Patent Application
20100192301
The present invention relates generally to extremity supporting devices for use in combination with the patient transporters currently used in hospitals and ambulances, and specifically to an adjustable support device for maintaining an extremity of a patient in a supported position during transport.
Various types of ambulatory and medical emergency cots, gurneys, wheeled stretchers and the like are utilized in patient transport and it is frequently necessary to administer medication or other fluids intravenously during transport by introducing a conduit into a body extremity of the patient. Most commonly the body extremity is an arm. In order to avoid injury and ensure proper administration, it is important that the patient's body extremity remain relatively immobile and straightened during the procedure. This is particularly important when the patient is transported in a moving vehicle, wherein the close quarters and abrupt movements can combine to produce a potentially hazardous environment. Additionally embodiments of the present invention can be used in combination with blood drawing stations such as phlebotomy chairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,413 to Aydt describes a splint for an injured arm that attaches to the rail of a bed or a field stretcher wherein the arm splint is attached to the rail via a c-clamp and provides only limited adjustability. Also, since the described arm splint encases the extremity, it does not permit transcutaneous access to the blood vessels of the extremity and therefore precludes procedures such as intravenous therapy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,233 to Kabanek discloses an arm board for a gurney comprising a stiff flat board that not attached to the gurney, but that is rather slipped into crevice below the mattress and thus is held in place by the weight of the patient. Such an arm board configuration is limited in that it fails to provide any adjustability and requires that the arm of the patient be maintained in the same plane as the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,136 to Vance et al. describes an emergency cot mounted arm board that includes a cot frame attaching member, an arm board, and a pivot assembly coupling the attaching member and the arm board. However the arm board of this invention has limited adjustability since it is attached to the backrest and necessarily remains parallel to the horizontal plane of the cot. Furthermore, with such a configuration the arm board position changes if the position of the backrest is changed during transport of the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,554 to Heimbrock discloses a transportable stretcher used in medical imaging with a pivotally coupled armboard. Since this stretcher is designed specifically for imaging procedures utilizing a C-arm apparatus, the pivotally coupled arm board provides only limited adjustability.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to stabilize a body extremity during transport of a patient wherein the device can be easily positioned.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to stabilized a body extremity during transport of a patient wherein the device can be positioned to avoid unwanted pressure or tension on a limb.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to stabilize a body extremity during transport of a patient wherein the device is rigid in design to minimize vibration during patient transport.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to support a body extremity during transport of a patient in a manner that permits transcutaneous access to the blood vessels of the extremity and therefore allows performance of procedures such as intravenous therapy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to stabilized a body extremity during transport of a patient wherein the device can be conveniently adjusted to fit the full range patient sizes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to stabilize a body extremity during transport of a patient that provides for convenient and effective immobilization of a patient's extremity if the position of the backrest is changed during transport.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher, to stabilized a body extremity during transport of a patient wherein the device can be positioned to not exceed the boundary planes defined by the emergency cot when not in use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney or wheeled stretcher that can be used in combination with to a phlebotomy chair so that the present invention stabilizes and holds the extremity in the extended position to safely and effectively draw blood.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable apparatus that is attachable to an arm of a chair for use in phlebotomy procedures.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.
The present invention provides an adjustable device, which is removedly attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney, wheeled stretcher or the like, that functions to support and immobilize an extremity of a human body, i.e. limb, during transport. The device is of simple construction and yet rigid and easily adjustable in five modes from three or four quickly accessible adjustment points. The apparatus can support the limb in a stationary position and can be tilted from two horizontal pivot points and rotated around a vertical axis. A preferred configuration comprises a main support section or member comprising two ends, wherein the first end is pivotally mounted to a clamp which is fastened to the rail of a medical emergency bed or cot; an end-support means pivotally mounted on the main member at the second end; and an adjustable limb retaining means rotatably mounted on the end-support. Such an apparatus is of simple construction and yet permits a high degree of adjustability.
