Person Support Sensing for Mobility-Based Pressure Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for person support apparatuses lack the ability to assess and configure settings based on a person's activity and mobility, which are crucial for preventing health issues like pressure sores and hip fractures.
Innovation Solution
A person support system equipped with sensors and a control system that assesses a person's activity and mobility by monitoring changes in position, allowing for the configuration of electronically controllable features such as mattress pressure and airflow to optimize comfort and risk reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors monitor changes in position to assess activity and mobility, then the ability to prevent health issues like pressure sores and hip fractures is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting position changes, assessing activity levels, evaluating mobility, and triggering appropriate responses. This multi-functionality allows the system to prevent multiple health issues (pressure sores, hip fractures, bedsores) using a single integrated sensor array, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors position changes and provides feedback to the control system, which then adjusts support apparatus settings accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables proactive prevention of health issues by detecting early signs of problematic positioning or inactivity and automatically responding to correct them
2Ease of operation
If the system dynamically adjusts support settings based on activity and mobility assessment, then comfort and risk reduction are enhanced, but the extent of automation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support apparatus automatically assesses activity and mobility levels and adjusts its own settings without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by using its own sensors to monitor the person's condition and autonomously configuring optimal support parameters, thereby enhancing comfort while managing automation through self-regulation
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts support settings in real-time based on continuously changing activity and mobility assessments. Rather than static configurations, the apparatus adapts its parameters (such as mattress firmness, positioning, or support levels) to match the person's current state, enhancing comfort through dynamic responsiveness
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors position changes greater than physiological activity but less than or equal to major position changes, then the measurement precision for activity and mobility assessment is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different measurement thresholds and sensitivity levels to different types of movements. Rather than using a single threshold for all position changes, the system distinguishes between local movements (physiological activity), intermediate movements (activity and mobility), and major movements (position changes). This localized approach to measurement precision improves accuracy while managing detection complexity through differentiated thresholding
Data Source
AI summary
A person support apparatus may, among other things, support a person in a laying-down or a seated position. One or more sensors, which may be operably coupled to the person support apparatus, monitor changes in the position of a person situated on the person support apparatus. A control system receives output from the sensor or sensors over a period of time, while the person is positioned on the person support apparatus. The control system makes a determination relating to the activity and/or mobility of the person positioned on the person support apparatus. The control system may use the activity and/or mobility determination to control a feature of the person support apparatus, or for other purposes.