College Research group concerning stretchers

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mpowers

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We are a group of Purdue University engineering students working on a project concerning stretchers for a design class. As part of our class we have to do some market research concerning our topic. We have looked through several of the forums on this website (which already have been a great source of info by the way) but we still have a few more questions:

What do EMTs like or dislike about current stretchers (stryker, ferno, etc)?
What are some common portability issues that go overlooked?
What are some difficulties frequently experienced with current stretcher models?
How often is stretcher equipment updated or replaced?
Any ideas for stretcher design or usability improvement?


Thank you!
 
Need to improve current power cots so they are stronger yet lighter. Would love to see them have a way to move patient onto cot so would help avoid Paramedics getting back injuries lifting patients onto the cot.
 
mpowers said:
What do EMTs like or dislike about current stretchers (stryker, ferno, etc)?
What are some common portability issues that go overlooked?
What are some difficulties frequently experienced with current stretcher models?
How often is stretcher equipment updated or replaced?
Any ideas for stretcher design or usability improvement?


Thank you!
Click to expand...

I had a partner that went to Perdue to study aeronautical engineering a few years ago. He's really making airplanes now...good luck with making a new stretcher.

I like the Stryker stretcher. The rugged yellow and black works on me, mentally and makes me think it's stronger than the standard aluminum ferno ones. I really don't have any issues with the standard stryker (non self-loading, no power anything) but I've never used a power stretcher.

Difficulties with the stryker? The side rails are sometimes feeling flimsy and awkward. Taking the load off of the wheels of the stretcher before releasing the wheel collapse mechanism is sometimes difficult from a height/angle standpoint.

I love the rubber handles on the ends, but I worry about them from an infection control point of view.

In my current agency, we've used the same stryker stretchers since they came out. It's a slow, rural place with a very low call volume. I saw strykers pushed to the max (8-10 calls/shift, 1-2 shifts/day) in my previous job and they stood up to the wear and then some.

We once buckled a stryker stretcher to the overhead bar of the ambulance with its seatbelts, suspending the stretcher from the ceiling. It was good fun, and a worthwhile practical joke.

That's my .02 about stretchers.
 
Biomedical engineering students, by any chance? That was my undergraduate degree. Purdue has an excellent program, congratulations.
 
I know people in purdue. I like any college that promotes the shaking of cleavage in low cut tops.

As far as your query, the ultimate aim would be to avoid the person doing any lifting of anykind. Have a google around UK ambulances, look at the lifts etc.

Also easy to clean and maintain would be one to look out for. how strong can you make it and how light. Wheels are a shortfall in alot of the current models they dont work in anything other than a smooth surface. I might pop back with more later...
 
If you are looking for technical innovation - how about some sort of stretcher wheel/shock design that can compensate for uneven terrain?
 
The Strykers look cooler than the Fernos, but they suffer from one major problem- having to lift the head wheels before being able to engage the release. I've seen a LOT of EMTs struggle with them, especially when loading a patient into the ambulance. The Fernos don't suffer from this feature, however, but the Fernos look filmsy- tho aren't.
 
Ways to improve gurneys:

- umbrella option/attachment over the patient's head for when it's raining hard (there are times the yellow emergency blanket won't cut it!)
- cup holders on the back for EMTs ;) especially for a long wait & return :P
- more storage space for those discharges that have about 10 personal belongings bags and flower arrangements
- place to hold and dispense sanitizing wipes
- how about a gurney that EXPANDS wider to accommodate bariatric patients? Instead of a separate bariatric gurney? Kind of like a dining room table with the removable leaf...
- camo print tactical gurney
- seatbelts that are non-fabric, easier to clean material and don't absorb MRSA, etc. perhaps silicon?

personally, i prefer aluminum gurneys to hydraulics because they're lighter.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Here's a challenge for you:

- Make a Bariatrics stretcher with Hydraulics on it.
 
Infection control. Infection control. Infection control.

Current gurneys have way too many nooks and crannies that are hard to clean. Look at the hinges where the side rails are, look at the hinges where anything moves really. The straps are cloth, handles are often rubberized, the mattress develops cracks. They are just icky, no matter how much you clean them.
 
Thank you everyone for your comments! You have no idea how much we appreciate your participation. We are still in the first phase of our design process (of 3) so we are still trying to come up with some solid ideas, but after reading through these comments we have a much clearer picture of what is needed! Thanks!
 
mpowers said:
We are a group of Purdue University engineering students working on a project concerning stretchers for a design class. As part of our class we have to do some market research concerning our topic. We have looked through several of the forums on this website (which already have been a great source of info by the way) but we still have a few more questions:

What do EMTs like or dislike about current stretchers (stryker, ferno, etc)?
What are some common portability issues that go overlooked?
What are some difficulties frequently experienced with current stretcher models?
How often is stretcher equipment updated or replaced?
Any ideas for stretcher design or usability improvement?


Thank you!
Click to expand...
I like manual stretchers that can be lowered and raised by 1 person w/o the patient on them. It would even be a bonus of one person could raise and lower the manual stretcher with the patient on it but this is not necessary.

It would be great if one person could move the cot with a patient over safely.

Locking the cot so it doesn't move. The current locks seem to be on one wheel only on the stryker model I use.
 
firecoins said:
I like manual stretchers that can be lowered and raised by 1 person w/o the patient on them. It would even be a bonus of one person could raise and lower the manual stretcher with the patient on it but this is not necessary.

