Development of transfer device with customized sling lifts

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1626130/v1

Download PDF

Research Article

Development of transfer device with customized sling lifts

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1626130/v1

This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License

Version 1

posted

You are reading this latest preprint version

Background: Bedridden patients and disabled persons need help from a guardian or caregiver even in the activities of daily living. In particular, for transfer of them, the use of a transfer lift has been recommended. However, the existing devices have limitations in terms of support according to the individual’s characteristics. This study aimed to develop a transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling equipped with an air tube inside the sling.

Results: Customized sling lifts are generally floor-based lifts that consist of a sling that holds the user’s body and a lift that moves the sling to the desired position. One characteristic feature of the device is an air tube, which is used on the sling to allow the sling to be adjusted to the user’s body.

Conclusion: The device will be useful in the advancement and commercialization of customized sling lifts, to ensure the safe and efficient transfer of persons with disabilities.

Transfer device

Customized sling lifts

Bedridden

Various types of the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) such as bed-to-chair transfer, walking, and stair climbing should be accompanied by independent physical functions [1]. However, bedridden patients and disabled persons need help from a guardian or caregiver even in the activities of daily living. Manual transfer requires repeated and unreasonable powers, it gives the caregiver a physical burden, which may lead to the occurrence of injuries and musculoskeletal diseases [2–4].

Recently, the use of a transfer lift, considering the physical burden of the positioning or transfer to the caregiver has been recommended. Most transfer lifts used currently for general purposes are mainly being focused on the type of device parts like ‘control device,’ or ‘lifting device’ or mechanical mechanisms, and there are insufficient development and research on the ‘body-support unit’ element that supports and contact the body moved by the device.

In other words, there is differentiation only in the type, size, and weight of the device part of the transfer lift products; however, they commonly use a carrier blanket-shaped flat fabric cut to a certain size generally called ‘sling’ for the ‘body-support unit’ on which a person is mounted. To support or mount the body in using a transfer lift, the subject is laid on or covered by the sling, and the hook of the sling is connected to the device part to transfer him or her, hung in the air. At this time, the center of gravity increases since the subject is hanging in the air, and the anxiety during the transfer increases as the operator is shaken back and forth, side to side [5]. In addition, if the subject is placed on the sling in a shape not fixed, the subject’s weight is not evenly distributed and pressure on specific areas of the body may occur.

Jung et al. made three kinds of suggestions for the direction of the development of transfer lifts through an analysis of transfer lift users [6]. One of them is concerned with the sling, which is a body-support unit form mostly used in transfer lifts and greatly affects the overall feasibility of the transfer lifts, and since the risks that may occur in using the transfer lift are mostly related to the sling, they suggested that it would be necessary to develop that, sufficiently considering the physical characteristics of the user so that the subject can feel comfort and ease when mounted on the sling [6].

And yet, the sling of the transfer lift used much currently is simple woven fabric cut to a certain size, and their shapes and functions are all uniform, which may cause pressure on specific areas of the body, skin damage, and displeasure, etc.

Thus, this study developed a transfer lift device utilizing the subject’s body fitting sling equipped with an air tube inside the sling so that the bodyweight could be distributed while the subject mounted on the sling would not feel discomfort during the transfer and would prepare the foothold to reflect them to the advancement and commercialization of the device and the finally developed device can safely and efficiently be utilized in the transfer of frail elderly or disabled people.

This study developed a transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling to safely and efficiently transfer bedridden patients and disabled persons who have difficulties in transfer.

The transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling basically belongs to a floor-based lift and consists of the mainframe, air-tube sling, spreader bar, and control device. This developed device is characterized by the fact that it allows customized adjustment according to the user’s physical characteristics by building an air tube inside the sling, unlike the general fabric type in which the sling on where the user is mounted simply supports the user’s body. In addition, the mainframe forms the whole frame of the device, and to prevent the deformation of the frame when the user got on, a metal rigid member was used, and for a smooth transfer, wheels were installed at each lower part of the mainframe. The spreader bar is a structure in the form of a horizontally long bar connecting the sling and mainframe, and for connection to the sling, a hook-shaped hook was installed on both ends. The control device is the part that operates the functions of lifting and lowering the transfer lift.

The above structure is similar to that of a general floor-based lift; however, there is a difference from the existing devices in that it applies an air tube to the sling on which the patient is mounted. The slings of the floor-based lifts used in most studies are made of a carrier blanket-shaped fabric cut to a certain size, which have a merely one-dimensional function simply covering the user’s body. The sling of the floor-based lift used by Waters et al. to evaluate the safety and efficiency of the floor-based lift and overhead lift is a typical sling using carrier blanket-formed fabric[7]. In addition, Zhuang et al., Marras et al., and Rice et al., also used the sling with flat fabric cut to a certain size for the floor-based lift [8–10]. As proposed, studies of transfer lift focus on the mode of operation of the device parts, e.g. Whether the type of the transfer lift is floor-based or overhead rather than the shape of the sling on which the patient is mounted or the wearing sensation the actual user feels.

And yet, it should never be overlooked that the users who get on the transfer lift are bedridden patients or disabled persons with deteriorated physical functions. Generally, since aged or disabled persons have overall deteriorated physical functions than healthy adults do, it is essential to approach the characteristics of the bedridden patients or disabled persons, sufficiently considering their characteristics in developing products for them. Jung et al. note that the aged show characteristics of noticeably deteriorated aspects in sensory function, motor function, and learning ability compared to younger and middle-aged people, it is essential to approach, sufficiently considering their characteristics in developing products for the disabled people [6]. Thus, this study is significant in that it concentrated more on the shape of the sling of the transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling developed in this study so that the user who gets on it could feel stability and comfort rather than on the shape of the device part.

