Rotatable Cover Plate for Ventilator User Interface Ergonomics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ventilators face challenges in achieving a compact design while allowing flexible repositioning of the user interface relative to the patient connections, leading to suboptimal ergonomics and increased size due to the fixed arrangement of the user interface above the basic unit.
Innovation Solution
A ventilator design featuring a rotatable cover plate with a rotating mechanism and swivel joint, allowing the user interface to be positioned at various angles and orientations relative to the basic unit, including 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°, with a trolley for easy movement and configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the user interface is integrated into the basic unit at a fixed angle, then the device dimensions are smaller and manufacturing is more cost-effective, but the user interface cannot be repositioned ergonomically and patient connections cannot be optimally oriented
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate is made rotatable relative to the basic unit, transforming the static housing configuration into a dynamic one. The user interface mounted on the cover plate can thus be repositioned to different angles (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) to accommodate various ergonomic requirements and patient connection orientations, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and fixed configuration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented into a basic unit and a rotatable cover plate, allowing independent optimization of each component. The cover plate can be rotated to different positions without affecting the basic unit structure, enabling flexible user interface positioning while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
2Ease of operation
If the user interface is arranged above the patient connections, then a large-surface touchscreen can be used for modern graphical user interfaces, but the overall height of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate rotation mechanism allows the user interface to be dynamically repositioned from a vertical arrangement above the patient connections to lateral arrangements at 90° or 270°. This reduces the overall device height while maintaining large touchscreen capability, as the interface can be positioned at the side rather than stacked vertically.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of arranging the user interface only in the vertical dimension above the patient connections, the rotatable cover plate enables positioning in lateral dimensions (left/right sides). This dimensional shift reduces vertical space requirements while preserving the large touchscreen surface area for optimal user interaction.
3Productivity
If patient connections are oriented in the direction of the patient to reduce dead space, then ventilation performance improves, but the display is not optimally oriented towards the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable cover plate enables dynamic repositioning of the user interface relative to the patient connections. The patient connections can be oriented towards the patient to reduce dead space and improve ventilation performance, while the user interface on the rotatable cover plate can be independently positioned at optimal angles (90° or 270°) to face the patient or physician as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The functional separation of patient connections and user interface through the rotatable cover plate allows independent optimization of each. Patient connections can be fixed in the optimal orientation for ventilation performance, while the user interface can be rotated to the optimal orientation for user interaction, resolving the conflict between these two requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A ventilator (100), includes a basic unit (1) with a cover plate (10). Patient ports (4) are arranged at the basic unit (1) and a user interface (2) is arranged at the cover plate (10). The cover plate (10) can be arranged at the basic unit (1) at different angles in relation to a vertical axis.