It would be great if one person could move the cot with a patient over safely.

Locking the cot so it doesn't move. The current locks seem to be on one wheel only on the stryker model I use.
Click to expand...

Some of the Strykers have two wheel locks. I've seen them with 1 and 2, i'm not sure why.
 
I wish my stretcher:

1. Was made of lighter materials. Steel is great, but lifting a 90 lb stretcher gets old.
2. Had some sort of anti-bacterial material for the handles, or an easier way to disinfect the handling portion. It's easy enough to clean the pad, but in a messy situation liquids get everywhere.
3. Larger wheels with larger wheel locks. It's embarrassing when the patient or cot starts rolling away. It's also a pain moving a patient while trying to keep the cot in place.
4. Better patient restraints. Surely there is a better solution than three seatbelts or even the shoulder restraint.
5. Tip-prevention or safety. It happens far more than I'd like to admit. There has to be some sort of mechanism to help prevent tipping of the cot or protect the patient when it topples over.
6. Better integration/supply management. I'd love a dedicated spot for the Oxygen that was secure. Throw in a spot for my chart, the LifePak 12, etc.
7. Ergonomics. I'm certainly not an expert, but surely a better design has come along that makes lifting easier and safer.

To answer your questions:
1. I prefer the Stryker cots because they're more ergonomic and easier to maneuver, but unfortunately they weight more. That, and they look pretty.
2. It's no fun getting in elevators or going around tight corners. Most cots allow you to put the patient in a seated position and drop some of the metal tubing, but it's a pain.
3. Raising and lowering a patient is the biggest challenge. Over the years I've seen and heard of patients tipping over on the cot, or a cot dropping to the floor if not latched properly.
4. I don't know how often stretchers are replaced, but I found that with proper and timely servicing they are some of the longest-lasting items in the rig.

Good luck!
 
mpowers,

If you take a tour of a local EMS station, play with the stretcher, see what it feels like, that would help a lot.
As far as Stryker vs Ferno go, Stryker has some nice features. It has a telescopic poll for an IV bag (although not a very ergonomic one), all the handles/controls are colored red, which makes learning to use it easier.

P.S. I'm a MechE major. What's the scope of your project? What should be the end result?
 
Personally I love the fernos. I can pick up much heavier patients with them than the stryker and it's not much more of a learning curve at all when comparing it to the stryker.
 
Aidey said:
Infection control. Infection control. Infection control.

Current gurneys have way too many nooks and crannies that are hard to clean. Look at the hinges where the side rails are, look at the hinges where anything moves really. The straps are cloth, handles are often rubberized, the mattress develops cracks. They are just icky, no matter how much you clean them.
Click to expand...

Seconded.

Make a stretcher with an eye to infection control. Limit all the traps for dirt and contaminants. Create lots of flat surfaces where the standard wipe down will catch as much of the surface area as possible.

Also, shield/cover graphite lubricated areas as much as possible both to ensure nothing gets into the works (sheets, etc.) and that medics are finding little graphite stains on them every so often when cleaning the stretcher.

Better wheels for overland with minimal traps for dirt and mud for ease of cleaning.

Higher side rails so that the Pt. actually feels secure in the stretcher.

Investigate how much of the weight of machinery can be shifted towards the head of the bed without effecting balance on a power cot. The only hard lift on the power cots is in and out of the truck when all the extra weight of the cot is actually lifted by the crew. If some or all of that is shifted away from the foot end of the bed then the truck will take that weight and the lift gets easier.

Consider a slot on the bed for a slider board to be stored underneath. This is an invaluable piece of equipment that needs to make its way more into EMS. If it's on the stretcher then medics will use it.

Finally, the holy grail, make lifting easier without drastically increasing cost of a production model. Power cots/load are great, but the cost is prohibitive for a lot of services. Consider looking at foot pump models like you'd see on a hospital bed; these seem common in the UK but are unknown over here. The stryker powerload system is awesome but expensive. Maybe a truck could have a frame that slides out and take the weight of the cot for loading but is unpowered making the load/unload a push/pull but not a lift.

Remember, every lift a medic doesn't have to do is a career extended that much further. We all have a finite number of lifts over the course of our careers and that number remains a mystery until you hit it.

Good luck!
 
I can't speak much to the stryker models, as I've only ever used the ferno.

However, my biggest pet peave is the lack of brakes on the wheels. The current model I use has no breaks whatsoever. The cot rolling away on uneven surfaces, or rolling out from under the patient when he attempts to sit on it are constant annoyances.

The individual wheel brakes are no help either. It is not logistically feasable to individually lock out each wheel. The solution is some sort of foot pedal that can be adjusted from either end and turned on or off with one or two clicks.

As far a strecher life, I believe my company has a new policy where all cots are retired after 5 years.
 
Hellsbells said:
As far a strecher life, I believe my company has a new policy where all cots are retired after 5 years.
Click to expand...

thats a good policy, i belive we are still using cots that are 10+ years old


sooo things i would like to see:

Break locks on more than one wheel

more space to put belongings (ive transported a few patients that seem like they are going to a 1 month trip overseas)

space to put clipboard (i always put it behind the hydrolic part of the head of the gurney)

Better wheels

the lighter the frame the better

as MMIZ pointed out also: Better ergonomics

im sure there is more i just cant think of it
 
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