Inspiration Cardiac surgery patients are told to walk early, but they’re terrified to move because they can’t push with their arms. We saw a massive gap between strict sternal precautions and the need to keep the legs active.
What it does It’s a bed-integrated leg press that attaches to the hospital bed so patients can safely rebuild leg strength and maintain cardiovascular conditioning without involving the upper body.
How we built it We designed a spring-based resistance system mounted on a rigid guide structure, modeled load paths, and optimized geometry for safe force transfer through the bed, not the sternum.
Challenges we ran into The hardest constraint was creating meaningful resistance while ensuring zero upper-body involvement, and keeping the setup simple enough for a weak or fatigued patient to use independently.
Accomplishments that we’re proud of We created the first sternal-safe, bed-based resistance device for the earliest stage of rehab — literally before patients can even get out of bed.
What we learned Early-phase rehab barriers aren’t just physical — psychological fear is huge. Giving patients a way to move safely gives them confidence back.
What’s next for The Original BedPress Pilot testing with a cardiac rehab center, optimizing resistance ranges, then pursuing a Class I medical device regulatory pathway.
Built With
- solidworks
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