Patient Relocation Sheet With Perimeter Straps for Pressure Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing person relocation devices in healthcare settings, such as repositioning sheets and transport slings, often fail to provide long-term comfort and pressure ulcer prevention, and may not accommodate both supine and seated postures during transport, with limited customization options for caregivers.
Innovation Solution
A multi-purpose person relocation device featuring a sheet with strategically positioned straps that attach to a hoist, allowing for suspension in both seated and supine postures, and coded loops for customizable transport orientations, ensuring pressure ulcer prevention by keeping reinforcement bands out of the patient contact area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a sling is designed with strong fabric and hoisting straps to safely support all of the patient's weight, then the sling strength is improved, but the sling may cause pressure ulcers due to features that contribute to strength but are contraindicated for pressure ulcer prevention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes traditional hoisting straps from the patient contact area and replaces them with attachment points at the perimeter of the sheet. This extracts the harmful element (straps that cause pressure ulcers) while preserving the lifting function through alternative means (perimeter attachment points connected to hoist).
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet is designed with different properties in different regions: the patient contact area uses soft, pressure-distributing material without seams or straps, while the perimeter regions contain attachment points and reinforcement for hoisting. This local differentiation allows the sling to provide both strength and pressure ulcer prevention.
2Ease of operation
If a repositioning sheet is designed for extended use as a conventional bed sheet, then the ease of operation is improved, but the sheet must eliminate features that could cause pressure ulcers, requiring a completely different design from transport slings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a single sheet that functions as both an extended-use bed sheet and a transport sling. The universal design includes perimeter attachment points that enable hoisting when needed, while the entire surface provides pressure ulcer prevention for extended use. This eliminates the need for separate repositioning sheets and transport slings.
3Reliability
If traditional slings are designed for supine transport posture, then the reliability is improved, but they cannot accommodate seated transport posture which may be more desirable for medical reasons or patient comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet design allows dynamic adaptation between supine and seated transport postures through its flexible construction and perimeter attachment points. The sheet can conform to different body positions while maintaining safe support, enabling caregivers to select the most appropriate posture for each patient and situation.
Data Source
AI summary
A person relocation device includes sheet which defines a person space for a person. The sheet includes a left lateral strap, a right lateral strap, a head end strap and a foot end strap. Each strap is attached to the sheet only at a perimeter thereof and does not extend into the person space. The straps are adapted to be connected to a hoist so that when all of the straps are so connected and tensioned by the weight of the person the sheet suspends the person in a seated posture.