Patent Application
20220168163
The present invention relates generally to the field of bodily transfer and lifting devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved transfer wrap that can be used by one or two individuals to securely transfer an individual or patient with limited to no mobility, from one place to another. The transfer wrap comprises a pad body with a belt threaded through openings at the corners of the pad, wherein the pad can be used to safely and securely transfer an individual with limited mobility. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, in hospitals, healthcare centers, nursing homes and other similar facilities, it is oftentimes required to transfer patients, injured people or elderly individuals, etc. who are not capable of moving themselves from one place to another. In one exemplary situation, a person may be transferred or moved from one seated position to another seated position. This type of transfer may occur when moving a patient from a wheel chair to another fixed chair or couch (or vice versa). One or more caregivers must provide assistance to the individual, who cannot move without assistance in order to physically transfer the individual from one place to another.
Unfortunately, lifting and moving patients is ergonomically difficult for caregivers. For example, while manually lifting a patient, there is always a risk of back injuries to the caregiver. Additionally, in the event the patient or individual is not handled properly, there is a risk that the patient may be dropped or otherwise fall to the ground, thereby causing additional injury to the patient and potential liability to the caregiver and/or the facility. Injuries to patients and/or caregivers can cause any number of detrimental consequences affecting the long-term health and financial well-being of all those involved.
Hospitals, healthcare centers, nursing homes and other similar facilities may be equipped with mechanical lifts to quickly transfer patients from one place to another. However, if such lifts are under maintenance, are not working due to technical problems or are not conveniently available, the caregivers may have to transfer the patients manually. While moving a patient without an available lift, caregivers oftentimes struggle to safely move the patient from one place to another. Additionally, many patients, while being manually transferred, do not feel secure and may panic during the moving process, especially because there is usually nothing to hold onto. Without supplemental support, caregivers have difficulty lifting the patient, which can put both the caregivers and the patient at risk for falls and injuries.
Various devices are available in the state of the art to assist caregivers in lifting and moving patients, elderly people, etc. from one place to another. For example, lifting devices such as gait belts, waist belts and the like are available to lift patients or elderly individuals. A gait belt is a padded belt that fits around the patient's lower rib cage area to lift the patient. However, conventional gait belts can be problematic for both the patient and the caregivers. For example, gait belts are usually uncomfortable for patients and have a tendency to slide up or down during the transfer, thereby potentially causing the patient to fall and become injured. Additionally, a gait belt is an elongated belt with no substantial support structure for lifting patients, so it may be difficult for the caregivers to use. Additional effort may be required in lifting and moving patients from one place to another when using the gait belt. Furthermore, the material typically used for traditional gait belts is relatively rough, and may cause bruising, skin rashes, skin tears and more, which tend to create discomfort and possible infection for the patient, elderly individual, etc.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a patient lifting means or device that enables caregivers to lift and move patients from one place to another. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a patient lifting means that ensures patients, elderly people or the like, are safely and securely transferred from one place to another without causing injury to the patient and/or the caregiver. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a patient lifting device that provides substantial support to the patient being transferred, thereby reducing the patient's anxiety about being moved. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a patient transfer device that is both relatively lightweight and portable, and that does not result in skin rashes, skin tears or bruising to the patient due to the material of the lifting device. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a patient lifting device that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and that is both safe and easy to use.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a patient transfer and lifting device for securely lifting and transferring a patient from one location to another by a caregiver. The device comprises a generally rectangular pad having one continuous opening at each corner of the pad, and a belt continuously threaded through the openings with two open ends of the belt accessible to the patient or caregiver. The belt may further comprise a fastening means to securely fasten the two open ends for wrapping around the caregiver for additional support while lifting the patient seated on the pad. During transfer, the patient can be further supported by holding the pad about the edges.