To look at the similar studies related to the transfer lift development and usability test, Kim et al. conducted a study for the development of a multifunctional power lift utilizing the fixed bed in the bed shape instead of a fabric material like sling or harness in the part on which the patient is placed and a feasibility test [5]. From the operator’s aspect, the usability test was conducted through motion analysis, muscle activity, and hand/foot pressure measurement, and from the patient aspect, the usability test was conducted through an analysis of the body pressure distribution of the bed [5]. Jo et al. developed a swivel type-transfer lift applying the rotatable bed on the mounting part to which an aged person gets on to reduce the physical burden of the caregiver for the aged person, and to test the effectiveness of the bed rotation function, a usability test was conducted through a comparison of the subject’s muscle activity according to whether there is the bed rotation function [11].

This study developed a transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling that could allow customized adjustment of the body pressure distribution of the sling according to the characteristics of the user’s body mounted on the transfer lift device. In the future, after usability tests of this study, it would be possible to achieve the advancement and commercialization of the transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling and utilize that for the transfer of the bedridden patients and disabled persons safely and efficiently.

Transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling

Composition of the device

This study developed a transfer lift device, utilizing the user’s body fitting sling, which belongs to the floor-based lift type (Fig 1 and 2). The developed device consists of the mainframe, air-tube sling, spreader bar, control device, and remote controller. The mainframe is a ‘staple’-shaped metal structure that supports the user’s weight, and the wheels for transfer are attached to the bottom of the four vertices of the frame. The air tube sling is the part on which the user lifted by the device is mounted, and this device built an air tube inside the sling so that the user could feel comfort and stability by customized adjustment to the user’s body. The spreader bar is a structure in the form of a horizontally long bar connecting the air tube sling and the mainframe, and both ends consist of a hook-shaped hook to connect to the air tube sling. The control device is the part that operates the lift function, adjusting the height of the spreader bar. The remote controller is composed of a button type remote control in charge of the functions of adjusting and lowering the lifting of the device.

Inset here Fig 1 and 2

Device operation

In the transfer lift device utilizing the user’s body fitting sling, the mainframe, spreader bar, and control device are the device part while the air tube sling is the mount part. To operate this device, first, the air tube sling must be applied to the user’s body. The user to be transferred, a patient or disabled person is laid on the air tube sling, and the air injecting nozzle of the air tube sling is connected to the air compressor included in the control device. The air is injected into the air tube sling, connecting two structures. After the completion of the injection of a certain amount of air, the nozzle is removed, and then the hook of the air tube sling is connected to the spreader bar. If the preparation for transfer according to the above description is completed, the user is lifted from the ground or floor by operating the remote controller’s up and down buttons, and the transfer is made to the desirable place by moving the device part.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Authors’ contributions

SJ: conceptualization, methodology, writing—original draft; KC: methodology, writing—review and editing; SH: supervision, validation; WC: supervision; KL: supervision; GL: conceptualization, methodology, writing—review and editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

Not applicable.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable

Conflict of Interest

All author declares that they have no conflict of interest.

Availability of Data and Materials

Not applicable

Prohaska TR, Anderson LA, Hooker SP, Hughes SL, Belza B. Mobility and aging: transference to transportation. J Aging Res. 2011;https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/392751.
Silvia CE, Bloswick DS, Lillquist D, Wallace D, Perkins MS. An ergonomic comparison between mechanical and manual patient transfer techniques. Work. 2002;19:19–34.
Andersen LL, Burdorf A, Fallentin N, Persson R, Jakobsen MD, Mortensen OS, Clausen T, Holtermann A. Patient transfers and assistive devices: prospective cohort study on the risk for occupational back injury among healthcare workers. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2014;40:74–81. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3382.
Gomaa AE, Tapp LC, Luckhaupt SE, Vanoli K, Sarmiento RF, Raudabaugh WM, Nowlin S, Sprigg SM. Occupational traumatic injuries among workers in health care facilities—United States, 2012–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015;64:405–10.
Kim ST, Kim YS, Lim DY, Chun KJ. Pilot Study for Development of Multi-Functional Power Lift. Korean Society for Precision Engineering. 2009;615–6.
Jung KT, Shin DJ, Kim KH, Chun KJ, Won BH, Hong JS. Market survey and user analysis of mobile lift for older people. Ergonomics Society of Korea. 2010;5:123–7.
Waters TR, Dick R, Lowe B, Werren D, Parsons K. Ergonomic assessment of floor-based and overhead lifts. Am J Safe Patient Handl Mov. 2012;2:119.
Zhuang Z, Stobbe TJ, Hsiao H, Collins JW, Hobbs GR. Biomechanical evaluation of assistive devices for transferring residents. Appl Ergon. 1999;30:285–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0003-6870(98)00035-0.
Marras WS, Knapik GG, Ferguson S. Lumbar spine forces during manoeuvring of ceiling-based and floor-based patient transfer devices. Ergon. 2009;52:984–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130802376075.
Rice MS, Woolley SM, Waters TR. Comparison of required operating forces between floor-based and overhead-mounted patient lifting devices. Ergon. 2009;52:112–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130802481123.
Jo DY, Chun KJ, Go CU. Study on Development of a Senior-Friendly Multi-purpose Swivel Type Lift for Indoor Movements. Korean Society for Precision Engineering 2011;10:663–4.

No competing interests reported.

Download PDF

Version 1

posted

You are reading this latest preprint version

Development of transfer device with customized sling lifts

Status:

Version 1

Abstract

Figures

Introduction

Discussion

Materials And Methods

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

Status:

Version 1