RU2724824C2 - Apparatus for moving bedridden patients-hospital robot - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: robotics.SUBSTANCE: invention is intended for use in medical institutions and sanatoriums, mainly when moving bedridden patients. Unit for movement of lying patients includes carrying and loading or loading structures installed on self-propelled or non-self-propelled statically balanced chassis, equipped or not equipped with electronic control device, sensor system based on computer vision, navigation and positioning systems, remote control system and intelligent decision making unit and generation of control signals for unit drives based on results of information processing from sensor, navigation and positioning systems and from installed on control device computer program with mission, and on carrying structure of which there are devices for controlled change of position height and inclination angle of loading or loading structures, wherein the patient's bed moving unit has the form of a post or posts installed on the chassis with devices for controlled variation of the position height and the load structure inclination angle, and loading structure has the form of platform-platform with safety belts and vibrators and with vibrowalking coating in form of elastic pile or inclined parallel ridges.EFFECT: technical result consists in creation of autonomous self-propelled or non self-propelled robotic unit, capable, without direct involvement of human personnel in safe mode, to separate body of patient from bed, stretcher or from floor, to lift it, move in a medical institution and place in a designated place in safe mode without changing posture.5 cl, 11 dwg

Description

The invention relates to special robotics and is intended for use in medical and sanatorium institutions, mainly when moving bedridden patients.

Known units for moving bedridden patients, including load-bearing and load-bearing or load-bearing structures mounted on a self-propelled or non-self-propelled statically balanced chassis, equipped or not equipped with an electronic control device, a sensor system based on computer vision, navigation and positioning systems, a remote control system and a unit intelligent decision-making and development of control signals for the unit’s drives based on the results of processing information from the sensory, navigation and positioning systems and from a computer program installed on the control device with the mission being carried out, and on the supporting structure of which there are installed devices for controlled changes in the height of the position and the angle of inclination of the load or load designs that directly accept the load from the patient’s body weight and hold the patient’s body when lifting, transporting and laying it on a bed, on a gurney, on a table or on the floor.

The closest to the invention in purpose and functionality are the Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (BEAR) developed in the USA for the evacuation of the wounded, created by the research team of the Japanese Institute of Physico-Chemical Research and Sumitomo Robear hospital nurse robot, as well as the RIBA robot (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance) of the Japanese Navy Institute for Physical and Chemical Research RTKEN and Tokai Rubber Industries (TRI).

The BEAR robot is intended mainly for evacuating the wounded from the danger zone, but can also be used to carry bed patients in medical institutions. Bearing structures of the BEAR robot have the form of a two-link rack with the hinges at the point of attachment of the rack to the chassis and at the junction of the rack links. The load structures of the robot have the form of three-link manipulators with orthogonal and parallel joints and can lift and hold the load up to 230 kg. The actions of the robot are controlled by the operator with a special glove that tracks the movements of the operator’s hand. The main feature of this robot is the transformer chassis, capable of accepting the configuration of a two-track tracked chassis, or a single-axle chassis with support on the ends of tracked vehicles or large wheels and balanced in the "Segway" mode.

The developers of the Robear robot declare their ability to perform a number of simple manipulations for patient care - to lift them, carry them, put them in a stroller or wheelchair. It is also stated that the nurse robot is equipped with special articulated joints and three types of tactile sensors capable of recognizing matter by touch, and is equipped with soft skin. These measures should minimize the possibility of the slightest harm to patients from careless movement of Robear. The latest versions of the Robeara design have 24 mobility, some of which provide the flexibility of the torso rack and the ability to tilt the rack to the floor. The load structures of the robot also have the form of multi-link manipulators on orthogonal and parallel joints, which should allow the robot to lift the patient from the floor and put him in a bed or chair. At the same time, all actions of the robot are controlled by a specially trained nurse, who commands the drives of the robot structure using touch panels on the load “limbs” of the robot. The developers consider the use of drives with low reduction coefficients to be a distinctive feature of the robot, which gives the “limbs” and robot nodes high “sensitivity” and “reactivity” to load changes. Also, a significant improvement of the new robot is considered to be a relatively small support base, which provides maneuvering the robot when moving the patient in a limited space and when passing through doorways. The stability of the robot when lifting the patient is provided through the use of extendable outrigger arms that compensate for the overturning moment.

Its predecessor, the RIBA robot weighs 180 kg, and it can transport people weighing up to 61 kg. The robot has 12 mobility. It is also stated that the robot recognizes faces and voices, executes voice commands and is guided by the video and audio data of its own sensor system and quickly adapts to the smallest changes in the environment.

With all these claimed useful properties and characteristics, these complex technical products have not passed the stage of testing and demonstrations and remain experimental samples.

