Continuous-Belt Patient Transfer Deck for Cleaner Bed-to-Gurney Moves
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient transfer devices face challenges in maintaining stability under heavy loads, preventing contamination, and facilitating easy cleaning, especially in hospital settings where cross-contamination and infection control are critical.
Innovation Solution
A patient transfer device featuring a deck assembly with a continuous belt and a housing that isolates the deck from surfaces, using a disposable transfer sheet and a reversible deck design to reduce contact and contamination risk, while providing ergonomic support and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gurney is used to transport non-ambulatory patients, then patients can be moved between locations, but the device is difficult to clean and facilitates cross-contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable transfer sheets that are discarded after a single use, eliminating the need to clean and sanitize reusable surfaces. This disposable approach prevents cross-contamination between patients while maintaining ease of operation, as staff simply replace the sheet rather than cleaning the entire gurney surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer sheet is a thin, flexible film that covers the gurney surface, creating a barrier against contamination. This thin film is easy to handle, dispose of, and replace, addressing both the ease of cleaning requirement and the cross-contamination prevention need.
2Strength
If a gurney with rigid frame is used to support patient weight, then structural strength is provided, but the device is heavy and requires multiple staff members to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rigid metal frame with a flexible fabric or foam structure that provides sufficient support for patient transfer. This flexible construction dramatically reduces the weight of the device while maintaining the necessary strength to support patient weight during transfer operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gurney utilizes composite materials such as foam cores with fabric coverings, combining the structural support needs with weight reduction. These composite materials provide adequate strength for patient support while being significantly lighter than traditional metal frame constructions.
3Reliability
If a traditional gurney design with exposed hardware is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but contaminants can enter through seams and fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses seamless flexible fabric or foam coverings that eliminate exposed hardware, seams, and fasteners where contaminants could penetrate. This smooth, continuous surface prevents contaminant intrusion while maintaining structural integrity through the flexibility and durability of the material.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable nature of the transfer sheet ensures that any potential contamination pathways are eliminated by discarding the entire surface after single use, preventing contaminant intrusion and cross-contamination between patients.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for transferring a patient or other body comprises a housing, a deck at least partially disposed within the housing, and a continuous belt disposed about the deck. The housing is formed with first and second sides coupled to first and second ends, and a panel attached to the sides and ends to provide structural rigidity to the apparatus. The deck is coupled to the housing, and the continuous belt circulates around the deck to transfer a body from a first surface at a first side of the housing to a second surface at a second side of the housing.