Transformable Wash Basin With Sealed Limb Openings for Wound Irrigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hospital basins are not effectively adapted to serve both purposes of sponge bathing and wound irrigation, lacking the necessary versatility and efficiency for these specific medical applications.
Innovation Solution
A transformable basin design featuring opposing hinged doors that can be adjusted to accommodate different patient sizes, with optional features like elastomeric spring panels and tear-away door panels, allowing for secure water containment and ergonomic support during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a basin is designed for sponge bathing, then it can accommodate patient bodies, but it cannot effectively contain water for wound irrigation
Solution Approach 1:
The basin incorporates a flexible liner that can be dynamically adjusted or removed to transform the basin's functionality. When the liner is in place, it creates a watertight seal for wound irrigation; when removed or adjusted, it allows for sponge bathing applications, enabling the basin to adapt to different medical procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible liner made of elastomeric material is inserted into the basin to create a watertight barrier. This thin film structure allows the basin to effectively contain water for wound irrigation while maintaining the ability to be removed or adjusted for other uses, resolving the contradiction between versatility and water containment reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a basin is designed with fixed structure, then it is simple to manufacture, but it cannot accommodate different patient sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The basin incorporates adjustable components such as height-adjustable side walls or flexible positioning mechanisms that allow the structure to be dynamically reconfigured to accommodate different patient sizes and body types, transforming a static structure into an adaptable one.
Solution Approach 2:
The basin design allows for adjustment of key geometric parameters such as height, width, or depth through movable components or interchangeable parts, enabling the same basin structure to adapt to various patient dimensions without requiring multiple specialized basins.
3Reliability
If a basin uses traditional door closure, then it is simple to operate, but it cannot provide adequate seal for water containment
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible liner extends to form sealing edges that engage with the basin walls or door structures. This flexible film creates an effective watertight seal while maintaining ease of operation, as the flexible material can conform to slight movements or imperfections in the rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The basin system combines rigid structural components with flexible sealing materials to create a composite structure that achieves both reliable water containment and ease of operation. The rigid parts provide structural integrity while the flexible elements provide sealing and operational convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A hospital-grade basin holds water for washing patients, and converts easily/quickly for the patient's limb to rest across a portion of the basin. Half-moon shaped openings on opposite sides of the basin wall(s) support the limb at a reduced height with respect to adjacent side wall portions, which serve as a partial shield during wound irrigation. The shaped openings are sealed with hinged doors in a closed position, using a friction fit and/or elastomeric leaf-spring members. In another embodiment, opposing portions of the side wall may instead be formed of an over-molded elastomeric material that conforms to the patient's limb, or may have walls formed like a bellows. A one-time transformable basin has a wall with first and second notches to form first and second tear-away panels, which leave residual areas shaped and positioned on the wall according to first and second portions of a patient's limb.