Steve Young, inventor of SentinelStop, after years of experience designing mental health units for large healthcare systems and state facilities, recognized the need to move beyond traditional thinking related to the reduction and elimination of ligature-induced sentinel events by ligature on inpatient units. The SentinelStop door sensor system is the only product of its kind that alarms staff at the slightest indication of weight on a door frame, regardless of where weight is applied: hinge, latch, or the door itself, and is completely invisible to patients.

What inspired you to design this product?

As an architect, my practice has a special emphasis on inpatient mental and behavioral health facility design. A critical consideration in such facilities is the physical safety of the client. While most room elements can be selected to limit opportunities for self-injury, options for door security have been limited and do not provide protection at all portions of a door and it’s hardware. The development of a comprehensive door monitoring system that could reduce unnecessary client death or injury and limit costly claims settlements was an exciting opportunity.

What were the main challenges you encountered in designing this product, and how did you resolve them?

The development of a reliable operating sensor mechanism was a difficult challenge. To meet the goals of sensitivity, reliability, flexibility for both new and retrofit applications, and ease of staff operation, we spent almost two years working with our consulting engineers developing and improving the mechanical, electronic, and programming systems. The forces on door hinges are surprisingly complex, but we were able to resolve these issues through multiple sensor points and data management programming. The resulting system has variable sensitivity that allows for the normal use of the doors while notifying staff immediately if excessive weight is placed on any part of the door assembly.