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2009 Issues Archive
19 August 2009
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Device takes strain out of hospital beds
An electric tug maker has developed a machine that can be operated by a single porter to move all types of hospital bed.
Derbyshire-based Master-Mover said the Bed Mover machine had been designed so that it could be quickly attached to the castors of beds using a unique coupling mechanism. The company said its use would dramatically improve handling efficiencies across the NHS.
Up to now, hospitals have needed at least two porters to move a patient’s bed. In addition, because most hospitals possess a mix of different bed types, other bed handling devices have been difficult to work with.
Anthony Brown, healthcare account manager at MasterMover, said: “There is no other machine out there that can cater for all bed types or that enables a porter to move the bed on his or her own. The Bed Mover is also unique in terms of its carrying capacity and in the way it connects to the bed.”
According to Brown, the Bed Mover went through several designs. “The challenge was designing a coupling or method of connection that would cater for all bed types.
“Rather than couple to the headboard or framework of the bed, the design team agreed on a novel trapdoor mechanism where the operator would pull the bed’s castors on to a multi-positional wheel lock on each side of the machine. As the wheel raises up, the bed castors drop into the trapdoor where they are held in place.
“The porter then pushes a button which raises the castors off the ground, giving us far more control over the bed during movement.”
The machine attaches to the top or bottom of the bed and can be manoeuvred and controlled using a joystick. The Bed Mover has a range of safety features, including power-steering, auto-braking, emergency stop and variable speed control.
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© PE Publishing, 19 August 2009