A typical embodiment of such an apparatus attachable to an emergency cot has a cot attachment member to which is attached a movable linkage; rotatably coupled to the movable linkage is an extension pole assembly comprising an outer tube and an inner tube telescopically coupled within the outer tube to which an extremity support member is rotatably coupled; wherein certain combinations of relative movements of the movable linkage, the extension pole assembly and the extremity support member allow the apparatus to be disposed and secured in positions that support an extremity of a patient lying on the emergency cot and wherein other combinations of relative movements of the movable linkage, the extension pole assembly and the extremity support member allow the apparatus to be disposed and secured in a storage position beneath the surface of the cot. Certain embodiments of apparatuses of the present invention are particularly suitable for use in combination with to a phlebotomy chair so that the present invention stabilizes and holds the extremity in the extended position to safely and effectively draw blood.
In certain embodiments the moveable linkage is a four-bar linkage, a three-bar linkage, a hinged coupling or a ball-joint linkage. In certain preferred embodiments of the extremity support apparatus, a rail of the cot to which the apparatus is attached defines one bar of the four-bar linkage. In certain embodiments the four bar linkage further comprises a locking mechanism comprising a rod and perforated flat plate mechanism.
In certain embodiments of the extremity support apparatus of the present invention at the extension pole assembly and/or the support member is provided with a locking means including but not limited to a friction clamp having a lead screw, a quick release clamp having a non-circular cam and a friction collar.
In certain preferred embodiments the apparatus has a diagonal brace member with a body having a proximal end, a distal end and a slot extending through the body along its longitudinal axis from a point near the distal end and extending to a point at least past the center point of the longitudinal axis, wherein the proximal end of the diagonal brace is pivotally attached to the movable linkage and wherein the extension pole assembly comprises a pin slidably coupled through the slot of the diagonal support such that the diagonal brace member functions to impart rigidity and strength the apparatus as the extension pole assembly is pivotally rotated relative to the movable linkage.
In certain other preferred embodiments the cot attachment member comprises one or more C-clamps. In certain other preferred embodiments the extremity support member is contoured to conform to the shape of a patient's extremity and in yet other embodiments the extremity support member further comprises a replaceable pad.
In certain other embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention the cot attachment member is fixedly attachable to a frame component of a cot by a means such as welding to afford a unitary construction.
The present invention also provides a method of affording extremity support for a patient being transported in an emergency cot comprising the steps of: i. providing an extremity support apparatus of the present invention; ii. attaching the apparatus to an emergency cot; iii. adjusting and securing the apparatus in a position appropriate for supporting a patient's extremity; and iii. disposing the patient's extremity within the support member.
Other embodiments of the present invention provide an adjustable apparatus that is attachable to an arm of a chair for use in phlebotomy procedures. In such embodiments the apparatus is attachable to an arm of a suitable chair and certain combinations of relative movements of the movable linkage, the extension pole assembly and the extremity support member allow the apparatus to be disposed and secured in positions that support an arm of a patient sitting in the chair for a phlebotomy procedure. A method of affording arm support for a patient seated in a chair for a phlebotomy procedure comprises the steps of: i. providing a suitable arm support apparatus of the present invention; ii. attaching the apparatus to the arm of the a suitable chair; iii. adjusting and securing the apparatus in a position appropriate for supporting a patient's arm; and iii. disposing the patient's extremity within the support member.
For purposes of the present invention the terms medical emergency cot, gurney, transport stretcher, ambulance stretcher, wheeled stretcher and patient transfer stretcher are synonymous.
For purposes of the present invention a four-bar linkage also referred to as a 4-bar or four-bar is the well known movable linkage consisting of four rigid bodies, often called bars or links, each attached to two others by single joint or pivots to form a closed loop.
