Patient Transfer Device (Continuum Mechanics)*

Liaison: Martin Stryker

GG Adams, in a January 2000 paper in the Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, stated that friction could be reduced to near-zero between an elastic half space and a rigid surface through the induction of incident rectangular dilatational waves, which interrupt the creation and existence of stick-slip zones. This was proven using the theory of strength of materials, elasticity theory, and continuum mechanics. It is proposed that this theory may be used in the area of patient transfer. Namely, a thin sheet, placed under the patient in a stretcher, may be vibrated (using an separated actuator or by designing the sheet with electroactive materials), allowing practioners to slide the patient more easily to another stretcher/bed surface. In order to develop this technology, the theory must be extended to non-linear materials, i.e. stationary surface is the foam mattress, and the moving surface is the patient.

*Summary prepared by Michael Hernandez, Associate Project Manager, Stryker Medical, mhernand@med.strykercorp.com