The most important drawback of all known hospital robots for moving patients in medical institutions is that they do not perform the key procedure when moving bed patients - safe lifting the patient’s body from a stretcher, from the floor or from the bed without changing the patient’s posture. This procedure is the main cause of back injuries for staff and a source of stress-generating and traumatic factors for the patient himself. The presented robots are not in demand by users due to the fact that dozens of mobilities incorporated in their design and, accordingly, reflected in their cost and a large supply of load capacity are not realized without the presence of human personnel. Hospital personnel "manually" or using special lifts and patient body strapping systems separate it from the bed, gurney or chair to transfer it to the supporting structures of the robot, or remove the patient from them. As a result, the effectiveness of using assistant robots worth tens of thousands of US dollars is extremely low.

The objective of the invention is the creation of an autonomous self-propelled or non-self-propelled robotic unit, capable of, without the direct participation of human personnel in a safe mode, to separate the patient’s body from the bed, stretcher or floor, lift it, move it around a medical institution and put it in a designated place in a safe mode without changing posture .

This problem is solved in that the unit for moving patients is performed in the form of a chassis mounted on a self-propelled or non-self-propelled statically balanced chassis, equipped or not equipped with an electronic control device, with a support, navigation and positioning system mounted on it with the possibility of controlled changes in height and angle tilting the loading platform table with penetrating ability provided by the platform table with vibro-passing coating and vibrators, or pulling webs moving along the upper and lower surfaces of the platform table from the gear motor, or by high-frequency asymmetric reciprocating movements of small amplitude communicated by the vibrator to the platform table . In addition, the unit is equipped with safety belts to hold the patient’s body on a table-platform during tremors while moving around rooms with narrow and obstructed objects.

Schematic diagrams of the supporting structure of the unit for moving patients and the penetrator table platform are shown in Fig 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

In FIG. 1 shows an exemplary view of the supporting structure of the unit for moving bed patients on a non-self-propelled chassis. The design elements are marked on the diagram: 1 - wheels on a “piano” suspension; 2 - power structural elements; 3 - drives for lifting the platform table; 4 - drives the device changes the tilt of the table platform; 5 - device for changing the angle of inclination of the platform table; 6 - brackets for mounting the platform table.

In FIG. Figure 2 shows an exemplary schematic view of the supporting structure of the unit on a self-propelled chassis equipped with an electronic control device, sensory, navigation and positioning systems. The diagram shows: 1 -wheels; 7 - wheel rotation drives; 8 - drives turning wheels; 9 - sensors of sensory, navigation and positioning systems; 10 - communication device with a remote control unit of the robot.

In FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic view of a loading penetrator table platform with movable pulling webs brought by pulleys from a gear motor. On the diagram are marked: control panel, 12 - the upper panel of the platform table; 13 - bottom panel of the platform table; 14 - supporting jumpers between the panels; 15 - canvas top panel; 16 - canvas of the bottom panel; 17 - driving pulley and tensioning mechanism of the bottom panel; 18 - gear motor drive cloths.

In FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic view of a loading penetrator table platform with a vibro-pass coating in the form of an inclined elastic pile or comb comb and vibrators. The diagram shows: 19 - the supporting structure of the penetrator table platform; 20 - vibration-passing coating; 21 - vibrators.

In FIG. 5 is an exemplary schematic view of the design of an asymmetrically vibrating penetrator table platform. The diagram shows: 22 - the supporting structure of the platform table; 23 - vibrators; 24 - elastic support table platform.

The material of the webs and coatings and the numerical values of the characteristics of the pile or ridges, as well as the nature of the vibrations are not the subject of this invention and are selected depending on the conditions of use of the robot and the main technical characteristics - power drives, vibrators and coating material.

In FIG. Figures 6, 7, and 8 show the configuration of assemblies for moving the patient assembly.

In FIG. 6 is an exemplary view of an assembly on a non-self-propelled chassis with a penetrating table-platform with pulling moving webs.

In FIG. 7 shows an exemplary view of the unit on a self-propelled chassis and equipped with an electronic control device, sensory, navigation and positioning systems with a penetrator table platform with vibro-pass coating and vibrators.

In FIG. 8 shows an exemplary view of the unit on a self-propelled chassis and equipped with an electronic control device, sensory, navigation and positioning systems with a penetrating table platform with an asymmetric vibrating table.

To improve maneuverability and increase the speed of movement of the unit through the hospital to the patient, the unit is made with the possibility of reducing its transverse dimensions due to the fact that the loading table-platform is made in the form of an assembly connected by hinges with limited opening of the longitudinal flaps, which are raised in a transport state by a special drive in arcuate box-shaped guides fixed to the supporting structure of the unit.

In FIG. 9 shows exemplary schematic views of an aggregate with a loading table-platform in the form of a folding assembly. On the diagrams are marked: 25 - arcuate box-shaped guides for hinges of shutters; 26 - sash table platform in the working position; 27 - sash table platform in the transport position in the box guides.

To provide the robot with the ability to lift patients from the floor, the supporting structure of the unit is performed in the form of a hinged-lever system, which allows lowering the table-platform of the load structure to the level of the substrate of the chassis movers. For this, the supporting structure is made in the form of two lever-hinged manipulators with reduced hinges mounted on the ends, the output links of which are connected by a beam on which the load structure of the unit is fixed, and the length of the bearing part is longer than the length of the loading table platform.