For purposes of the present invention a three-bar linkage also referred to as a 3-bar or three-bar is a well-known movable linkage consisting of three rigid bodies, a three-bar linkage is often employed in place of a conventional four-bar linkage
Embodiments of the present invention provide an adjustable apparatus, which is attachable to a medical emergency cot, gurney, wheeled stretcher or the like to support and immobilize an extremity of a human body, i.e. limb, during transport of a patient. In general such an apparatus has a cot attachment member attachable to a cot; a movable linkage fixedly attached to the cot attachment member; an extension pole assembly comprising an outer tube with a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the outer tube proximal end is pivotably attached to the movable linkage, and an inner tube with a proximal end and a distal end wherein the inner tube proximal end is telescopically coupled within the outer tube; and an extremity support member rotatably coupled to the distal end of the inner tube of the extension pole assembly, wherein certain combinations of relative movements of the movable linkage, the extension pole assembly and the extremity support member allow the apparatus to be disposed and secured in positions that support an extremity of a patient lying on the emergency cot and wherein other combinations of relative movements of the movable linkage, the extension pole assembly and the extremity support member allow the apparatus to be disposed and secured in a storage position beneath the surface of the cot.
Suitable cot attachment members can be in the form of one or more of a variety of C-clamps; G-clamps; band clamps, such as T-bolt band clamps or worm gear band clamps; straps or the like.
The moveable linkage can be a three-bar linkage, a four-bar linkage, a slidable linkage, a hinged coupling, a ball-joint linkage or any similar coupling that permits the overall positioning of the apparatus in a function extremity support position as well as a storage position.
In certain embodiments the cot attachment member is fixedly attachable to the cot and in certain other embodiments the cot attachment member is removedly attachable to the cot. In certain preferred embodiments the cot attachment member is attachable to a side rail of the cot.
In certain preferred embodiments the moveable linkage is a four-bar linkage is attached to the cot attachment member such that movements of the four-bar linkage are in the plane of the cot surface. The telescopic coupling of the outer tube and an inner tube of the extension pole assembly which renders these tubes slidably and rotatably movable with respect to one another, while the extremity support member is rotatably coupled to the distal end of the inner tube of the extension assembly. Such a configuration of components permits a combination of movements or adjustments of the components to deploy and secure the apparatus in the optimum position to function as an effective support for an extremity of a patient, while other combinations of movements or adjustments permits the apparatus to be secured in a protected storage position beneath the surface of the cot.
In certain embodiments the extremity support member has a brace that is contoured to conform to the shape of the patients extremity to be supported.
In certain preferred embodiments the apparatus is further provided with a slotted diagonal brace member one end of which is pivotally attached to an edge of the four-bar linkage by means of a pin or other suitable coupling means and the extension assembly has a pin that extends through the slot in the brace member thereby slidably coupling the diagonal brace to the extension assembly such that the diagonal brace member functions to impart and maintain rigidity and strength to the apparatus as the extension assembly in all extremity support positions of the extension assembly.
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Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an adjustable apparatus, which is attachable to an arm of a chair useful in phlebotomy procedures. Such embodiments comprise: a chair attachment member attachable to an arm of the chair; a movable linkage attached to the chair attachment member; an extension pole assembly comprising an outer tube with a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the outer tube proximal end is pivotably attached to the movable linkage, and an inner tube with a proximal end and a distal end wherein the inner tube is telescopically coupled within the outer tube; and an extremity support member rotatably coupled to the distal end of the inner tube of the extension pole assembly; wherein certain combinations of relative movements of the movable linkage, the extension pole assembly and the extremity support member allow the apparatus to be disposed and secured in positions that support an arm of a patient sitting in the chair for a phlebotomy procedure. The moveable linkages, attachment members, extension pole assemblies and extremity support members herein described for the cot-attachable embodiments are also suitable for the chair-attachable embodiments.
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Preferred construction materials for components of embodiments extremity support apparatuses of the present invention include, but are not limited to, metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, and most preferably stainless steel. Use of such metals decreases the likelihood of rusting and/or pitting of components and increases the ease of cleaning. Also use of such materials imparts a substantial durability and sturdiness to the apparatus.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
