Siderail Assembly with Movable Handle for Patient Egress
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Patients find it difficult to egress from beds, especially in chair positions, as they need to rotate, swing their legs over the side, and maintain an upright position without support, which can be challenging for some individuals, necessitating a solution that facilitates easier weight transfer and support during exiting.
Innovation Solution
A siderail assembly with a movable handle and slide assembly that pivots between positions to provide varying barrier lengths and widths, allowing patients to support their weight more comfortably during egress, and an egress position controller to manage the movement of the handle and slide assembly, enabling safer and easier exit from both bed and chair positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the patient attempts to egress from the bed in a conventional manner, then the patient can exit the bed, but the patient must rotate and swing legs over the side while maintaining an upright position without support, which increases the difficulty of egress
Solution Approach 1:
The siderail assembly serves as an intermediary support structure between the patient and the bed. The barrier portion provides a physical barrier that guides the patient's movement, while the handle portion acts as a mediator that the patient can grip for support during the egress process, eliminating the need to maintain an upright position without support
Solution Approach 2:
The siderail assembly is designed to be movable between a raised position and a lowered position. The barrier can pivot between a barrier position and an egress position, allowing the structure to adapt dynamically to different phases of patient egress - providing barrier protection during bed movement and then moving out of the way to facilitate patient exit
2Reliability
If the siderail assembly provides a barrier in the raised position, then patient safety is improved, but the barrier may interfere with the patient's ability to egress from the bed
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier is designed to pivot between a raised barrier position (providing safety) and a lowered egress position (facilitating exit). This dynamic repositioning allows the same structure to serve both protective and facilitative functions at different times during patient care
Solution Approach 2:
The siderail assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: a barrier portion for safety and a handle portion for patient support during egress. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the barrier provides protection while the handle enables patient interaction and weight support during exit
3Length of stationary object
If the handle and slide assembly are in the retracted position, then the barrier length is minimized, but the patient has less support available during egress
Solution Approach 1:
The slide assembly allows the handle to move dynamically between retracted and extended positions. During bed movement, the handle remains retracted to minimize barrier length. During patient egress, the handle can be extended to provide additional support length, adapting the support availability to the patient's needs
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A siderail assembly includes a guide, a support frame coupled to the frame and movable between first and second positions, and a barrier coupled to the support frame and movable therewith. The siderail assembly further includes a handle coupled to the barrier to move between a first position and a second position relative to the barrier. The siderail assembly may include electronic controls to change the position or limit movement of various portions of a patient support apparatus on which the siderail assembly may be coupled.