In this manner, the novel bodily transfer and lifting device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively safe, easy, convenient and efficient solution to lifting and transferring patients, invalids, injured and elderly individuals and or other individuals who are not otherwise capable of moving themselves from one place to another, and without causing any injuries to the patient and/or the caregivers. The novel bodily transfer and lifting device of the present invention is also user friendly, inasmuch as it does not require a great deal of user effort or labor to lift a patient, elderly individual or the like. The device provides substantial support to properly lift an individual, thereby preventing or at least reducing the likelihood of injuries to the patient and/or the caregiver. Finally, the relatively soft and flexible material of the device provides a more comfortable and enhanced experience for both the caregiver and the patient or individual being moved.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a novel bodily transfer and lifting device for use by a caregiver or other individual to securely lift and/or transfer a patient or other individual from one location to another. It is to be appreciated that the device provides a support mechanism to assist a caregiver in moving, for example, a patient from a first seated position to a second seated position, or from a seated position to a standing position and then to another seated position, or any other combination of movements. The device preferably comprises a generally rectangular pad having one continuous opening therein at each of the four corners of the pad, and a belt continuously threaded through said openings. The belt comprises two open ends accessible to a patient or a caregiver, wherein the belt has a fastening means to securely fasten the two open ends for wrapping around the caregiver for extra support while lifting the patient who is seated on the pad of the device. During use, the patient is lifted when the caregiver pulls backward in a direction away from the patient. Tension in the belt provides a securement around both the caregiver and patient, and further support can result from the caregiver and/or patient holding the pad at its edges.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a medical transfer device is disclosed that comprises a seating pad and a strap system. The seating pad has a plurality of continuous openings that allow a belt to be pulled through the openings. The belt has two open ends that are wrapped around a caregiver and connected together, thereby creating a closed loop system or structure between the pad and belt, similar to a sling, to securely lift and transfer a patient from one seated location to another seated location. The seating pad may be constructed of a layered and relatively soft, flexible material. The layered pad may be constructed to any size, but can include a length of approximately 36 inches and a width of approximately 24 inches to accommodate most patients and applications. The belt preferably has a length of approximately 138 inches and a width of approximately 2-3 inches. The openings in the pad can be circumscribed by reinforced stitching, and preferably include a diameter of approximately 2-3 inches to accommodate the width of the belt.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a portable sling device to transfer patients that need assistance moving from one location to another is disclosed. The sling device comprises an ultra-soft and ergonomic rectangular cushioned pad having a variable density along its seating area. The pad is comprised of a top layer, a bottom layer and a plurality of continuous openings extending from the top layer to the bottom layer, wherein the continuous openings may be positioned at the opposing corners of the cushioned pad. The device further comprises a relatively thick and strong pull belt that is threaded through the continuous openings and may be wrapped about a caregiver to form a closed loop system when the open ends of the belt are attached to one another. The means of attachment between the two open ends of the belt may include, but are not limited to, a hook and loop fastener, a buckle-socket connector, a snap, or any other similar heavy duty connection means.
