Supine Cycle Device for Bedside Muscle Tone Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients in intensive care units who cannot stand or sit face challenges in maintaining or gaining muscle tone due to the need for repositioning on exercise machines, which is risky and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A therapeutic muscle exercise device that can slide over a hospital bed, allowing supine leg or arm cycle training without requiring patients to be moved, featuring a cycling base with rotating arms and functional electrical stimulation, enabling volitional or assisted muscle contractions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If patients use traditional exercise machines, then muscle tone can be maintained or improved, but patients require repositioning or lifting which increases risk and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bed as an intermediary platform that integrates exercise functionality directly into the patient's resting position. The bed includes a movable platform with exercise apparatus that can be positioned beneath the patient, eliminating the need to transfer the patient to separate exercise equipment. This mediator (the bed) resolves the contradiction by providing exercise capability without requiring patient repositioning or lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the exercise machine functionality with the bed structure by positioning the exercise apparatus on or within the bed frame. The cycling device, resistance mechanisms, and support structures are integrated into the bed's movable platform, creating a combined system that eliminates the need for separate exercise equipment and patient transfer operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If patients are moved onto exercise machines, then exercise therapy can be provided, but the process is time-consuming and risky
Solution Approach 1:
The bed serves as a mediator that brings the exercise apparatus to the patient rather than requiring the patient to be moved to the apparatus. The movable platform can be positioned beneath the patient while they remain in bed, and the exercise equipment can be adjusted to accommodate the patient's position, eliminating time-consuming transfer operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic, adjustable components including a movable bed platform, adjustable exercise resistance, and reconfigurable support structures. These dynamic elements allow the exercise therapy to be adapted to different patient conditions and positions without requiring physical repositioning of the patient, reducing setup time and increasing versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If patients are moved onto exercise machines, then exercise therapy can be provided, but the process involves risks associated with patient handling
Solution Approach 1:
The bed acts as a safe intermediary that eliminates direct patient handling risks. By positioning the exercise apparatus on the bed's movable platform and bringing it to the patient, the system avoids the harmful effects of lifting, transferring, and repositioning patients, particularly those with limited mobility or medical fragility.
Solution Approach 2:
The exercise apparatus is designed to accommodate patients in their existing bed position, allowing them to receive therapy without requiring external assistance for repositioning. The adjustable components can be configured to match the patient's body position and medical requirements, enabling safe, self-contained exercise therapy within the familiar and safe environment of the hospital bed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A therapeutic muscle exercise device (100) for assisting subjects in maintaining and regaining muscle tone through the use of functional electrical stimulation has an extremity support (109) and a functional electrical stimulation controller (175). The extremity support is mounted on a mobile support (103) which allows the device to be easily used when the subject is lying on a bed.