Design,testing and redesign of the iconic balance prototype for measuring and monitoring weight of critically ill patients for low-and middle- income countries icus

Abstract

In the intensive care unit, accurate management of therapy prescriptions for dosing, ventilation and monitoring recovery process are based on knowing a patient's weight. Since critically ill patients typically arrive unconscious or otherwise disabled, reliable measurements of weight and height are very infrequently available when patients are admitted to the ICU. The absence of bed scales is another issue that affects a large number of ICUs. Studies were conducted in stages, beginning with design I, where primarily the Icons team was able to recognize the issue of body weight measurement for critically ill patients as having a need to be addressed, and continuing with design II, where a first model of a working prototype was developed.

The Design III stage of the project involved capacity load test, accuracy, linearity and uncertainty of measurement tests carried out on the prototype. The test results and evaluations in terms of structural feature design and calibration were considered and thus provided the basis for prototype redesign in the Design IV stage of the project as well as give an insight on the future works for development.