The present invention discloses a transfer and lifting sling device that allows for the easy, safe, and convenient transfer of a patient who needs assistance in moving from one location to another. The device ensures that one or two caregivers are able to easily move the patient without injury to the caregivers and/or the patient. The device can be used by hospitals, nursing homes, physical therapists, homeowners or the like to provide support to a patient, an elderly individual or any other person in need of assistance to transfer between two seated locations.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in that similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in that:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for a bodily transfer and lifting device that enables a caregiver to lift and move a patient or other injured individual from one place to another. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a bodily transfer and lifting device that ensures that the patient, elderly individual or the like is safely and securely transferred from one place to another without causing any injuries to the patient and/or the caregiver. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a bodily transfer and lifting device that provides substantial support to the patient being transferred, thereby reducing the patient's anxiety about being moved and/or falling. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a bodily transfer and lifting device that is both relatively lightweight and portable, and that does not result in skin rashes, skin tears or bruising to the patient from the material of the lifting device. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a bodily transfer and lifting device that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and that is both safe and easy to use.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The flexible pad 102 can have a hole or continuous opening positioned at each of its four corners. Each continuous opening 106, 108, 110, 112 extends from the top surface of the pad 102 to the bottom surface and can be used for threading a belt 104 therethrough, as best shown in
As best shown in
As noted above, the belt 104 is used by a caregiver or other person to wrap around him or herself while holding the flexible pad 102. An additional caregiver or lifter can provide supplemental leverage by holding the flexible pad 102 to securely support the patient or other individual being moved from one place to another, wherein the patient is safely sitting on the flexible pad 102 while in the seated orientation. Upon rising from a seated orientation, the tension on the belt 104 and the pad 102 contribute to retaining the pad 102 in a substantially fixed position under the posterior of the patient or other individual being moved. The fixed position prohibits slipping of the pad 102, and helps to retain the pad 102 in a proper position beneath and behind the patient during the transfer movement from, for example, a first seat to a second seat. Additionally, the belt 104 can be wrapped around the caregiver's shoulders or torso to provide additional support to both the caregiver and the patient while completing the maneuver.
As noted above, the free or open ends 1041, 1042 of the belt 104 may have an attachment mechanism that utilizes hook and loop fasteners, snap locks, buckle and socket connectors, auto seat belt buckles, airplane seat belt buckles or the like for making a closed loop connection around the caregiver or lifter. Alternatively, a tight knot can be made using both of the open ends 1041, 1042 to form the continuous loop in the belt 104. The length of the belt 104 between consecutive openings remains secure, and can be tightened in accordance with the user requirements. The flexible pad 102 should be constructed to be sufficiently strong to accommodate the transfer of a patient weighing up to 400 lbs. The openings in the pad 102 can be circumscribed by zigzag or reinforced cross stitching for secure engagement of the belt 104 to the pad 102 when the belt 104 is threaded through the openings 106, 108, 110, 112. The reinforced cross stitching improves the quality of construction and integrity of the flexible pad 102. The flexible pad 102 is machine washable and can come in various ergonomic configurations to help aid in the comfort of both the caregiver and the patient during transfer movements.
The pad 102 and the belt 104 can also be constructed of waterproof material to provide protection from liquids and bodily fluids, and may further comprise an anti-microbial coating 118, such as Microban®, to prevent the transmission of bacteria, germs, infectious diseases and other harmful microbes that may come into contact with the pad 102 and/or the strap 104, as the same are being handled and used by multiple caregivers and/or patients.
The belt 104 is wrapped and secured around the shoulders or waist 402 of the caregiver 400 by attaching the free ends of the belt 104 together to form a continuous loop. As stated above, any conventional fastening means can be used to easily fasten the free ends 1041, 1042 of the belt 104 to make a closed loop with the flexible pad 102. It is to be appreciated that the patient 300 does not need to hold the caregiver 400 for support, but may choose to do so. The patient 300 can also grasp the belt 104 at any convenient location along its length for stability as the transfer movement occurs from a first seated position to a second seated position. If required, an additional caregiver (not shown) can also hold the flexible pad 102 to gain more stability while moving the patient 300.
For use with adult and young patients, the flexible pad 102 can be, for example, in the range of 12 to 42 inches in length and 12 to 36 inches in width. The length of the belt 104 can be, for example, in the range of 72 inches to 156 inches. On the top surface of the flexible pad 102, any logo, design, print, trademark, hospital name or the like can be printed or embossed thereon.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “patient transfer sling device”, “patient transfer device”, “patient lifting device”, “medical transfer sling” and “transfer sling” are interchangeable and refer to the patient transfer and lifting device 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the patient transfer and lifting device 100 of the present invention and its various components can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the patient transfer and lifting device 100 and its components as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the patient transfer and lifting device 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the patient transfer and lifting device 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the patient transfer and lifting device 100 and its components may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/120,284, that was filed on Dec. 2, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63120284 | Dec 2020 | US |
