Touchscreen Lock Screen for Patient Support Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds and stretchers, lack intuitive graphical user interfaces that effectively communicate the operational status and locking mechanisms, leading to potential inadvertent activation of controls and increased user labor in understanding important information.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a touchscreen graphical user interface with a motion control screen and lock screen that displays essential information, including a tilt angle of the litter frame, with customizable options and an intuitive unlocking mechanism to prevent inadvertent activation, allowing users to navigate only after activating an unlock control and dragging a slider icon for a predetermined time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a touchscreen display is used to control patient support apparatus, then the interface is more modern and space-efficient, but it becomes easier to inadvertently activate controls
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by displaying predictive information about the effect of control inputs before the user activates the control. The touchscreen shows visual feedback indicating what will happen when a control is pressed, allowing the user to confirm the desired action before activation, thus preventing inadvertent control activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The touchscreen display provides immediate visual feedback when controls are hovered over or pressed, showing the user what action will be taken. This feedback mechanism allows users to verify their intended action before execution, reducing inadvertent activation while maintaining ease of use.
2Loss of information
If important operational information is always displayed, then users have continuous awareness of system status, but the display becomes cluttered and harder to understand
Solution Approach 1:
The display is segmented into different functional areas and information hierarchies. Critical information is prominently displayed while secondary information is organized in structured formats. The interface divides complex operational data into manageable segments that can be easily scanned and understood.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the display have different visual qualities and information densities based on their importance. Critical operational status indicators use distinctive visual properties (color, size, position) to stand out, while less critical information uses subdued presentation. This local differentiation helps users quickly identify important information without being overwhelmed by the entire display.
3Reliability
If the touchscreen locks after non-use to prevent inadvertent activation, then control reliability improves, but users must perform additional actions to access controls
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by displaying predictive information about the effect of control inputs before the user activates the control. The touchscreen shows visual feedback indicating what will happen when a control is pressed, allowing the user to confirm the desired action before activation, thus preventing inadvertent control activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The touchscreen interface dynamically transitions between locked and unlocked states based on user interaction and time. The lock mechanism is not static but adapts to usage patterns, automatically unlocking when a valid control sequence is initiated and relocking after periods of inactivity. This dynamic behavior balances security with ease of access.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, cot, stretcher, etc., includes a control panel having a touchscreen display adapted to display a plurality of screens thereon. A controller automatically displays a lock screen on the display after a period of non-use and prevents the user from navigating to a different screen until the user drags a slider icon across the display and thereafter continues to press down on the slider icon for a predetermined time period. The controller may alternatively, or additionally, be adapted to display a litter frame tilt angle on the lock screen. The controller may alternatively, or additionally, display a motion control screen that includes a first lock indicator when a first motion control is in a locked state, and that adds a second lock indicator when a user presses on the first motion control while it is in the locked state.