery or transport of the patient. Handles coupled to the sheet may be utilized for lifting or moving the sheet when the patient is supported by the sheet.