Patient Turning Wedge With Selective Glide for Stable Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices and methods fail to adequately protect bedridden patients from pressure ulcers, particularly in the sacral region, due to difficulties in turning patients, inconsistent turning angles, and the inability to maintain patient positioning over time, often requiring multiple caregivers and leading to potential caregiver injuries.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sheet with directional stitching and glide materials, and wedges with selective gliding assemblies, which resist movement in specific directions to facilitate patient turning and positioning, using a combination of high and low-friction materials to enhance stability and breathability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pillows are used to support the patient's body for turning, then the patient can be positioned on one side or the other, but the pillows are non-uniform and can slip out from underneath the patient, posing difficulties in achieving consistent turning angles
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge device provides uniform, engineered support at the specific location needed for patient positioning. The wedge's geometric shape and material properties ensure consistent contact and support distribution, eliminating the non-uniformity of pillows while maintaining ease of positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge device changes the positioning parameter from variable (pillow compression and shape) to fixed (wedge geometry). This provides reliable, repeatable turning angles while maintaining ease of operation through simple wedge insertion and adjustment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If patients are positioned in an inclined position on the bed, then pulmonary reasons are addressed, but patients tend to slide downward toward the foot of the bed, causing friction or shearing at the sacrum and other areas
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge device acts as an intermediary between the patient and the bed surface. It provides a controlled inclined surface that distributes the patient's weight and reduces direct contact friction, while the wedge's geometry prevents uncontrolled sliding by providing stable contact points.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge device utilizes materials with specific friction characteristics to control patient movement. The combination of materials provides sufficient friction to prevent harmful sliding while allowing controlled adjustment, addressing both the inclined positioning need and the friction reduction requirement.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If frequent turning of the patient is performed to combat sacral pressure ulcers, then pressure on the sacrum is relieved, but turning patients is difficult and time consuming, typically requiring two or more caregivers, and can result in injury to caregivers
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge device enables self-service positioning by allowing the patient to be turned and supported using a single wedge placed under the patient's body. This eliminates the need for multiple caregivers to manually reposition the patient, reducing time loss and caregiver injury risk while effectively relieving sacral pressure.
4Ease of operation
If pillows are used for patient support, then turning and positioning can be achieved, but the pillows do not have sufficient breathability and cannot be left under a patient for long periods of time
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge device is constructed from porous or breathable materials that allow air circulation and moisture vapor transmission. This maintains patient support functionality while preventing heat and moisture accumulation, enabling long-term use without the harmful effects associated with non-breathable pillow materials.
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
The system allows for efficient and safe patient turning and positioning, reducing the risk of pressure ulcers by minimizing sliding and shearing forces, while requiring fewer caregivers and ensuring consistent angles, thus enhancing patient care efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a first pull force necessary to create sliding movement of the sheet with respect to the ramp surface in the first direction is greater compared to a second pull force necessary to create sliding movement of the sheet with respect to the ramp surface in a second direction
Data Source
AI summary
A system for use with a bed having a frame and a supporting surface includes a sheet having a bottom surface configured to be placed above the supporting surface and a top surface opposite the bottom surface, and a wedge having a wedge body with a base wall, a ramp surface, and a back wall, wherein the base wall has a base engagement member configured to engage a surface of the bed to form a selective gliding assembly that resists movement of the wedge with respect to the bed in a direction extending from the back wall toward the apex, and wherein the base engagement member is configured as a patch, the patch covering only a first portion of the base wall such that edges of the engagement members are spaced from edges of the base wall to allow a second portion of the base wall to be exposed.