Pneumatic Mattress Width Extension for Bariatric Patient Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patient support systems, such as hospital beds, face challenges in accommodating bariatric patients while allowing easy movement through standard-sized facilities, as they need to be both wide enough to support the patient comfortably and narrow enough to pass through conventional doorways and hallways.
Innovation Solution
A patient support system with a bed that includes a main deck and side deck portions connected by extension chambers, which can be inflated or deflated using a fluid supply system to adjust the width, allowing the bed to be configured between a narrow-width and a wide-width mode, enabling easy passage through standard-sized areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the bed width is increased to accommodate bariatric patients, then patient support capability is improved, but the bed cannot pass through standard doorways and hallways
Solution Approach 1:
The bed width is made dynamically adjustable through inflatable extension chambers that can be inflated to extend the side deck portions for accommodating bariatric patients, and deflated to retract the side deck portions for passing through standard doorways and hallways. This dynamic transformation allows the bed to adapt between two distinct width states.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension chambers are positioned within the mattress structure, with side deck portions that can be nested into or extended from the main bed frame. When retracted, the side deck portions are nested within the main deck portion, creating a compact configuration that fits through standard facilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If powered extension drives are added to adjust bed width, then width adjustment capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using powered extension drives, the patent employs pneumatic inflation and deflation of extension chambers to adjust the bed width. A fluid supply device delivers pressurized fluid to inflate the chambers for extension, and fluid evacuation for retraction, eliminating the need for complex mechanical drive mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension chambers utilize the pressure differential created during inflation and deflation to automatically drive the side deck portions between extended and retracted positions. The pneumatic system itself provides the driving force, eliminating the need for separate powered extension drives.
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 effectively accommodates bariatric patients by providing an adjustable width that can be easily managed, ensuring comfortable support while allowing the bed to navigate through conventional spaces without requiring additional powered extension drives for the side deck portions.
Implementation Method 1
an extension chamber receives pressurized fluid from a fluid supply device to inflate the extension chamber
Implementation Method 2
upon inflation of the extension chamber, the side deck portion is driven outwardly to an extended position
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present disclosure, a patient support system includes a patient support device having extension chambers and a deck including extendable side deck portions. Upon caregiver selection, the side deck portions extended and retract by inflation and deflation of the extension chambers to provide an extended patient support surface.