Development and clinical evaluation of bed with standing-up function

Abstract

The risk of disuse syndrome caused by prolonged supine posture in hemiplegic stroke in-and outpa-tients has become a social problem. This study aimed to develop a new bed with a standing-up function, allowing medical caregivers and patients to freely take a standing position on the bed to reduce the amount of time spent in the supine position and to clarify its ef-fectiveness through evaluation of its usability and clinical use. In addition to the Gatch function of the developed bed, it allows transition from a supine position to a chair-sitting or standing position on the bed, and from a standing position to walking action. In addi-tion, as with the tilt table used for standing-position training, the bed’s tilt angle can be adjusted, reducing the load on the lower limbs and allowing appro-priate rehabilitation to be carried out anytime, con-sequently reducing the burden of nursing care. The bed was developed with the cooperation of a special-ized bed manufacturer and supported by public funds, and clinical evaluation was conducted after confirming its safety. We evaluated the physical and physiological functions of two hemiplegic patients after 4 weeks of standing training using a prototype bed, to which re-sults from the six-item test showed no significant im-provement. However, medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, and physical therapists, who participated in the clinical evaluation indicated that the bed can safely replace the tilt table for standing-position rehabilitation, and it is effective in eliminating related human and time burdens.