Patient Repositioning Sheet Drive Mechanism with Manual Crank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient repositioning systems in healthcare settings are inadequate, as they often require manual labor, which can lead to caregiver injury and do not effectively address the challenge of safely moving patients towards the head end of a bed, especially with obese or uncooperative patients, and lack commercially viable solutions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a mattress with a movable head end piece, a sheet with beaded edges retained by spaced retainers, and a sheet receiver housing with a drive mechanism that allows for easy access and cleaning, enabling the sheet to be pulled towards the head end without articulating the bed, thus reducing the need for manual labor and enhancing infection control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual pulling method is used to reposition patient, then device complexity is reduced, but caregiver safety deteriorates due to potential injury
Solution Approach 1:
A sheet is introduced as an intermediary element between the caregiver and the patient. The sheet is attached to the patient and pulled through a tracking system, allowing the caregiver to reposition the patient without direct physical contact or manual lifting, thereby eliminating the risk of caregiver injury while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical pulling action is replaced with a guided mechanical system consisting of tracks and a pulling device. The system uses a controlled mechanical path (tracks) to guide the sheet and patient, substituting uncontrolled manual force with a structured mechanical guidance system that maintains simplicity while improving safety
2Ease of operation
If housing with drive mechanism is added to automate sheet pulling, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive mechanism is designed to be self-contained within the housing, with the motor and transmission components integrated into a single unit that automatically winds the sheet. The system serves itself by using the motor to rotate the take-up spool, which in turn pulls the sheet through the tracks, eliminating the need for external manual intervention while keeping the overall system relatively simple through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional components are merged into a single housing unit: the drive motor, take-up spool, sheet chamber, and control elements are all combined within one enclosed structure. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture while providing automated sheet pulling functionality
3Ease of repair
If head end piece is made movable for access, then ease of repair improves, but stability of mattress structure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The head end of the mattress is segmented into a movable piece that can be folded or displaced independently from the main mattress body. This segmentation allows the head end piece to be moved for access to the housing and drive mechanism, while the remainder of the mattress structure remains stable and undisturbed, maintaining overall structural integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A patient repositioning system for pulling a patient toward a head end of a bed includes a sheet, a mattress, and a housing which contains at least a part of a drive mechanism for operatively coupling to and pulling the sheet. The housing resides below a head end piece of the mattress, and is secured to the bed deck. The sheet pulling structure extends out of the housing via a slot and releasably attaches to the sheet, in a manner which has a low profile so as to pass through the slot. The sheet is longer than and wider than the mattress, and has beaded longitudinal side edges which are retained within rows of spaced retainers located on opposite sides of the mattress. During pulling of the sheet, the contoured shape of the housing facilitates movement of the sheet into the housing via the slot, even though the sheet width extends beyond the lateral edges of the mattress. Additionally part of the drive mechanism may be located outside of the housing, and could include a hand held electrically powered unit, or even a hand crank which is operated entirely in a manual mode to reposition the patient.