Internally Stowable Inner Leg Supports for Therapeutic Bed Transfers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing therapeutic beds require manual removal of inner leg supports, which are heavy and unwieldy, posing a risk of caregiver and patient injury, and can entangle patient clothing or skin during transfer.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable support frame with internally stowable inner leg supports that adjust between deployed and stowed positions, allowing safe and obstruction-free patient movement without manual removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If inner leg supports are made heavy and unwieldy to provide adequate support, then patient support stability is improved, but caregiver safety and ease of operation deteriorate due to injury risk during manual removal
Solution Approach 1:
The inner leg supports are designed to be movable rather than fixed, automatically transitioning between deployed and retracted positions based on patient orientation. This eliminates the need for manual handling by caregivers while maintaining structural integrity and support stability when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the patient's own position (prone vs. supine) to automatically trigger the deployment or retraction of inner leg supports through sensors and actuators. The supports serve themselves by responding to patient orientation changes without external intervention, eliminating caregiver exposure to injury risks.
2Reliability
If inner leg supports remain fixed during patient transfer, then patient support function is maintained, but patient movement freedom deteriorates due to obstruction and entanglement risks
Solution Approach 1:
The inner leg supports dynamically adjust their position based on patient orientation. During supine positioning for transfer, the supports automatically retract to clear the patient's path, eliminating obstruction and entanglement risks while maintaining support function when the patient is in prone position.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively retracts the inner leg supports before patient transfer operations begin, preventing potential entanglement of clothing or skin with the supports. This preliminary action eliminates the harmful effect before it can occur during patient movement.
3Device complexity
If manual removal of inner leg supports is required for patient transfer, then support structure simplicity is maintained, but time efficiency and productivity deteriorate due to additional manual operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects patient orientation changes and autonomously deploys or retracts inner leg supports without requiring caregiver intervention. This self-service capability eliminates time-consuming manual operations while maintaining relatively simple support structure through the use of sensors and automated actuators.
Data Source
AI summary
A therapeutic proning bed include an inner leg support system adjustable between a deployed position and a stowed position. The inner leg support system may, for example, be internally stowed when performing adjustment between the deployed and stowed position. In some embodiments, the inner leg support system may be adjusted between a deployed and stowed position without removal from the bed.