Sepsis Risk Assessment via Integrated Patient Support Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sepsis risk assessments in healthcare facilities are often sporadic and not timely, with results limited to specific locations, and fluid management in sepsis patients is inaccurate, posing risks due to fluid leakage into interstitial spaces instead of the circulatory system.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus equipped with sensors and a point of care device that provides vital sign and cardiac output signals to a controller, which analyzes data to determine sepsis risk and fluid management needs, outputting command signals for visual indications and communicating with nurse call stations and electronic medical records to ensure timely and accurate care.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If sepsis risk assessments are conducted sporadically with traditional methods, then the assessment process is simple and requires minimal resources, but the timeliness of assessment results is poor and information availability is limited to specific locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions (vital signs monitoring, sepsis risk assessment, fluid management tracking) into an integrated patient support apparatus control system. This merging enables real-time data collection and analysis without requiring separate complex systems, thus improving timeliness while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed to perform multiple functions: monitoring vital signs, assessing sepsis risk, tracking fluid administration, and providing alerts. This multi-functionality allows a single system to address various aspects of patient care simultaneously, improving assessment timeliness without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Reliability
If fluid administration is increased to treat sepsis, then the therapeutic effect may be improved, but fluid may leak into interstitial space causing harm instead of entering the circulatory system
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors patient response to fluid administration through vital signs and adjusts fluid management recommendations accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables real-time assessment of fluid effectiveness and safety, improving reliability while preventing harmful fluid leakage by detecting early signs of interstitial edema.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fluid administration methods with a智能化 system that uses sensors, data analysis, and automated control to manage fluid therapy. This substitution enables more precise control over fluid delivery and better detection of fluid distribution patterns, improving accuracy and reducing harmful leakage.
3Ease of operation
If traditional sepsis assessment methods are used, then the system complexity is low, but the information is not readily available to caregivers and requires travel to specific locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions sepsis risk information from a location-bound format (available only at specific computers) to a mobile, multi-location accessible format through wireless communication and display on multiple devices. This dimensional change in information delivery improves caregiver accessibility without significantly increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically generates and distributes sepsis risk assessments to relevant caregivers without requiring manual retrieval or intervention. This self-service capability improves ease of operation by making information proactively available where needed, while the automation reduces the operational burden on staff.
4Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring is implemented to improve sepsis detection timeliness, then the assessment accuracy and responsiveness improve, but the energy consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic monitoring and assessment cycles rather than truly continuous operation, analyzing data at strategically determined intervals. This periodic action maintains measurement precision for sepsis detection while reducing energy consumption by allowing the system to enter lower-power states between assessment cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system dynamically adjusts its operation based on patient risk levels and clinical context, changing parameters such as sampling frequency and analysis depth. This allows high measurement precision when sepsis risk is elevated while conserving energy during stable periods, optimizing the balance between accuracy and energy use.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus includes a controller, a sensor capable of detecting vital signs, and a point of care (PoC) device for assessing risk of developing sepsis and for providing local and/or remote indications to caregivers. The controller is coupled to the sensor and the point of care device, and the controller can analyze signals from the sensor and the point of care device to determine data indicative of sepsis.