Wrist-Worn Sedation Switch for Reliable Patient Compression Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient-controlled sedation devices are cumbersome and prone to being misplaced or difficult to operate, leading to potential under or over-sedation and increased patient anxiety during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A hand-operated device designed to fit around the patient's wrist, featuring a switch that activates upon compression, providing haptic, aural, or visual feedback, and connected to a dose metering system to allow patients to control their sedation level easily and reliably.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional push button switch is used for patient-controlled sedation, then the device structure is simple, but the device is prone to being misplaced and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The switch is integrated into the wrist-worn device housing, combining the control function with the wearable structure. This integration ensures the switch remains with the device and eliminates the need for separate control components, resolving the issue of devices being misplaced while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
A compression-activated switch mechanism serves as an intermediary between the patient's physical action and the sedation control system. The switch is activated by compressing the elastomeric material, providing an intuitive and easy-to-operate interface that reduces operational difficulty
2Ease of operation
If the device is made easy to operate, then patient control is improved, but the device may become less reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The use of elastomeric material as the compression element provides both ease of operation through its compliance and reliability through its consistent mechanical properties. The flexible elastomeric shell returns to its original shape after compression, ensuring reliable and repeatable switch activation while remaining easy to compress
Solution Approach 2:
The device provides feedback to confirm switch activation, ensuring the patient's input is reliably registered. This feedback mechanism maintains reliability by confirming that the compression action has successfully triggered the intended response in the sedation control system
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
Enables patients to maintain optimal sedation levels with reduced anxiety and shorter recovery times by ensuring easy and consistent operation, minimizing the risk of device loss and improving patient control over sedation administration.
Implementation Method 1
the switch is configured to be actuated by an increase in air pressure within the hollow tubular element upon compression of the elongate arcuate portion
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to patient-maintained sedation, and in particular to a hand- operated device for enabling a patient to control a level of sedation. Example embodiments include a hand-operated device (300) for a patient-controlled sedation system, the device (300) comprising: an elongate arcuate portion (301) arranged to fit around a wrist of a patient; and a switch (302) arranged to activate upon compression across a width of the elongate arcuate portion (301).