Patent Grant
7096524
The present invention is directed to a patient transfer device that assists individuals transfer a patient from one underlying surface to another underlying surface. For example and not to be limited to such, the patient is transferred from (a) a bed to a gurney, (b) a gurney to a bed, (c) a gurney to a surgical table, (d) a surgical table to a gurney, and/or (d) equivalents thereof.
The most prevalently produced transfer device at the current time is a mattress having an array of laterally extending chambers arranged in a generally rectangular pattern in the center of the mattress, with a continuous, rectangular outer chamber extending around the periphery of the mattress. Several embodiments of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,873.
In many cases, a patient transfer mattress includes a plurality of inflatable mattress segments. Each mattress segment includes a plurality of small holes in a bottom sheet to create a cushion of escaping air beneath the mattress segment that facilitates sliding movement of the mattress segment along an underlying surface. Each mattress segment also includes at least one pulling member. The pulling member allows a person to easily grab the mattress to pull it from a first underlying surface to a second underlying surface. An example of the pulling member is a pair of handles affixed to the mattress.
Although these mattresses can be cleaned and disinfected after use with various germicidal cleaning solutions, it is preferable to keep the mattress surfaces protected from contact with infectious or contaminating body fluids. This has been accomplished in prior art air mattresses by providing a sanitary sheet, essentially identical to the top sheet of the mattress, which is folded and inserted in a pouch at the foot end of the mattress. This sheet, referred to as a “sani-liner”, is intended to be removed from the pouch and laid over the top sheet of the deflated mattress before the patient is placed upon the mattress. When the mattress is then inflated, the sani-liner sheet protects the top surface of the mattress from potentially infectious material. The sani-liner can later be cleaned and disinfected, folded and returned to the pouch.
The present invention solves these problems of having bulky patient-transfer mattresses and additional sani-liners.
The present invention is directed to a patient transfer system. The patient transfer system is positioned on a support area of a first underlying surface's top surface. The support area (a) receives a patient and (b) is defined by a head end, a foot end, a first side and a second side. The patient transfer system has a base sheet, a transfer sheet a support sheet, a first attachment mechanism, and a second attachment mechanism. The base sheet covers the support area and has (a) a pivot line positioned near or at the first side and (b) a transition line positioned near or at the second side. The transfer sheet has (a) a proximal end that connects to the base sheet at pivot line and (b) a distal end that extends to the transition line. The support sheet has (a) a proximal end that connects to the transfer sheet above the transition line and (b) a distal end that extends at least to the pivot line. The first attachment mechanism connects the support sheet's distal end to the base sheet or the transfer sheet's proximal end. The second attachment mechanism connects the transport sheet's distal end to the base sheet.
A patient transfer device 10 is illustrated in
If the mattress 14 is a pad, a cushion, a conventional mattress, a hospital mattress and/or a mattress system, the mattress 14 can be any type of a case filled with resilient or quasi-resilient material. The materials can be cotton; gels; gelastic materials; fluid(s) like water, aqueous solution, and/or air; hair; feathers; foam rubber; coiled springs; or any combination thereof. Depending on the type of material used in the case, the case can be primarily made from a fabric material, a polymeric material, or combinations thereof. Examples of such mattresses include and are not limited to a Sealy™ mattress, and Gaymar's Clini-Dyne® Lateral Rotation with Low-air-loss Pressure Relief; duo•gard® Static Air Overlay; G.A.P.™ Overlay; ISOFLEX®: Clinical, Cost Effective Pressure and Shear Management; Jairy Chair Pad™; Paradise® Pumps & Pad Alternating Pressure Overlay System; Pillo-Pump & Airflo Pump Alternating Pressure System; Sof•Care® Chair Cushion; Sof•Care® Pressure Relieving Air System; Sof•Matt® ASM Alternating Pressure Mattress Replacement; Sof•Matt® RSM Low-Air-Loss Mattress Replacement; SPR•Plus® III Low-Air-Loss Overlay System; Symmetric•Aire™ Non-Powered Support Surface System; Symmetric•Aire™ Plus Convertible Support Surface System; top•gard® Foam Mattress Replacements; XPRT Pulmonary Mattress; or combinations and equivalents thereof. In some embodiments, the mattress 14 can have side bolsters 14a, 14b positioned on its sides as illustrated in
Most mattresses 14 are essentially rectangular in shape. A rectangular mattress 14 has two long lengths 16a,b, two short widths 18a,b, a top surface 20 and a bottom surface 22. For this application, we will assume the mattress 14 is rectangular with the understanding that the mattress 14 and the corresponding base sheet 12 can be any shape that are used and fit together.
