ProAxis Bed Designed for Morbidly Obese
Nightingale Care Beds, Limited designed the ProAxis Plus Bariatric Care Bed for patients who weigh more than 700 pounds. The design received a bronze medal for the 2007 International Design Excellence Awards, as detailed on the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) website. The bed is designed to support patient comfort and minimize risk to caregivers.
The product includes an internal frame which increases the surface area available for patients to rest comfortably. The design is both wider and taller than other available beds, increasing comfort for patients of a taller stature without requiring in fills or pull-out extensions. It also mitigates potential entrapment, by moving those out of reach.
The mattress, which includes three separate sections, has an ergonomic design to support natural pivoting of both the knees and hips. The bed has a dropping hinge, which minimizes both shear and friction during movement. Mattress design provides optimal support for the spine; as the back rest rises, the portion supporting the sacrum automatically lowers. At the same time, the mattress section upon which the feet rest also lowers. The bed readjusts pressure throughout the mattress any time it is repositioned.
Other components reduce the need to reposition patients, as the bed provides a cradle once the patient is placed. This feature also reduces patient movement between the top and bottom of the bed.
Safety of caregivers is supported by a fully automated electronic system to control bed functionality. One touch controls can reposition the bed flat, for delivery of CPR, or as a cardiac chair as required.
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July 27, 2007 Related topics: Medical Devices & Products, Bariatrics & Obesity, Quality, Safety, Errors