IAA - Inflatable Prone Repositioning Device, Prototype

Respiratory support is one of the most common reasons for admission to the ICU. Sedated, ventilated patients with moderate to severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), gain significant benefits in oxygenation and mortality from being turned on their front - a technique called proning. Whilst this

approach has been used in ICUs for many years, COVID 19 led to a significant increase. Whilst proned, a patient’s head is turned every 2 hours; a labour-intensive process that requires 5+ staff and takes 30 minutes. Head turning is not risk-free – there are risks associated with the inadvertent removal or

displacement of patient support systems, but also with skin and nerve damage or improper positioning. Although the number of proned patients have reduced since the COVID peak, up to 19% of ICU patients in the UK suffered from ARDS before the pandemic.2 In addition, the greater awareness of the benefits of proning mean that proning will continue to be a commonly performed therapy and may be instituted at a lower threshold. For all these reasons, there is likely to be an ongoing high demand for a device which improves the efficiency and safety of head turns in proned patients.



This project aims to increase the safety and reduce the time taken to perform head turns whilst simultaneously reducing the number of staff required (to 2) by developing an Inflation Proning Repositioning Device (IPDR). This removes the need for manual patient lifting, provides significantly more control (and thereby safety), greatly reduces the risk of displacing life support devices and reduces the staff, time and equipment required.



Device development has been performed via collaboration between the Department of Mechanical Engineering and ICU clinicians at the RUH NHS Foundation Trust. Initial trials have shown significant potential and have identified areas for refinement which will be supported by a full IAA grant application

in 2023. However, in this seed funding application our key objective is to design and build a final concept prototype to facilitate user-centred testing and function refinement. This will enable us to continue to make progress towards a marketable product in time for the IAA deadline.



The proposed commercialisation is aligned to University’s priority research area ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and fits well within EPSRC’s Healthcare Technologies Theme. In particular, it focuses on the ‘Medical device design & Innovation’ cross-cutting theme which encourages research focused on the design, development, evaluation and production of novel, cost-effective, reliable and safer medical devices.



This project directly relates to previous successful COVID 19 projects with the RUH which secured funding from the following sources: Will Chown Charitable Trust (£10k), Alumni Fund (£5k), Santander Grant (£6k) & Charitable Fundraising (£50k). These have led to significant impact via the production of equipment, policy changes and advances in knowledge. We expect that these achievements, combined with successful commercialisation of the IPRD will provide a strong REF Impact Case Study in 2027.

Proning is a way of helping people who are very sick and have trouble breathing. It involves lying patients on their front to get more oxygen into their body. This process happens in a part of the hospital called the Intensive Care Unit and can last up to 16 hours per day. Proning is suitable for almost all patients, and around 16,500 patients could benefit in the UK each year.

When in this position, doctors need to turn the patient's heads and move their arms every 2-4 hours. This helps prevent sores and other injuries. To do this, the doctors slide the patient up the bed, so their (supported) head hangs over the edge. The head is then turned before they slide the patient back down the bed. This is currently performed by a team of 5+ medical staff and takes lots of time and resources. The process is also dangerous because it requires a lot of movement which can hurt patients or staff.

To make head-turning easier and safer, a group of doctors and engineers have come up with a new device. It is like a cushion that goes under the patient and inflates. This allows the head to turn without needing to slide the patient on the bed. It also reduces the number of staff needed and lowers the risk of patient injuries. When not in use the bag deflates so that it does not interfere. Feedback from staff, patients and the public are being used to help improve the system. We are also applying for safety approval and a patent, which means we can make and sell the device.

To see if the new device works well in other hospitals, we are planning to do a bigger study with 30 patients. This will last 14 months, and we will collect information on how well it performs. We will ask patients if they want to take part and will collect feedback after they leave hospital. Several hospitals have already said they are happy to help. During the study, staff from each hospital will track the device to make sure it is safe and record how useful it is. We will record any problems and ask the staff for their opinions on how it affects their work. As well as tracking safety, we will record the time saving achieved. This is important as it allows head turning more often, which reduces pressure sores. It also allows medical staff to spend more time focusing on other important tasks.

To share the results with other doctors, we will write reports and give presentations. If successful, we will start making and selling the device to help sick patients across the UK.