Patient Sling with Access Flap for Bedridden Care
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient slings hinder direct access to bedridden patients for skin care and increase the risk of injury for healthcare workers, particularly when dealing with bariatric patients, due to their design which often covers or obstructs areas needing treatment and requires manual support for turning.
Innovation Solution
A sling with a flexible sheet and adjustable suspenders that secures patients in a turned position, featuring access holes and gaps for treating hard-to-reach areas, and a flap that can be easily opened for direct access, along with quick-release buckles and a hook-and-loop attachment for secure and comfortable patient handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a sling is wrapped around a patient to hold them in a turned position, then patient positioning stability is improved, but access to skin areas for treatment is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The sling is divided into multiple segments including a body portion, a flap portion, and openings that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows the sling to maintain overall stability while creating accessible zones for patient treatment without requiring complete removal of the sling.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap portion of the sling can be dynamically opened or closed to provide temporary access to skin areas beneath the sling. This dynamic feature allows caregivers to treat bedsores and skin conditions while the patient remains secured in the turned position, eliminating the need to reposition the entire sling.
2Strength
If a sling covers the patient's body to provide support, then patient support is improved, but direct treatment of bedsores and skin areas becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts the treatment access function from the main body of the sling by incorporating openings and a movable flap. These features allow caregivers to access skin areas for direct treatment while the main body of the sling continues to provide support, separating the support function from the access function.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap acts as an intermediary element between the sling body and the patient's skin. It can be opened to provide access for treatment and then closed to restore full support, mediating between the need for continuous support and the need for periodic treatment access.
3Ease of operation
If manual support is used to turn and position patients, then patient positioning is achieved, but healthcare workers are at risk of back and neck injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The sling is designed to enable patients to assist in their own positioning through the mechanical advantage provided by the pulley system. Patients can pull on the rope to reposition themselves, reducing the need for healthcare workers to manually lift and turn heavy patients, thereby minimizing injury risk while maintaining positioning capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible sheet with suspenders is used to safely handle and reposition bed-constrained patients. The suspenders include couplers and are used to secure either side of the flexible sheet to the side railing on a hospital bed. By wrapping the suspenders on one side of the flexible sheet over a patient and connecting them to the opposite side rail, a patient can be switched from a supine position to a turned position. A upper access hole and lower access gap in the flexible sheet then allow attendants to access the patients backside, where treatments can be applied. A flap is otherwise used to cover the upper access hole, being secured to the flexible sheet by a fold and a perimeter of hook-and-loop fasteners. The flexible sheet provides a safe patient handling method that will result in a decrease of workplace injuries.