unIVersal: The Universal IV Pole Attachment
Improving patient mobility post surgery
I was the design lead for all prototypes, iterations, and fabrication for this capstone project.
Throughout the fall 2019 academic semester, our team worked on unmet clinical need identification and medical development process for the unIVersal. I lead the design process and assisted in all aspects of our device documentation which resulted in a completed Design History File (DHF).
"Current IV pole attachments aren't versatile enough... and can't hold everything we need"
when nurses were asked why current devices aren't used on floor units.
We set out to create an efficient device which could meet our design criteria:
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Reduce number of nurses needed to assist patient ambulation
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fit any diameter IV pole
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modular attachments
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no sharp edges, to reduce injury risk
We put our creativity to the test and engineered the unIVersal to cheaply and effectively attach to existing c-clamps to increase their carrying capacity.
First Iteration
We used an aperture mechanism, just like the ones in camera lenses, to eliminate any sharp edges and reduce the risk of injury.
The device held itself, however there was no way to increase the blade thickness to help support larger loads.
The idea of an aperture to eliminate sharp edges, as well as fit any IV pole was sound, but we needed the device to support more weight.
Second Iteration
We used a leaf aperture design to allow for an increase in thickness of the blades, which, inturn allows or more weight to be supported.
The design requires the top of bottom halves of the device to rotate independently of each other, so we needed a sound way to secure the top and bottom halves as well as ensure the device could lock to the IV pole.
We brought our new device to the nurses we were working with to receive their feedback on our new design
As we met with the nursing staff, we realized we had missed their needs.
They already had IV pole clamps, seen left, but they simply didn't hold enough attachments.
Our solution would be far too costly and impractical to use.
The simplest solutions are often the best
Our goal was to incorporate a simple design to make the existing IV pole c-clamps more viable
We created a simple design to address all of our nurses' needs while minimizing cost and set up time.
As we began machining our parts out of aluminum for verification and validation, Covid-19 quarantine began.
We had assumed this was the end of our senior design project, and that it would lay unfinished in the basement of the engineering building.
As quarantine took effect, I was sitting at my desk twirling our 3D printed model around my finger and realized I was unable to break it. I could bend and twist the prototype, but I couldn't break it.
I began to wonder if a 3D printed model could withstand the forces the device would see in the hospital setting.
I had no way to test my theory as I no longer had access to the machine shops or testing devices.
We realized we could conduct our verification tests using Solidworks' simulation abilities
Our validation efforts would be conducted through video calls, online demonstrations, and surveys to validate the effectiveness of our device.
Using 3D printed PLA, our device is capable of withstanding normal hospital loads with three factors of safety.
The nurses we interviewed believed this device would be used in their work environment.
Our model can be sent anywhere in the world and printed to instantly use in hospitals and help ease the strenuous jobs of professional nurses.
Max load simulation
Max Torque simulation
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There is no need to try and show off your ability to design, model, and build an intricate device. The most impressive display of skill is to create an effective solution which safely and cheaply addresses the unmet clinical need.
Background
Patients admitted to the hospital are often encouraged to go on short walks for rehabilitation purposes post-surgery. These patients often have several IV lines, drainage tubes, and waste bags attached to them as a result of the procedure that can not be accommodated by average IV poles. As a result, several nurses are required to carry the various components mentioned (on average, 4 nurses). This is time consuming for the nurses and wastes time that could be used to attend to other pertinent tasks around the hospital floor. Our goal is was develop a device that allows for fewer nurses to assist in patient movement by allowing for more attachments on IV poles.