In FIG. 10 is an exemplary schematic view of an assembly in a state of readiness for penetration of a table-platform under the body of a patient lying on the floor.

In FIG. 11 is a schematic view of an assembly with a hinged-lever supporting structure in the phases of lifting the platform table with the patient and transporting him to the hospital facility.

The unit operates to move bedridden patients as follows.

The unit on a non-self-propelled chassis is manually brought to the bed, gurney or stretcher on which the patient is lying, and using the control panel for height and tilting the table, the edge of the platform table is brought into the place where the patient’s body and the substrate interface (or in the gap between the clothes or the sheet / blanket , on which the patient lies, and the substrate), include the drive of the mechanism of penetration of the table platform and serves the unit to the patient as the table table moves under the patient’s body. After completion of the promotion of the table-platform under the patient’s body, using the mechanisms for controlling the angle of inclination of the table-platform and the height of its position, raise the table-platform with the patient to the height necessary for safe and comfortable movement and move the patient to the destination. At the destination, the table platform with the patient is exposed above the bed, table, or other location of the patient and the table is lowered onto the substrate. After that, the penetrator mechanism of the platform table is turned on in reverse mode and the unit is supplied from the patient’s location as the platform table extends from under the patient’s body.

A semi-autonomous unit on a self-propelled chassis is controlled from a remote control on a supporting structure or from a remote control. The penetrator table platform is also controlled from the remote control or from the remote control on the unit.

An autonomous unit on a self-propelled chassis with sensory, navigation and positioning systems can carry out missions for moving patients both in the “manual” control mode from the control panel, and in teleoperator or supervisory modes controlled by the remote control or remote control, or fully autonomous mode controlled by its own information processing unit from the program with the mission and from sensory, navigation and positioning systems and the intellectual generation of commands to the actuators of the unit.

The energy for driving the electromechanical components and electronic devices of the unit is supplied to them from the battery built into the design or by cable from the power supply system of the hospital building.

The beneficial effect of the application of the invention in medical and sanatorium institutions will be expressed, firstly, in that the load on the medical staff of the institutions will be reduced both physically and organizationally (the problem of gathering physically strong employees to transfer and move patients around the institution will disappear, especially large and heavy, the lifting and shifting of which is an organizational and technical problem). Secondly, the costs of payments and compensation to health workers for back injuries received while servicing patients with a lack of lifting devices will decrease. Thirdly, the costs of equipping the buildings of medical and sanatorium institutions with lifting devices and their operation and maintenance will decrease. Fourth, most importantly, the transfer and movement of bedridden patients will be carried out in a safe and extremely comfortable way for them - without changing their posture and without using traumatic harnesses for connecting to lifting devices.

It should be noted, also, an increase in the effectiveness of treatment due to the removal of restrictions on the transfer and movement of patients due to the complexity of their implementation. Any patient in any condition, one operator of a hospital robot will be able to shift or transport to a specified location almost remotely using a hospital robot. To do this, it is enough to equip the medical institution with a sufficient number of hospital robots, which is calculated from the practical need for the transfer and transportation of bedridden patients.

Hospital robots are ready to work around the clock from the moment they are put into operation until the end of their life. Maintenance and repair work on maintenance of hospital robots can be minimized by optimizing the design.

The estimated life of a hospital robot is six to seven years. The estimated price at a high profitability of about 10% for the production of medical equipment will be the amount equivalent to several thousand US dollars, or ten times lower than the cost of known analogues. This competitive advantage is due to the use of a new algorithmic and kinematic solution for separating the bedridden patient from the substrate.

Claims (5)

1. The unit for moving bedridden patients, including the bearing and load or load structures mounted on a self-propelled or non-self-propelled statically balanced chassis, equipped or not equipped with an electronic control device, a sensor system based on computer vision, navigation and positioning systems, a remote control system and the block of intelligent decision making and generation of control signals for the drive of the unit according to the results of processing information from the sensor, navigation and positioning systems and from the computer program installed on the control device with the mission to be performed, and on the supporting structure of which there are installed devices for controlled changes in the height of the position and the angle of inclination of the load or load structures, characterized in that the unit for moving bed patients has the form of racks or racks installed or installed on the chassis with devices for controlled change of height of position and the inclination of the load structure, and the load structure has the form of a platform table with safety belts and vibrators and with a vibro-pass coating in the form of an elastic pile or inclined parallel ridges. 2. The unit for moving patients according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading table-platform is made two-layer with supporting jumpers separating the table-platform into transverse segments, and the surface layers of the segments are covered with canvases brought by pulleys from the gear motors with the possibility of controlled movement paintings on the surface. 3. The unit for moving patients according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading table-platform is a solid solid web, reduced from creating an asymmetric reciprocating motion of the vibrator. 4. The unit for moving patients according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading table-platform is an assembly of longitudinal wings connected by hinges with opening restrictions. 5. The unit for moving patients according to claim 1, characterized in that the supporting structure of the unit is two lever-hinged manipulators with hinges located at the ends, the output links of which are connected by a beam on which the load structure of the unit is mounted.

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