Patient Support Deck Collision Avoidance via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patient support apparatuses face challenges in navigating obstacles during height adjustments, which can cause damage to the apparatus or obstacles, particularly when moving between minimum and maximum heights or articulating sections.
Innovation Solution
The patient support apparatus incorporates a lift system and articulation system with automated control to prevent collisions by sensing potential obstacles and adjusting the height or articulation of the patient support deck and side rails, ensuring safe movement and avoiding contact with the floor surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lift system moves the patient support deck to maximum height or minimum height, then ease of access and patient handling is improved, but the risk of collision with obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary detection of obstacles in the path of the patient support deck before initiating height adjustment. The sensor detects obstacles ahead of time, and the control system pre-adjusts the height or articulation to avoid collision, preventing the harmful effect before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor continuously monitors the environment around the patient support deck during height adjustment and articulation movements. When an obstacle is detected, the sensor provides feedback to the control system, which then automatically adjusts the lift or articulation to maintain a safe gap, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents collision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the articulation system moves the back section to fully raised or fully lowered position, then patient comfort and treatment accessibility is improved, but the risk of damaging the apparatus or obstacles increases
Solution Approach 1:
Before the articulation system moves the back section to extreme positions, the sensor detects obstacles in the potential path of movement. The control system uses this information to pre-adjust the articulation angle or coordinate with the lift system to ensure the back section does not collide with obstacles, preserving apparatus durability while maintaining positioning flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
During articulation movement, the sensor continuously monitors for obstacles and provides real-time feedback to the control system. When an obstacle is detected near the path of the back section, the control system automatically limits the articulation range or adjusts the movement trajectory to prevent damage, allowing full range of motion only when the path is clear.
3Reliability
If automated control is added to prevent collisions, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor acts as an intermediary component between the patient support apparatus and the control system. The sensor detects obstacles and translates this information into signals that the control system can process, enabling automated collision prevention without requiring complex sensing and control logic within the main control system itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically detects obstacles using the sensor and autonomously adjusts the lift or articulation to avoid collisions without requiring manual intervention or complex decision-making algorithms. The system serves itself by integrating simple sensor feedback with automated control logic that directly adjusts actuator commands.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus comprises a base and a patient support deck. The patient support deck comprises a back section capable of articulating relative to a seat section. A lift system lifts or lowers the patient support deck relative to the base. An articulation system articulates the back section relative to the seat section. Head end side rails are mounted to the back section to articulate with the back section. A controller controls operation of the lift system and/or the articulation system to prevent the head end side rails from colliding with obstacles, such as the floor surface.