Patient Retention Device With Torque Winding Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient restraint devices on hospital stretchers, chairs, and beds lack effective mechanisms for securely restraining patients during movement or when at risk of exiting unsafely, and they often compromise cleanliness and customization.
Innovation Solution
A patient retention device featuring a rotatable shaft with a torque-producing device and a flexible restraint member that is windable and unwindable, allowing for secure patient restraint and easy replacement or cleaning, with a retractor assembly and external winding mechanism for accommodating various restraint widths and materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flexible restraint member is made removable and replaceable, then cleanliness and ease of maintenance are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for mounting and replacement mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is divided into separate components: a removable flexible restraint member and a fixed retractor assembly. This segmentation allows the restraint member to be easily removed for cleaning or replacement without disassembling the entire device, thereby improving ease of cleaning while minimizing the complexity increase through simple modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible restraint member is extracted as a separate, removable component from the retractor assembly. This extraction enables the restraint member to be independently removed, cleaned, or replaced, improving maintenance ease while the simple attachment mechanism keeps the overall device complexity manageable.
2Ease of operation
If a torque-producing device is used to automatically wind the restraint member, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional mechanical components
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor assembly incorporates a torque-producing device that automatically winds the flexible restraint member after it has been deployed to restrain a patient. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual winding by caregivers, significantly improving ease of operation. The automatic retraction feature is integrated into the basic retractor design, so the increase in device complexity is justified by the substantial operational benefits.
3Reliability
If the restraint member is made secure and tight, then patient safety is improved, but the risk of patient discomfort or injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible restraint member is designed to be dynamically adjustable through the retractor mechanism, allowing caregivers to control the tension and tightness applied to the patient. The system can transition from a loose state during application to a securely restrained state when needed, while the flexibility of the material and controlled retraction prevent excessive tightness that would cause discomfort or injury, thus maintaining patient safety while minimizing harmful effects.
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
Enhances patient safety by providing secure restraint during movement, improves cleanliness by allowing easy removal and replacement of restraint members, and reduces exposure to contaminants, while accommodating different patient sizes and needs.
Implementation Method 1
a torque-producing device operatively connected to the shaft to rotate the shaft about an axis of rotation
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support incorporates a patient retention device includes frame, a rotatable shaft, a torque-producing device, and a flexible restraint member. The shaft has a cantilevered portion that extends from the frame and windably receives the flexible restraint member at the cantilevered portion. Optionally, a winding member is releasably coupled to the cantilevered portion of the shaft for receiving the flexible restraint member. The winding member is non-rotatable relative to the shaft, and is readily removable and replaceable. The torque-producing device applies a torque to the shaft to wind the flexible restraint member onto the shaft or winding member.