Stowable Patient Supports for Therapeutic Beds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support systems for prone therapy often have obstructions that require caregivers to manually lift patients or limbs during transfer, and existing solutions require detachment or incomplete movement of supports to accommodate adjacent equipment, hindering smooth patient movement.
Innovation Solution
A therapeutic bed with rotatable and translational side supports and prone packs that can be stowed to one side, allowing for obstruction-free patient movement by rotating and translating these components between deployed and stowed positions without detachment, enabling seamless transfer without gaps between equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If side supports and prone packs are made adjustable to remove obstructions, then patient movement is facilitated, but complete removal of obstructions requires detachment or incomplete movement of supports
Solution Approach 1:
The side supports and prone packs are designed with rotatable and translatable mechanisms that allow them to dynamically change position between deployed and stowed configurations. This dynamic capability enables complete removal of obstructions without detachment, as the supports can rotate to position themselves at the opposite side of the frame and translate to clear the patient transfer path entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces rotational and translational degrees of freedom to the support system. Instead of simple linear adjustment, the supports can rotate around the frame and translate to different positions, utilizing multiple dimensions of movement to achieve complete obstruction removal while remaining attached to the frame.
2Reliability
If side supports are positioned to restrict lateral movement, then patient safety is improved, but they obstruct patient movement during transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The side supports are designed to be dynamically repositionable between a deployed configuration that restricts lateral movement for safety and a stowed configuration that clears the patient transfer path. This dynamic adjustment allows the same component to fulfill both safety and transfer facilitation requirements at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The support system is segmented into independently adjustable components (side supports and prone packs) that can be positioned according to the specific operational need - either deployed for safety during therapy or stowed for unobstructed transfer.
3Ease of operation
If supports are made movable to facilitate transfer, then patient movement is unobstructed, but adjacent apparatuses cannot be positioned next to each other without gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The side supports and prone packs are designed with rotatable and translatable mechanisms that allow them to dynamically change position between deployed and stowed configurations. This dynamic capability enables complete removal of obstructions without detachment, as the supports can rotate to position themselves at the opposite side of the frame and translate to clear the patient transfer path entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces rotational and translational degrees of freedom to the support system. Instead of simple linear adjustment, the supports can rotate around the frame and translate to different positions, utilizing multiple dimensions of movement to achieve complete obstruction removal while remaining attached to the frame.
Data Source
AI summary
A therapeutic bed includes stowable prone packs and lateral side supports.