When a patient 50 is transferred from the top surface 20 of the mattress 14 (a.k.a., first underlying surface) to a second underlying surface 100 (it can be another mattress 14), the patient 50 is normally transferred from the top surface 20 in the direction toward, normally, one of the lengths 16a,b and/or widths 18a,b. For this application, we will assume the patient 50 is transferred in the direction of length 16a as illustrated in
The pivot line 122 and the transitional line 24 can be positioned on opposite sides of the mattress 14; at or near the widths 18a,b and/or any other area that assists in the transfer of a patient from a first underlying surface to a second underlying surface. We have identified only one set of preferred locations of these lines and by no means is this preferred embodiment to limit the scope and/or breadth of this application.
At the pivot line 122, a transport sheet 30 attaches to and extends from the base sheet 12. The transport sheet 30 extends from the pivot line 122 (the proximal end 31) to the transitional line 24 (distal end 37) when patient is not being or been recently moved.
At the transitional line 24, a support sheet 32 attaches to the transport sheet 30's distal end 37. The support sheet 32 extends from the distal end 37 toward the pivot line 122 and may extend beyond the line 122 when patient is not being or been recently moved. At least one handle and/or gripping device 60 is attached to the support sheet's distal end 78 and the device 60 extends beyond the pivot line 122. The handle device 60 allows a person who is transferring the patient 50 to have an opportunity to properly grasp the transfer device 10.
When the patient transfer device 10 is not transferring a patient 50 from the mattress 14 to a second underlying surface 100, (1) the support sheet's 32 distal end 78 interconnects 40a to (a) the transport sheet 30 at or near the proximal end 31 and/or (b) the base sheet 12 at and/or near the pivot line 122 and (2) the transport sheet's 30 distal end 37 (at and/or near the transitional line 24) interconnects 40b to the base sheet 12 at and/or near the transitional line 24.
The interconnection 40a,b occurs through various and possibly different devices when the patient 50 is not being or been recently moved. The various and possibly different attachment devices 40a,b include and are not limited to a zipper, a tongue and groove system (like a zip-lock unit), a hook and loop system, snap systems, button and button hole systems, and any other conventional attachment system and/or combinations thereof. Preferably the interconnection system 40a,b should not increase the discomfort to the patient 50.
When the patient is being or been recently moved, as illustrated in
To decrease the friction between the various sheets, 12, 30, and 32, and the sheets in relation to the underlying surfaces 14 and 100; the device 10 could have a lubricant positioned between sheets 30 and 32 and possibly sheets 30 and 12. The lubricant should be non-toxic and not deleterious to the patient, patient transfer system 10 and mattress 14.
Alternatively, the support sheet 32 could have a patient layer 70, a bottom layer 72, a cavity 73 formed by joining 71 the patient layer 70 and the bottom layer 72 together at least at the periphery and possibly in the interior of the cavity 73, an air aperture 74 that allows air to be delivered into the cavity 73, and a plurality of escape apertures 76 on the bottom layer 72 as illustrated in
In addition to the air cavity alternative embodiment, the transport sheet 30 can also have a top layer 80, a bottom layer 82, the cavity 73 being extended when the top layer 80 and the bottom layer 82 are joined together at least at the periphery 81 and possibly in the interior of the cavity 73 with at least one air opening 83 between the support sheet 32 cavity to the transport sheet 30 cavity, and a plurality of escape apertures 86 on the top layer 80 as illustrated in
The air opening 83 can be a flexible conduit, like a tube, within or exterior to the layers 70, 72, 80, 82; a gap in the joining of the peripheries of layers 70, 72, 80, 82; or combinations of both embodiments. The flexible tube inhibits the kinking of the air passage 83.
Another alternative embodiment is illustrated in
In addition, a second set of handles 60a can be positioned at or near the support sheet's 32 proximal end and on the condition that the handles 60a remain on the support sheet 32 after the support sheet 32 is detached from the transport sheet through the third attachment device 40c. The second set of handles 60a allow the transferee to obtain a desired grip and/or handle on the support sheet 32 for an easier transfer of the patient 50.
Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
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