(LR-026) Development of an Air Support Surface Algorithm to Meet the Therapeutic Needs of Pediatric and Lower Weight Patients

Andrew Stoehr, BSCMPE, MEM; Kristen Thurman, PT, MPT, CWS; David Driscoll, BS, AE

Introduction: Many medical devices are not specifically designed for the pediatric population, forcing clinicians to use or modify equipment intended for adults.  When lower weight or pediatric patients are placed on an air support surface designed for adult patient weight loads, the Internal Support Surface Pressure (ISSP) is often too high, resulting in little to no immersion and pressure redistribution therapy for the patient. 

For pressure redistribution therapy to be achieved in pediatrics, the control algorithm for the air support surface must maintain a lower ISSP - resulting in higher immersion for lower weight patients. The goal was to develop an air support surface capable of operating therapeutically at lower ISSPs, for both a full- and crib-size bedframe.


Methods: Twenty-four pediatric volunteers of varying ages were brought in to gather initial data. Participant’s height, weight, and age were recorded.
Participants were asked to lay supine on the full-size air surface, the crib air surface, or both. Surfaces were controlled by an adaptive, dynamic pressure immersion control algorithm programmed to provide lower ISSPs.
ISSP was recorded for each patient when therapeutic immersion was achieved. Verification of therapeutic immersion and absence of bottoming out was achieved with clinical assessment, provided by licensed and certified clinicians.  Both height and weight were correlated against therapeutic ISSP for data analysis. 
To validate a refined version of the control algorithm, a second focus session utilizing nine participants of interest from the first study was completed.
 

Results: Data analysis for the study indicated a closer correlation between participant weight and therapeutic ISSP compared to participant height vs therapeutic ISSP.  
Low ISSPs can be challenging to achieve through typical control algorithms used in adult support surfaces. Using a dynamic airflow immersion algorithm with an adaptive timed-exhaust feature to achieve low ISSPs resulted in therapeutic immersion for the pediatric participants.

Discussion: Therapeutic pressure redistribution for pediatric and underweight patients can be achieved on full- and crib-sized support surfaces by utilizing a dynamic airflow control algorithm with learned timed exhaust to lower internal support surface pressures.