Pressure Sensor Array for Patient Mobility Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for predicting pressure injuries, such as the Braden Scale, are not accurate, and excessive nursing care for all patients is unsustainable, necessitating a more effective monitoring system to identify patients at risk in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A system using a spatial arrangement of pressure sensors to monitor pressure readings and determine angular orientation and movement parameters, automatically assessing a patient's mobility and presenting a pressure injury category to caregivers for timely intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the Braden Scale is used to stratify patients by risk categories, then patients can be grouped for nursing care, but the prediction accuracy of pressure injury formation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual Braden Scale assessment with an automated sensor-based system that uses pressure measurements, angular orientation detection, and movement parameter tracking to objectively determine pressure injury risk, thereby improving both prediction accuracy and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary automated monitoring system between the patient and the nursing care decision-making process, using sensors and algorithms to translate physical parameters into actionable risk assessments
2Reliability
If extraneous nursing care is increased to reduce pressure injury occurrence, then pressure injury prevention improves, but resource sustainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary risk assessment using automated sensors to identify patients at high risk before pressure injuries develop, enabling targeted prevention efforts that reduce the need for extensive ongoing nursing care
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies nursing care selectively based on automated risk assessment, providing intensive monitoring and intervention only to patients who exhibit high-risk patterns, rather than uniformly to all patients
3Measurement precision
If real-time pressure monitoring is implemented, then pressure injury risk assessment accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array serves multiple functions simultaneously: measuring pressure distribution, detecting angular orientation, and tracking movement parameters, thereby achieving comprehensive monitoring without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple sensing capabilities and data processing functions into an integrated monitoring platform that automatically correlates pressure, orientation, and movement data to generate unified risk assessments
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for patient pressure injury prevention (PPIP) include receiving, from a plurality of pressure sensors configured to be disposed in a spatial arrangement in contact with a patient, samples that indicate pressure measurements by the plurality of sensors at each of a plurality of different times. At each of the plurality of different times an angular orientation of the pressure is determined based on the samples. A change in the angular orientation of the pressure is determined at each successive time of the plurality of different times. A value of a patient movement parameter is determined based on the change in angular orientation of the pressure. A pressure injury category for the patient based on the value of the patient movement parameter is presented on a display device for a caregiver. Treatment of the patient by the caregiver is based on the pressure injury category.