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Design Bugs Out: Patient Chair

Removable seat covers, waterproof padding and smooth surfaces encourage regular cleaning and improve patient comfort.

The challenge

The key challenges in the delivery of a new patient chair are to:

• Maximise patient comfort

• Aid patient recovery

• Facilitate staff/patient interaction

• Maximise cleanability and protection against HCAIs.

Comfort is critical to the success of the product, particularly as patients are prone to sores/tissue damage when positioned in the same place for long periods of time. Current patient chairs generally use foam upholstered in vinyl to provide comfort. Problems with this solution are:

• Vinyl reduces comfort for the patient as it is impermeable and sticks to skin.

• Vinyl tends to crack, allowing dirt and bacteria to enter the foam substrate.

• Liquids/germs can enter the foam substrate via upholstery seams.

This presents the central problem: how can you deliver comfortable foam cushioning that can be cleaned easily and efficiently?

Design solution

The design uses removable foam pads that mount onto a single smooth plastic shell. The number of intersections and joints between parts has been reduced to minimise the harbouring of germs. The upholstery pads are sealed, waterproof and easily removed for cleaning. Removable covers (like bed linen) create a clean, comfortable surface to ensure each patient always gets a freshly made-up and clean chair. By tapping into the established systems and culture of remaking a bed with sheets, staff training can be minimised.

The separation of function and comfort in the design means that damaged components can be easily replaced without having to condemn or recondition the whole product.

Height adjustability allows each patient to sit in a chair which is ergonomically optimised. This improves comfort, aids recovery and reduces the dangers of bed sores and tissue damage. An aluminium star-base allows other equipment such as IV drip stands to slide easily under the chair.

You can see a video showing the design process for the Commode and the Patient Chair here.

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