Retractable Transfer Sheet for Patient Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repositioning patients on transfer surfaces, such as hospital beds, require significant force, time, and personnel, and pose a risk of injury due to high friction and manual handling.
Innovation Solution
A patient transfer apparatus comprising two rollers and a retractable low-friction transfer sheet that forms two layers between the patient and the transfer surface, allowing for sliding movement with reduced friction, facilitated by motors for easier unwinding and retracting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a traditional slide sheet is used for patient repositioning, then the patient can be moved across the transfer surface, but significant force and time are required due to high friction between the sheet and the patient's body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible transfer sheet made of low-friction material that forms two layers between the patient and transfer surface. The sheet's flexible nature allows it to conform to the patient's body while the low-friction material reduces the force needed to slide the patient, directly addressing the contradiction between required force and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the friction parameter by using a transfer sheet with low-friction material instead of traditional high-friction materials. This parameter change reduces the force required for patient repositioning while maintaining the sheet's ability to facilitate movement across the transfer surface.
2Productivity
If manual handling methods are used for patient transfer, then the patient can be repositioned, but the process requires significant time and multiple personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer sheet acts as an intermediary between the patient and the transfer surface, facilitating movement with reduced friction. This intermediary device enables faster patient repositioning with fewer personnel, directly improving productivity while reducing the time required for the transfer process.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer sheet is divided into two layers (top layer and bottom layer) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the layers to slide against one another with reduced friction, enabling faster patient repositioning and reducing the time and personnel needed for the procedure.
3Reliability
If traditional slide sheets are used, then patient repositioning can be achieved, but there is a high risk of injury due to high friction and manual handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the friction parameter by using low-friction material for the transfer sheet, which reduces the force required for patient movement. This parameter change decreases the risk of injury to both patients and healthcare providers by minimizing the high friction forces present in traditional manual handling methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer sheet serves as a mediator between the patient and the transfer surface, reducing direct contact and the associated friction forces. This intermediary device improves safety by minimizing the risk of injury while still enabling effective patient repositioning.
4Ease of operation
If a retractable transfer sheet system is implemented, then patient repositioning can be performed with less force and time, but the device complexity increases due to rollers and sheet retraction mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The rollers serve multiple functions: they hold the transfer sheet, enable its deployment, and facilitate its retraction. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still providing automated assistance for patient transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer sheet system is designed to be dynamic, transitioning between retracted and deployed states as needed. The rollers enable this dynamic behavior, allowing the sheet to be easily deployed and retracted while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through the use of standard mechanical components.
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
Enables patient repositioning with less force, in less time, and with fewer personnel, reducing the risk of injury by minimizing friction and automating the process.
Implementation Method 1
the transfer sheet forms two layers between the patient and the transfer surface that can slide against each other with reduced friction
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system is provided for repositioning a patient on a transfer surface (e.g., a hospital bed, a stretcher, an imaging system, or the like). The system comprises two rollers positioned on one side of the surface, and a retractable transfer sheet wound around the rollers. The transfer sheet may be unwound from the two rollers to form two layers between the patient and the transfer surface. The patient may then be moved by sliding a top layer of the transfer sheet relative to a second layer of the transfer sheet. After use, the sheet can be retracted around the roller(s), allowing it to be stored in a location that is convenient but out-of-the-way. Such a system may allow a patient to be moved with less force, in less time, with fewer personnel, or with some other benefit.