Transformable Patient Transport Device for Ambulance Maneuverability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport devices for human bodies, such as stretchers, are cumbersome and time-consuming to convert between positions, posing challenges for ambulance personnel in emergency situations due to heavy equipment weight and limited maneuverability, especially in tight spaces.
Innovation Solution
A transport device with a main frame, wheels, and a transformation mechanism that allows conversion between a planar support state for lying patients and an angled support state for seated patients, also enabling use as a wheelchair or equipment trolley, with a sturdy wheel base for improved maneuverability and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If an electric stretcher is used to reduce the physical load of raising a stretcher, then the physical load on personnel is reduced, but the heavy weight of the stretcher (around 70 kg) and the need to leave it in the ambulance reduces maneuverability and increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The stretcher is divided into a main frame and a support frame that can be independently manipulated. The support frame with supports can be detached or repositioned separately from the main frame, allowing personnel to leave the heavy main frame in the ambulance while taking the lighter support frame for continued patient care and equipment transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The device serves multiple functions: it can be used as a full stretcher when assembled, as a lightweight support frame for equipment transport, and the supports can be configured in different positions. This multi-functionality allows the same components to address both the lifting assistance need and the maneuverability requirement.
2Ease of operation
If the main frame is tilted backward for transport with the wheel midway contacting the ground, then the patient can be transported, but the patient remains in a lying position only and conversion to seated position requires effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame is designed with displaceable hinges that allow dynamic reconfiguration between different patient positions. The supports can be moved from a horizontal configuration (lying position) to an angled configuration (seated position) through simple hinge movements, enabling quick adaptation without complex mechanisms or significant effort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If three detachable frame sections are used for selective interengagement to extricate and transport patients, then adaptability to different positions is improved, but the conversion process requires considerable effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using three separate detachable frame sections that require assembly and disassembly, the invention combines the supports and support frame as an integrated unit that attaches to the main frame. This unified structure eliminates the need for complex interengagement of multiple sections while maintaining adaptability between lying and seated positions.
4Device complexity
If handle bars are stored away during conversion, then the device structure is simplified, but the conversion process requires additional effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The supports serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the patient, act as positioning elements for different orientations, and can function as handles for maneuvering the device. This eliminates the need for separate handle bars that would require storage and retrieval during conversion.
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a main frame; at least one wheel; and supports. The supports are arranged in a support frame movably connected to the main frame. The support frame comprises a seat sub frame and a leg sub frame. The seat sub frame or the leg sub frame is fixedly hinged to the main frame, and the other is displaceably hinged to the main frame. A transformation mechanism associated with the main frame can convert the device between a planar support state and an angled support state. Supports enclose an angle to define a seat and backing support. The leg sub frame is extended beyond its hinge relative to the main frame and comprises a set of wheels at the free end of the extended leg sub frame. The extended leg sub frame provides a sturdy wheel base in the angled support state to define a wheel chair mode.