Development of an Automatic Heel Ulcer Prevention Mattress

Abstract: This thesis is part of a product development project initiated by Jack Spira. The purpose was to deliver a concept that would automatically prevent pressure ulcers on the heels of hospitalized patients. This concept would then be realized through a startup project and hopefully integrated in healthcare worldwide. In order to develop a concept that eliminates or drastically restricts the prevalence of heel ulcers a thorough background study was conducted. The study included reviewing the causes and effects of pressure ulcers as well as current treatments and preventive measures. In the ideation phase ideas were generated and then evaluated and screened with input from other project members. The resulting concept is a mattress, integratable in existing ward beds, that uses a censoring technique and pneumatics to completely unload the heels and thus eliminates the risk of heel ulcers. The process is completely automated to prevent human error and the current need for early detection. The concept will be further developed by the startup company sprouting from the project. The process will include prototyping and testing to fine tune the function as well as clinical trials to quantify the potential effect on heel ulcer prevalence in the healthcare system.