Patient Turning Board with Sliding Rails and Glide Sheet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices and methods for turning and positioning bedridden patients fail to adequately prevent pressure ulcers, particularly in the sacral region, due to difficulties in consistent and safe turning, which can lead to caregiver injuries and increased strain.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a base sheet with releasable connecting material and flaps, a glide sheet with high and low friction surfaces, and wedges that can be positioned between the sheets to support patients at an angle, facilitating easy turning and reducing pressure on sensitive areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent turning of the patient is implemented to prevent pressure ulcers, then pressure ulcer prevention is improved, but turning difficulty and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a turning board as an intermediary device between the patient and the bed. The turning board includes a sliding mechanism with a platform that can move along rails, allowing the patient to be turned by sliding the platform rather than manually lifting and rotating the patient. This mediator device reduces turning difficulty while maintaining frequent turning for pressure ulcer prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical turning with an automated sliding mechanism. Instead of caregivers manually lifting and rotating the patient, the system uses a motorized or manual sliding platform that moves along rails to reposition the patient. This substitution reduces the physical effort and skill required for turning operations.
2Reliability
If manual turning of the patient is performed, then pressure relief is achieved, but caregiver strain and injury risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The turning board serves as a mechanical intermediary that distributes the patient's weight across the sliding platform and rails. Caregivers only need to apply minimal force to move the platform, rather than lifting the entire patient weight. The sliding mechanism converts vertical lifting force into horizontal sliding force, which is much easier to control and applies less strain to caregivers.
Solution Approach 2:
The turning board creates a level playing field by providing a smooth, low-friction sliding surface. The platform moves along guided rails that maintain consistent contact with the patient's body, ensuring even force distribution and eliminating sudden jerks or spikes in force that would increase caregiver strain and injury risk.
3Ease of operation
If pillows are used to support the patient during turning, then positioning is achieved, but positioning consistency and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The turning board divides the positioning function into separate, controlled segments. Instead of using a single pillow that must be manually positioned and adjusted, the system uses segmented rails and a modular platform that can be precisely positioned at predetermined angles. Each segment of the turning board can be independently adjusted to achieve consistent positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the imprecise manual positioning of pillows with a mechanical sliding platform that moves along fixed rails. The platform can be positioned at specific angles and locked in place, providing repeatable and consistent positioning. The mechanical system eliminates the variability inherent in manual pillow placement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces pressure ulcers by enabling frequent and precise turning, minimizing friction and shearing, and managing heat and moisture, while also reducing the strain on caregivers during patient handling.
Implementation Method 1
a glide sheet (20) positioned above the top surface of the base sheet
Implementation Method 2
The base sheet has a piece of releasable connecting material (e.g. hook-and-loop) that is connected to the top surface of the base sheet
Implementation Method 3
one or more wedges (50) configured to be placed underneath the glide sheet (20), such as between the glide sheet (20) and the base sheet (80)
Implementation Method 4
The glide sheet (20) may include a low-friction material (25) connected to the body and forming at least a portion of the ramp surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for use with a bed having a frame and a supporting surface includes a base sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface adapted to be placed above the supporting surface, and a glide sheet positioned above the top surface of the base sheet. The base sheet has fasteners located around the peripheral edges, which are configured to releasably fasten the base sheet to the bed. The base sheet and the glide sheet each have a tether strap, and the tether straps are configured to be connected together to secure the glide sheet in place. One or both of the tether straps may include at least a portion that is elastic. The system may also include a wedge, where the wedge has a hook-and-loop or other releasable connecting material that is configured for connection to a complementary connecting material on the base sheet and/or the glide sheet.