Patent Application
20200095775
A healthcare facility, such as a hospital, where a patient is treated by a healthcare provider sometimes utilizes a headwall in a room where the patient is being treated. The headwall consolidates and conceals electrical wiring, oxygen, and other medical gas tubing, data transmission cables, vacuum lines, among other things, into and behind a single headwall. The headwall, however, provides outlets for the wiring, tubing, cables, vacuum lines, etc. The headwall thus removes tripping hazards, reduces visual clutter, and increases the efficiency of patient treatment. However, the exterior surfaces of the headwall may contain harmful bacteria, microbes, viruses, and the like, which can subsequently be transferred to the patient undergoing treatment near the headwall.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a headwall for a healthcare facility comprises: one or more cover panels having an exterior surface; and an antimicrobial coating applied to the exterior surface of the one or more cover panels; wherein, the antimicrobial coating includes a silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof.
Embodiments of the first aspect of the disclosure can include any one or a combination of the following features:
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method of imparting antimicrobial properties onto an exterior surface of a headwall for a healthcare facility comprises: applying, to an exterior surface of a headwall for a healthcare facility, a solution including a silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof and isopropyl alcohol; wherein, the silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof is one or more of: 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium ion, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride, 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium ion, or 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride; wherein, the silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof is between 0.1 percent and 10 percent by weight of the solution; and wherein, the isopropyl alcohol is between 30 percent to 90 percent by weight of the solution.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
For purposes of description herein, it is to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
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The headwalls 10, 10A, 10B and each of the components of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B identified above have an exterior surface, respectively. In other words, the one or more electrical outlets 16 have an exterior surface 36, the one or more gas outlets 18 have an exterior surface 38, the one or more accessory rails 22 have an exterior surface 40, the nurse call button 26 has an exterior surface 42, the end caps 32 have an exterior surface 44, the at least one bed bumper 34 has an exterior surface 46, the at least one lighting assembly 28 has an exterior surface 48, the bed locator 30 has an exterior surface 50, the cover panels 14 have an exterior surface 52, and the one or more vacuum outlets 20 have an exterior surface 56. As illustrated in
The antimicrobial coating 54 includes a silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof. Preferred silane quaternary ammonium ions or salts thereof include 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium ion, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride, 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium ion, or 3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride. Applying the antimicrobial coating 54 to the various exterior surfaces 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56 of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B imparts antimicrobial properties on the various exterior surfaces 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56, which prevent or lessen the ability of said exterior surfaces 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56 to harbor harmful microbes, viruses, bacteria, and the like. Applying the antimicrobial coating 54 to the various exterior surfaces 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56 serves to lessen the ability of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B to act as vehicles that transmit the harmful microbes, viruses, bacteria, and the like to the patient.
Further described herein is a novel method of imparting antimicrobial properties onto any of the exterior surfaces 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56 of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B, described above, and to the exterior surfaces of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B generally. The method comprises applying, to any of the exterior surfaces 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56 of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B, a solution including the silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof, as described above. In addition to the silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof, the solution can further include a solvent. A preferred solvent is isopropyl alcohol.
The silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof can comprise between 0.1 percent and 10 percent by weight of the solution. More preferably, the silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof can comprise between 0.75 percent and 5 percent by weight of the solution. Even more preferably, the silane quaternary ammonium ion or salt thereof can comprise between 1.9 percent and 2.1 percent by weight of the solution.
As for the isopropyl alcohol, the isopropyl alcohol can comprise between 30 percent to 90 percent by weight of the solution. More preferably, the isopropyl alcohol can comprise between 55 percent and 65 percent by weight of the solution. An example preferable solution comprises (by weight) 60.0 percent isopropyl alcohol, 2.02 percent 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride, and 34.19 percent deionized water.
Again, the solution can be applied to any exterior surface 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56 of the headwalls 10, 10A, 10B, including but not limited to the exterior surface 52 of the one or more cover panels 14, the exterior surface 36 of the one or more electrical outlets 16, the exterior surface 38 of the one or more gas outlets 18, the exterior surface 40 of the one or more accessory rails 22, the exterior surface 42 of the nurse call button 26, the exterior surface 44 of the end caps 32, the exterior surface 46 of the at least one bed bumper 34, the exterior surface 48 of the at least one lighting assembly 28, the exterior surface 50 of the bed locator 30, the exterior surface 56 of the one or more vacuum outlets 20, and so on.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
