National Design Competition Disabled Patient Positioning System Team members Ben Moga Tom Pearce Joel Rotroff Hani Bou Reslan Advisor Mitch Tyler Abstract Hospitals clinics and dental care facilities require a method to provide elevation and rotation to wheelchair patients for positioning near vital equipment Currently there is no existing device that can provide this motion The goal of this project is to create a transportable platform that is capable of lifting a wheelchair and its occupant 3 in to 9 in 76 2 mm to 228 6 mm above ground level and provide 360 of rotation The device needs to be controlled by either the patient or doctor The current design features two platforms connected by scissor jacks In operation the lower platform rests on the floor The upper platform is translated vertically by two hydraulic cylinders that receive power from a hydraulic motor running off a 12 V rechargeable battery Rotation is performed by a motor inside the system and is powered by the same battery Transportation of the device is accomplished by raising the system onto four wheels when the platform is in the lowered position Field of Invention The Disabled Patient Positioning System is intended for use in hospitals and dental care facilities The device allows wheelchair bound persons and others with limited mobility greater access to health care procedures This goal is accomplished by reducing mobilityrelated barriers to certain types of diagnostic and treatment tools Some patients specifically those using wheelchairs and other mobility aids are severely limited in their ability to adjust the position of their bodies For example a person in a wheelchair may be unable to stand thereby limiting the vertical position of the body to that dictated by the chair It can also be difficult for these patients to use traditional positioning aids such as a dentist s chair or an exam table In addition adjusting the angle of the body provides other challenges With the help of a doctor nurse or orderly some control of the direction of the patient is obtainable However in close proximity to medical equipment precise control of a wheelchair can be difficult and frustrating Some examples of uses for the Disabled Patient Positioning System include height adjustments for dental care positioning near X ray machines in both hospitals and dental care facilities and positioning near mammography machines in hospitals Background Research was conducted on existing wheelchair lift devices The lifts found were intended for both commercial and residential uses All platform lift devices researched were capable of vertical translation However none of the devices found allowed for controlled rotation The main functions of current platform devices are to vertically translate the wheelchair and its occupant into cars or up stairs Furthermore the devices were bulky and in most cases were fixed to operate in a permanent location This feature makes relocation for use in multiple settings very difficult Also most platform devices researched operated on an AC power supply To be ideally suited for use in a hospital setting the proposed device needs to be space efficient transportable and able to operate on a rechargeable DC power supply One example of an existing platform device is shown in figure 1 This device is capable of vertical translation only It is currently used in schools and other buildings and is not referenced for hospital use The elevation time for this device is around 20 seconds for a maximum height of 5 48 ft 1 67 m The device has a lifting capacity of 600 lbs and has been tested for 3000 lbs The device weighs approximately 270 lbs The dimensions for the device during transportation and storage are 37 5 in x 72 in 952 5 mm x 1828 8 mm Adaptative Engineering LTD 2003 a b Figure 1 The Mobilift CX shown in an operational state a is one example of an existing wheelchair lifting device The dimensions of this device b are shown in the illustrated top view Invention summary The proposed design has six key components which are 1 Base Provide support to the upper frame during normal operations 2 Platform Secures the wheelchair provides rotational motion and transmits force to the lifting mechanism 3 Lifting mechanism Allows the upper frame to translate vertically and provides the necessary support to maintain elevation 4 Rotational motor Rotates the circular portion of the upper platform where the patient is located Attached permanently to the upper frame 5 Control interface Allows remote control of both vertical position and rotation 6 Transportation Accessibility Gives access to the widest number of patients possible and allows the device to be easily transported between locations Base Shown in figure 2 the base of the device will consist of a 32 in x 36 in 812 8 mm x 914 4 mm rectangle made from rectangular steel tubing The steel pipe is 1 25 in 31 75 mm in the vertical direction and 2 in 50 8 mm in the horizontal direction with a wall thickness of 0 0833 in 2 12 mm The lifting mechanism will be attached to interior of the base An additional section on one of the shorter sides of the rectangle will be added increasing the overall length This piece left most part in figure 2b houses the 12 V power supply and hydraulic motor The exact dimensions of the housing depend on the size of the battery and hydraulic pump which have not been determined A hinged ramp will be placed opposite the housing The ramp will have the ability to lock into a vertical position figure 5b for use in transporting the system The ramp will be 36 in 812 8 mm in length to obtain a rise of 1 in 25 4 mm for a run of 12 in 304 8 mm a b Figure 2 The base pictured as the structurally significant portion a This portion will also serve as the attachment section for the ramp and housing area b Platform Shown in figure 3 the platform consists of two connected pieces The bottom piece of the platform consists of a 32 in x 36 in 812 8 mm x 914 4 mm frame made from the same steel tube used for the bottom frame Two more pieces of steel will be added length wise 2 5 in 63 5 mm inside the short edge of the outer frame A 1 in 25 4 mm by 0 5 in 12 2 mm steel bar runs length wise through the center of the frame This bar has a hole with a sleeve bearing which provides the rotation axis for the steel disk above The second upper piece of the platform consists of a 32 in x 36 in x 0 25 in 812 8 mm x 914 4 mm x 6 35 mm steel A 31 in 787 4 mm diameter circle is cut from the
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