Performance Evaluation of Neonatal Anti-Pressure Ulcer Bed Using a Novel Force-Sensing Array

Abstract

Pressure ulcer (PU) is a serious issue among newborns, particularly those who are premature and have medical conditions that require hospitalization. Existing conventional beds require modifications that can reduce the chance of PU and the extra effort of nursing staff. In this work, a force-sensing resistor array (FSRA) mattress is implemented that detects high-pressure points. The microcontroller processes the data that are collected from the FSRA using an electronic circuit based on the principle of voltage divider circuits. The multiplexer identifies the pixels of high-pressure points and plots the heat maps using matlab. The results of the FSRA mattress use an alternately inflating and deflating pressure channel bed to act as an anti-PU bed and compare it with the currently deployed bed. The demonstrated work was validated using the finite element modeling framework. This anti-PU bed is effective in detecting high-pressure points; based on that, chances of PUs in neonates can be prevented. The performance evaluation of the designed and tested anti-PU bed with more accuracy and automatically varies the contact position to reduce the efforts made by the nursing staff. This innovation significantly improves the quality of life as compared to the conventional methods to avoid PUs for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).