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Feedback controlled E-Push System for Hospital Beds to Enhance Maneuverability

Summary

Hospital beds are versatile but are heavy with a laden weight of more than 360kg, and require 2 porters or nurses to push the beds around the different floors and locations within a hospital. It poses challenges especially around corners in the relatively congested subsidized wards and carpeted flooring of the private wards as our nurses are generally smaller in built and our porters are mostly seniors.There is an average of 150 bed transfers per day in the hospital.  The transportation of patients requires the porters to walk an average distance of 26km per person per day. 70% of our porters are above 50 years old and the operation without E-Push had caused high physical exertion. A E-Push system has been developed for hospital beds that are able to mitigate the abovementioned problems by halving the number of porters required from two to only one, thus saving 6.19 man hours per bed per day. It is also less physically demanding on more senior porters by pushing the equivalent of 20kg compared to 360kg. This innovative system is also technically feasible, economically viable, safe, convenient and intuitive to use, with minimal training required. 

Technology Benefits

Direction and cruising speed can be controlledMovement is easy around tight corners and on carpeted and vinyl flooringAutomated higher torque to move up a slope and automatic speed control at a down gradientIncreased patient safetyMitigate accidental movement of the bed

Technology Application

This technology can be deployed and with appropriate modifications to suit different configurations of hospital beds in any hospital.     

Detailed Technology Description

With this system, nurses or porters can control the direction and cruising speed of the bed by activating the respective knobs on a device attached to the bed. Through the use of a built-in gyroscope, the feedback control system can also automatically maintain a safe cruising speed along a gradient, around tight corners, provide a higher safe cruising speed at straight corridors with speed sensor, and automated higher torque to move up a slope and automatic speed control at a down gradient. The beds can only be activated by a valid staff RFID tag to mitigate accidental movement of the bed, thus helping to increase patient safety.  

Application Date

21-Aug-2015

ID No.

TO17676

Country/Region

Singapore