Patent Application
20190335909
The present invention relates to medical devices and, more particularly, to a portable, reusable appendage supporting device for elevating the leg of a bed-ridden patient for evaluation and treatment to their lower extremities.
Current medical solutions for supporting the appendages of bed-bound patients during a medical examination requires two or three medical clinicians to assist, evaluate and treat injuries to the lower extremities. Typically, one or two staff members are required to manually elevate and hold the patient's leg up for an extended period of time while the physician or nurse evaluates and treats the injury. Manual lifting and holding of the extremity over an extended time can cause the patient to feel increasing pain and discomfort. Moreover, such manual lifting and holding of a lower extremity for an extended period of time becomes heavy and unstable, requiring the staff to place the extremity down on the bed only to resume manually supporting the appendage, sometimes repeatedly, until the treatment or evaluation is completed. Such sub-optimal ergonomic dynamics applies strain and stress to muscles of the neck and back of the staff, resulting in their own muscle strain/injuries. Furthermore, this current approach drains human capital in many medical facilities that are already short on peoplepower.
As can be seen, there is a need for a portable, reusable appendage supporting device for elevating the leg of bed-ridden patients for evaluation and treatment to their lower extremities. The appendage lifting device is adapted to raise a patient's leg up to 13 inches off a supporting surface, such as a bed, that the patient is required to lay supine. Thus, the present invention allows the medical clinician ample time and space to evaluate and treat chronic and acute wounds of the lower extremity (foot/leg) in a stabilized, secure manner with minimal disruption, manipulation, and discomfort to the patient, decreasing the pain of the patient while reducing potential back and neck injuries of the medical clinicians.
In one aspect of the present invention, an appendage supporting device for elevating the leg of a bed-ridden patient for evaluation and treatment to their lower extremities, including a base unit; a telescopic post extending from the base unit; a pivot connection attached to a distal end of the telescopic post; and a support element pivotably connected to the pivot connection so that the support element is rotatable among a plurality of orientations about a longitudinal axis extending from said distal end.
In another aspect of the present invention, the appendage supporting device for elevating the leg of a bed-ridden patient for evaluation and treatment to their lower extremities, including a base unit comprising a plurality of supporting members extending from a base plate; an elastic stopper attached to the distal end of each supporting member; a stationary component extending from said base plate; an adjustable component positionable between a plurality of elevations along the stationary component relative to the base plate; a rod extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end of the adjustable component; a bearing block adapted to rotate about the rod among a plurality of orientations relative to the base plate; a locking mechanism configured to move between an unlocked condition, allowing the bearing block to selectively rotate, and a locked condition securing the bearing block at one of the plurality of orientations; and a support element pivotably connected to the pivot connection so that the support element is rotatable among a plurality of orientations about a longitudinal axis extending from said distal end.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a portable, reusable appendage supporting device for elevating the leg of bed-ridden patients for evaluation and treatment to their lower extremities. The appendage lifting device provide a base unit providing a telescopic pole connecting a support element for the patient's appendage. The telescopic pole enables selective elevational adjustment of the supporting element. The present invention also includes a pivot connection and locking mechanism interconnecting the support element and the telescopic pole, so that the orientation of the supporting element can be further rotationally adjusted and secured during use.
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Starting from the floor up, and referring to
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The pivot connection 26 enables the interconnected support element 22 rotate about a longitudinal axis defined by the rod 30. Furthermore, the support element 22 can be selectively secured through a range of 360 degrees relative to the supporting surface 50. For example, the support element 22 can either remain in a neutral horizontal position, tilted into a vertical position swiveling from 0 degree to 180 degrees, and so forth, as illustrated in
A method of using the present invention may include the following. The medical device 10 disclosed above may be provided. A user may manually set the telescopic post 18 at a desired elevation for transferring an appendage of a bed-ridden patient from the bed to the supporting element 24. The supporting element 24 may be pivoted to a desire orientation about said longitudinal axis. The desired orientation may be adjusted selectively multiple times between first transferring said appendage and multiple times during examination and treatment of the relevant injury as well as during post-examination cleaning and storage. Such selective adjustment is done through manipulation of the pivotal connection 26 and said locking mechanism. The present invention alleviates the many problems involved: elevating the affected limb and keeping it in a stable secured position that is comfortable for the patent; and for the clinician, preventing dysfunctional ergonomic posture when conducting the evaluation and treatment.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
