MONITORING DEVICE FOR DIMINISHING THE RISK OF ACUIRING PRESSURE ULCERS

摘要

A sitting pressure and decubitus ulcer alarm, especially useful for para- or tetraplegic persons who do not feel how they sit. The alarm contains a number of pressure sensors distributed over the expected critical surface. The sitting pressure is continuously supervised for every measuring point as well as the duration of the pressure. If in any of the measuring points the pressure is high enough to cause decreased circulation the person seated will be alarmed before the lack of circulation has started to cause injuries. When the alarm occurs the person sitting thus must change the sitting posture or in any other way unload the temporarily overloaded area during enough long time in order to let new blood flow into the vessels of the area in danger. Therefore the alarm supervises that also this time interval is long enough. The alarm ideally points to where and when the pressure overload is nearly occurring and it is temporarily stopped when pressure unload occurs. Firstly the person seated is alarmed, but it is also possible that the care-givers will be alarmed e.g. if the person seated is not changing his or her position.