IN-SITU PATIENT WEIGHT SENSOR MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR HOSPITAL BEDS

Abstract

Accurate, regular weighing of inpatients is an important aspect of good clinical practice for both diagnostic and management purposes. Weighing immobile patients has been a persistent pain point in patient care for the past few decades as regular weight measurements of immobile patients pose major difficulties for nurses. Nurses have a high prevalence of musculo-skeletal disorders, of which 30% of injuries arise from patient handling activities. Despite many commercial bed weighing scales in the market, there exists a need for a low-cost weighing equipment that can be installed conveniently onto any existing hospital bed. This work evaluates the commercial scale systems in the market and discusses the design considerations in developing the in-situ weighing system. The in-situ weighing system consists of modular scales that are installed under the mattress on any existing hospital bed, and aims to improve the productivity of nurses and the quality of patient care.