This work was partially funded by the U.S. Department of Defense
Not Applicable
The subject technology is in the technical field of protective equipment for medical care providers.
Intubation is an extreme measure that required in extraordinary conditions to provide lifesaving oxygen to a patient. Its use and potential consequences are so severe that laws allow patents to decline its use, via advance directives specifically stating that the patient is not to be intubated. (A “do not resuscitate” order covers chest compressions, cardiac drugs, and intubation. A “do not intubate” order allows chest compressions and cardiac drugs, but not intubation.)
Intubation, where the patient may expel virus and bacteria into the air, creates a hazard for clinicians performing the operation. The coronavirus pandemic beginning in the year 2019 has emphasized that risk, where thousands of physicians and others had died from exposure to the coronavirus from patients. As a result, physician Hsien Yung Lai, of Taiwan, is generally credited with creating a basic design for an intubation box or shield, to protect healthcare providers for aerosolized bacteria and viruses during intubation. [see the article at sites.google.com/view/aerosolbox/design]. The basic design has been released under a noncommercial license [see Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/], and various commercial alternatives exist.
Current designs tend to be box shaped, and assembled from commonly available materials, cut to form various parts. They tend to be heavy materials, such as plexiglass, other heavy plastic materials, or glass. Key to all is transparency so that the clinicians may see the patient inside. They tend to be primarily reusable, requiring cleaning and storage. The subject technology is an improvement.
The subject technology is a transparent article of manufacture with improved and convenient access ports, light weight, venting, and ready for quick deployment. It may be single-use or reusable (upon proper sanitation). It has a vent, generally on top to facilitate air flow, for removal of aerosolized contaminants such as bacteria and viruses, and ports for clinicians to insert their hands. The general shape promotes air flow to the vent, where aerosolized bacteria, viruses, and carbon dioxide may be safely expelled. The general pyramidal shape allows for stacking, thusly providing convenience in storage and shipping.
b show profile view for the top cap.
The following table identifies various elements discussed in the detail description of the drawings.
The following definitions apply:
As an article of manufacture, shield 100 is formed via a mold applied to plastic sheets (such as PETG which is a glycol modified version of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), further treated and embedded with antimicrobial material. Treated plastic sheets are heated and vacuum formed around a mold. The result is trimmed, and ports and other features are cut into it, resulting in the shield 100 as described in the words below and associated Figures.
Best mode shows a generally pyramidal shape, being wider at the bottom (closer to the patient 202) than at the top. Alternative shapes also promoting air flow upward to a vent include generally conical, hemispherical, or multifaceted approximations thereof.
Similarly, more than one vent may be configured for efficient and safe expulsion of air from inside the shield 100.
Advantages if the shield 100 as described and claimed include:
While the foregoing written description enable one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, methods, and examples herein.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/056,763, titled “HOSPITAL BED SHIELD” filed Jul. 27, 2020.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3724172 | Wood | Apr 1973 | A |
4140105 | Duvlis | Feb 1979 | A |
6039776 | Liue | Mar 2000 | A |
6702662 | Kristensson | Mar 2004 | B2 |
6916238 | Korman | Jul 2005 | B2 |
8066802 | Kristensson | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8414671 | Augustine | Apr 2013 | B2 |
8444747 | Kristensson | May 2013 | B2 |
20030033790 | Hague | Feb 2003 | A1 |
20080020695 | Chang | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080092909 | Hahne | Apr 2008 | A1 |
20100233019 | Al-Thallab | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20110126498 | Polsky | Jun 2011 | A1 |
20120024154 | Augustine | Feb 2012 | A1 |
20170145711 | Esses | May 2017 | A1 |
20170354143 | Rolfe | Dec 2017 | A1 |
20210244594 | Dougherty | Aug 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20220023128 A1 | Jan 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63056763 | Jul 2020 | US |