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The proposed project aims to provide a custom pool lift, designed specifically for a child with a tracheostomy tube attached to a ventilator. TEK was able to construct a deck around the family’s pool in 2023, however, the child’s access still remains limited. The design of the lift will highlight features such as safety, adjustability, comfort and ease of access. It will need to be built with materials that can withstand harsh outdoor environments and designed to accommodate medical equipment. By working with the family, Technical Professionals, and through our own research we hope to provide a one of a kind, self operable, pool lift that fosters the child’s independence.
A child with a tracheostomy who requires ventilator support faces considerable challenges in accessing swimming pools, which limits their opportunities for physical activity and self reliance. Current market pool lifts are often expensive, lack customization options, and do not meet the specific medical needs of the child, such as secure positioning of equipment and enhanced safety features. The custom lift must facilitate easy, comfortable, and safe transitions in and out of the water while ensuring that the trach and ventilator remain protected. Meeting these requirements is crucial for enabling the child to enjoy the pool, ultimately promoting their overall well-being.
1. Load Capacity:
2. Safety Features:
3. Dimensions:
4. Mounting Requirements:
5. Operational Mechanism:
6. Materials:
7. Electrical Requirements:
8. Medical Equipment Accommodation:
10. Testing and Validation:
Lifting Mechanisms: We have several options to consider, including hydraulic, electric, and manual systems. We’re currently leaning towards an electric lifting mechanism due to its convenience and ease of use. However, it’s important to note the requirement for electricity and recharging capabilities. There are many waterproof electric actuators available to meet our needs
Electricity: DC electricity with a portable power supply and a marine battery charger.
Load-Bearing Capacity: A comprehensive structural analysis will be needed, not only for the pool lift itself but also for the deck. It must support the combined weight of the lift and the user, especially given that the lift will extend with a long arm, causing a moment about the base. Reinforcements may be required, such as adding support beams, upgrading to stronger joists, or installing sister joists to ensure stability and safety.
Mounting Techniques: The lift must be securely anchored to the deck with hardware designed for outdoor use. This includes using stainless steel, marine-grade aluminum, and rust-resistant coatings. Options for mounting a pool lift to a wooden deck are limited, as most systems are typically anchored in concrete.
Chair: There are multiple options and accessories for a chair: footrest, armrest, rigid attachments, chain attachments.
Safety Options: Waterproof limit switches to control depth and height of the lift. Non-slip seat materials. Safety harness for secure and reliable use.
The design would use the overall structure and design of the pool lift designed last semester except we would downsize the tubing in an effort to make it lighter, as well as some other minor modifications. The other modifications mentioned would be discussed and decided on only after we thought that this was the best option for designing this pool lift. Some of these modifications would include overall design for the chair, using different locations for the mast actuator, and methods used to rotate the pool lift.
Pros:
Cons:
For this conceptual design the idea is to use a good chunk of the budget on a preexisting pool lift. Our main efforts after acquiring the lift would be to mount it and get it power. Below is a rough idea on a way that we could mount it using sister joints and heavy-duty bolts. As far as getting power we would need to get a better idea on what exactly the lift needs voltage wise. We could most likely repurpose our existing electrical box to do the job. This lift is just under $1500 which is a lot. However, the benefits of using a prebuilt pool lift could outweigh the price. This would give us much more time to focus on the mounting of the pool lift which after talking to the previous group seemed to be the major challenge of this project.
This design utilizes the same principle that a linear actuator uses to extend. Where a linear actuator has a moving gear that turns a screw, we would instead have a screw that rotates while stopping the gear from rotating. Along with supports that would both stabilize the chair and ensure that the motion remains vertical, the chair would be able to move as high as we design the screw to go. To rotate the lift, a swiveling base would be incorporated to allow exit and entry.
Pros:
Cons:
