Mobile medical treatment platform with utilities umbilicus

Abstract

An umbilicus system includes a mobile medical unit and interior and exterior treatment platforms connected to the mobile medical unit with respective umbilici that include bundles of lines for conveying medical and electrical utilities from the mobile medical unit to the treatment platforms. The umbilici are supported within the treatment platforms on trays that have openings for extending free ends of the umbilici from either end of the treatment platforms. The utilities conveyed by the umbilici are made available from medical action boards located at a front end of the treatment platforms.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to deployable medical services including the delivery of medical supplies to treatment platforms and the integration of treatment platforms into multi-patient care facilities.

BACKGROUND

Medical outcomes often depend upon the timeliness of initiating care. This is particularly true of severe injuries, where such timeliness is referred to as a patient's so-called "golden hour" within which medical intervention is most effective at saving lives.

Natural disasters and combat, which can produce great needs for such medical interventions, often take place in remote locations far away from hospitals or overwhelm the capacities of local care facilities. Rapid transport of patients can expand the range of available facilities, but the deployment of mobile medical facilities to the areas of need is sometimes the only or most effective way of dispensing timely medical care.

Mobile medical facilities take many forms from trailers to tents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,390 to coinventor Young discloses a fixed-walled mobile medical unit that is deployable by either air or ground transports. The mobile medical unit can be deployed alone or in combination with similar medical units to provide a variety of medical care specialties including surgery, emergency care, intensive care, pre- and post-operation care, as well as multi-bed wards.

Although such flexibility of purpose is important for dealing with the wide variety of medical needs on battlefields or sites of disasters, flexibility of capacity is also important for dealing with sudden influxes of patients. For this reason, applicants have devised a new umbilicus system that greatly expands the capability of mobile medical units to provide continuous care to multiple patients.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The core of our new umbilicus system is the umbilicus itself which bundles together lines for conveying medical utilities between a supply of the utilities and a treatment platform. The umbilicus provides for quickly connecting the lines to the utility source, for protecting the lines from damage, and for promoting better patient access.

One version of our invention is a new umbilicus system for delivering medical services from both inside and outside a mobile medical unit. Interior space of the mobile medical unit is divided into a treatment compartment and a service compartment. The service compartment contains medical utilities, and the treatment compartment includes an interior treatment platform for administering medical services to patients. The treatment compartment also includes a series of interior ports connected to the medical utilities. An interior umbilicus connects the interior ports to the interior treatment platform for delivering the medical utilities to the interior treatment platform.

In addition, one or more exterior treatment platforms are located outside of the mobile medical unit, which also includes a series of exterior ports connected to the medical utilities. An exterior umbilicus connects the exterior ports to each of the exterior treatment platforms for delivering the medical utilities to the platforms. This greatly expands the capacity of the mobile medical unit to treat additional patients simultaneously.

Another version of our invention is a new medical treatment platform. The new treatment platform includes a frame supporting a litter and a series of outlets that dispense both medical and electrical utilities. An umbilicus including a sheath surrounding a bundle of lines respectively connected to the outlets delivers the medical and electrical utilities to the outlets from a remote source.

Preferably, a tray located beneath the litter and extending between opposite ends of the treatment platform supports the umbilicus so it can be extended from either end of the treatment platform. A free end of the umbilicus is split into a first group of lines that deliver the medical utilities and a second group of lines that deliver the electrical utilities. Retractable access cables connect to a neck portion of the umbilicus before the split to enable the free end of the umbilicus to be pulled from either end of the treatment platform. A safety cable among the lines bundled by the sheath can be connected to a nearby support to protect the lines from overextension.

The outlets are preferably mounted on a medical action board, which is conveniently located at a front end of the treatment platform. The umbilicus supplies the medical action board with such services as medical gases, air pressure, vacuum, electric power, medical monitoring, and voice communications.

The treatment platform is preferably a gurney having onboard medical utilities that are connected to the outlets for dispensing medical utilities while the gurney is being moved. Valves alternately connect the outlets to the umbilicus or to the onboard medical utilities, thereby assuring continuous treatment of patients.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of our mobile medical unit mounted on a truck chassis.

FIG. 2 is a largely schematic cross-sectional plan view through the medical unit showing interior and exterior treatment platforms connected to the medical unit with umbilici.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of our mobile medical unit with soft shelters extended for covering the exterior treatment platforms.

FIG. 4 is a relatively enlarged cut-away view of one side of the mobile medical unit showing two sets of ports for delivering medical and electrical utilities.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view from a front end of our new gurney, which can be used as an interior or exterior treatment platform.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view from a rear end of the same gurney.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of connections to a medical action board at the front end of the gurney.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cut-away top view of the gurney showing a tray supporting an umbilicus for connecting the gurney to the two sets of ports.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A mobile medical unit 10 for use in our invention is mounted on a truck chassis 12 as shown in FIG. 1. The mobile medical unit is similar to a mobile medical unit disclosed in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,390, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The size, shape, and weight of the mobile medical unit 10 are limited by the mode of deployment which can include air cargo, helicopter, as well as alternative types of ground transport. Following deployment as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mobile medical unit can be supported on jacks 14.

The mobile medical unit 10 has interior space 16 enclosed by front and rear exterior walls 18 and 20 and two side exterior walls 22 and 24. The interior space 16 is divided into an entryway compartment 26, a service compartment 28, and a treatment compartment 30. The entryway compartment 26, provides an airlock to help maintain an aseptic attitude within the treatment compartment 30. A storage compartment 32 containing various medical supplies including medical gases 34 is accessible through the entryway compartment 26. However, for purposes of this invention, the storage compartment 32 can be considered as a part of the service compartment 28, which includes such features as generators 36, air handling equipment 38, and telecommunications equipment 40.

An interior treatment platform 44, such as a surgical gurney, is centered within the treatment compartment 30 for administering medical services to patients. Near a front end 46 of the treatment platform 44, an overhead examination light 48 is mounted from a ceiling 50. A rail system 52 having a first set of ports 56 for delivering medical utilities and a second set of ports 58 for delivering electrical utilities extends across the ceiling 50 near a rear end 54 of the treatment platform 44 for making the medical and electrical utilities conveniently available within the treatment compartment 30. An interior umbilicus 60 extending from the rear end 54 of the treatment platform splits into a first group of lines 62 connected to the first set of ports 56 and a second group of lines 64 connected to the second set of ports 58. A safety cable 66 within the umbilicus 60 connects the treatment platform 44 to an eyelet (not shown) in the ceiling 50 to protect the first and second groups of lines 62 and 64 from being inadvertently overextended.

The interior umbilicus 60 replaces a series of individual connections to horizontal rail systems or wall outlets, which restrict lateral access to the treatment platform. The medical utilities delivered by the umbilicus 60 preferably include oxygen, anesthetic or analgesic gas, vacuum, air, and water. The electrical utilities include 115 volt alternating current (VAC) and telemedical and voice communications. The first and second sets of ports 56 and 58 are separated by a distance of one foot (30.5 centimeters) to protect the medical gases from exposure to electrical spark.

Capacity for administering medical treatment is greatly expanded by providing sets 68 of exterior ports in the two side exterior walls 22 and 24. Exterior umbilici 70 connect the sets 68 of exterior ports to respective exterior treatment platforms 72 for delivering both medical and electrical utilities to the exterior treatment platforms 72. Soft shelters 74 and 76 in the form of tents or other collapsible shelters extend from said exterior walls 22 and 24 of the mobile medical unit 10 for covering the treatment platforms 72.

FIG. 4 shows one of the sets 68 of exterior ports recessed within the exterior side wall 24. One recess 78 within the exterior wall 24 contains oxygen port 80, anesthetic or analgesic port 82, air port 84, vacuum port 86, and water port 88 for making medical utilities available for use outside of the mobile medical unit 10. Another recess 90 within the exterior wall 24 contains an electrical power port 92 and a communications port 94 for making electrical utilities similarly available. Although separated to prevent exposure between the two types of utilities, both recesses 78 and 90 can be closed by a single cover 96 that is hinged above the recesses 78 and 90 for further sheltering the ports when open.

The remaining drawing FIGS. 5-8 show a preferred arrangement of the interior and exterior treatment platforms 44 and 72 as a gurney 100. The gurney 100 includes the usual features of a frame 102 supporting a litter 104. Two collapsible side rails 106 and 108 confine patients during transport. A shelf 110 along with other supporting structures of the frame 102 can accommodate a variety of major medical equipment including a resuscitator 112, an EKG and defibrillator 114, and an intravenous pump 116 and stand 118.

A limited supply of medical gases can also be carried on board including oxygen 120, anesthetic/analgesic 122, air 124, vacuum 126, and water 128. A battery 130 is also provided as a temporary power source for the medical equipment. The various onboard utilities are connected to corresponding medical and electrical outlets 132 and 134 on a medical action board 136 located at a front end 138 of the gurney 100. The medical action board 136 is located close to where patients' heads are expected to be supported on the litter 104 for much improved convenience over comparable wallmounted stations that can restrict access to patients.

A more permanent supply of utilities is delivered to the medical action board 136 by an umbilicus 140. The umbilicus 140 includes a bundle of lines 142 surrounded by a sheath 144. The lines include tubes 146, 148, 150, 152, and 154 for conveying respective medical utilities such as oxygen, anesthetic/analgesic, air, vacuum, and water and groups of wires 156 and 158 for conveying electrical utilities such as 115 VAC and monitoring and voice communications. A steel safety cable 160 is also included in the bundle of lines 142 to protect the remaining lines from excess tension. The sheath 144 is preferably a mesh such as a metal fishnet stocking that securely bounds and protects the bundle of lines 142 from wear or accidental damage.

FIG. 7 depicts connections from both the onboard medical utilities and the umbilicus 140 to the outlets 132 of medical action board 136. Both tubes 166, 168, 170, 172, and 174 from the onboard medical utilities 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 and the tubes 146, 148, 150, 152, and 154 from the umbilicus 140 are connected to respective outlets 176, 178, 180, 182, and 184 for dispersing oxygen, anesthetic/analgesic, air, vacuum, and water. However, directional control valves 186, 188, 190, 192, and 194 are used to bypass the connections to the onboard utilities 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 when the umbilicus 140 is used and to bypass the umbilicus 140 when the onboard utilities 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 are used.

The groups of wires 156 and 158 from the umbilicus 140 are connected directly to respective outlets 196 and 198 for making electrical power and communications available through the umbilicus 140. One end of the safety cable 160 is anchored to the frame 102.

The umbilicus 140 emerges from its connections to the medical action board 136 through an opening 202 in a tray 200, which extends from a front end 138 to a rear end 204 of the gurney 100. The tray 200, which is supported on the frame 102, has a bottom 206, two side walls 208 and 210, and two end walls 212 and 214 for confining the umbilicus 140. However, respective openings 216 and 218 are formed in the two end walls 212 and 214 for withdrawing a free end 220 of the umbilicus 140 from either end 138 and 204 of the gurney 100.

Retractable access cables 222 and 224 mounted in the tray 200 adjacent to the respective openings 216 and 218 are attached to a neck portion 226 of the umbilicus 140 to assist withdrawing the umbilicus through either opening 216 and 218. Since the umbilicus emerges through the opening 202 into the tray 200 closer to the front end 138 of the gurney 100, the umbilicus can be extended to a greater length from the front end 138 of the gurney 100 than from the rear end 204 of the gurney 100. A minimum of approximately three feet (about one meter) of extension is needed from the rear end 204 to connect the umbilicus to overhead outlets. Even more extension is preferred from the front end 204 of the gurney 100 to provide increased flexibility for positioning the gurney 100 around the mobile medical unit 10.

The free end 220 of the umbilicus 140 is divided into a first group of lines 228 including the tubes 146, 148, 150, 152, and 154 for connecting to the exterior ports 80, 82, 84, 86, and 88 and a second group of lines 230 including the groups of wires 156 and 158 for connecting to the exterior ports 92 and 94. The first and second groups of lines 228 and 230 can be configured as respective "plug-in" assemblies having fixed arrangements of adapters for connecting to or disconnecting from the medical and electrical outlets or the individual lines can be made with separate adapters 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246, and 248 as shown for connecting only those utilities that are instantly needed disconnecting those that are not needed. The safety cable 160 terminates with a hook 250 that can be connected to an eyelet 252 in the exterior wall 24 shown in FIG. 4.

The gurney 100, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, also includes front and rear steerable wheels 254, 256, 258, and 260 cushioned by respective air tires 264, 266, 268, and 270 and shock absorbers 274, 276, 278, and 280 to help maintain smoothness and stability. Hand and foot brakes and motorization can be used for even better control.

Although the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, other variations and combinations of the disclosed elements will be apparent to those of skill in the art in accordance with the disclosed teaching.

Claims

1. A medical treatment platform comprising:

a patient support surface;

a series of outlets that dispense medical and electrical utilities in the vicinity of said patient support surface;

an umbilicus including a bundle of lines respectively connected to said outlets for delivering the medical and electrical utilities to said outlets from a remote location;

a support for onboard utilities;

additional lines for connecting the onboard utilities to said outlets; and

valves for alternatively connecting said outlets with either said umbilicus or the onboard utilities.

2. The treatment platform of claim 1 in which said lines include at least one tube for conveying medical gases and at least one group of wires for conducting electricity.

3. The treatment platform of claim 2 in which said lines also include tubes for conveying water and vacuum.

4. The treatment platform of claim 2 in which said lines include groups of wires that conduct both power and communications.

5. The treatment platform of claim 2 in which said lines include tubes for conveying air, oxygen, and an anesthetic.

6. The treatment platform of claim 1 in which a sheath surrounds said bundle of lines.

7. The treatment platform of claim 6 in which said sheath also surrounds a safety cable for preventing said bundle of lines from being overextended during use.

8. The treatment platform of claim 1 in which said outlets are mounted on a medical action board in the vicinity of said patient support surface.

9. The treatment platform of claim 8 in which said patient support surface includes front and rear ends and said medical action board is located at said front end.

10. The treatment platform of claim 1 including a tray located beneath the patient support surface for supporting said umbilicus.

11. The treatment platform of claim 10 in which said patient support surface includes front and rear ends and said tray includes openings at both of said ends for extending said umbilicus from either of said ends of the frame.

12. The treatment platform of claim 9 in which said umbilicus extends from said rear end of the patient support surface.

13. The treatment platform of claim 12 in which said umbilicus includes a free end that includes plug-in adapters for connecting said umbilicus to the remotely located utilities.

14. The treatment platform of claim 13 in which said free end of the umbilicus is extendible farther from said front end of the patient support surface than said rear end of the patient support surface.

15. The treatment platform of claim 1 in which said patient support surface and said support for onboard utilities are supported by a frame.

16. The treatment platform of claim 15 in which wheels are supported by said frame.

17. The treatment platform of claim 16 in which said wheels are connected to said frame by shock absorbers.

18. The treatment platform of claim 17 in which said wheels include air tires.

19. The treatment platform of claim 16 in which at least one pair of the wheels is steerable.

20. A mobile medical treatment platform incorporating a supply of onboard medically related utilities, an umbilicus for connecting the treatment platform to a supply of exterior medically related utilities, and a switching system for supplying a patient carried on the treatment platform with similar medically related utilities from either the onboard supply or the exterior supply through the umbilicus, said umbilicus including a bundle of lines for conveying the medically related utilities and adapters for connecting and disconnecting the umbilicus, wherein

said umbilicus including its bundle of lines is flexible, extends a distance from the treatment platform for connecting the treatment platform to the supply of exterior medically related utilities, and includes among the bundle of lines extending from the treatment platform at least one tube for conveying a medical gas from the exterior supply to the treatment platform.

21. The treatment platform of claim 20 in which said similar medically related utilities include medical and electrical utilities.

22. The treatment platform of claim 21 in which said bundle of lines extending from the treatment platform also includes at least one wire for conveying electricity from the exterior supply to the treatment platform.

23. The treatment platform of claim 21 in which said adapters include separate plug-in assemblies for the medical and electrical utilities.

24. The treatment platform of claim 20 in which a sheath surrounds said bundle of lines.

25. The treatment platform of claim 20 in which said onboard medical utilities and said umbilicus are connected to a medical action board for dispensing the utilities to the patient.

26. The treatment platform of claim 25 in which said medical action board is located at one end of the treatment platform and said umbilicus extends from an opposite end of the treatment platform.

27. A mobile medical treatment platform incorporating a supply of onboard medically related utilities, an umbilicus for connecting the treatment platform to a supply of exterior medically related utilities, and a switching system for supplying a patient carried on the treatment platform with similar medically related utilities from either the onboard supply or the exterior supply through the umbilicus, said umbilicus including a bundle of lines for conveying the medically related utilities, adapters for connecting and disconnecting the umbilicus, and a sheath surrounding said bundle of lines, wherein

said sheath also surrounds a safety cable for preventing said bundle of lines from being overextended during use.

28. A mobile medical treatment platform incorporating a supply of onboard medically related utilities, an umbilicus for connecting the treatment platform to a supply of exterior medically related utilities, and a switching system for supplying a patient carried on the treatment platform with similar medically related utilities from either the onboard supply or the exterior supply through the umbilicus, said umbilicus including a bundle of lines for conveying the medically related utilities and adapters for connecting and disconnecting the umbilicus, wherein

said switching system includes a system of valving.

29. A method of delivering medical utilities to a patient from a mobile treatment platform comprising the steps of:

providing a limited supply of onboard medically related utilities that are transported by the mobile treatment platform;

providing a less limited exterior supply of similar medically related utilities that are not transported by the mobile treatment platform;

delivering medically related utilities to the patient from the onboard supply;

connecting an umbilicus having a bundle of lines for delivering medically related utilities to the patient from the exterior supply; and

switching from the onboard supply of medically related utilities to the exterior supply of medically related utilities to provide the patient with a more permanent supply of the medically related utilities, wherein

said step of connecting includes (a) extending the umbilicus including its bundle of lines a distance from the treatment platform for connecting the bundle of lines to the exterior supply and (b) including among the bundle of lines connected to the exterior supply at least one tube for conveying a medical gas from the exterior supply to the patient.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the medically related utilities include both medical and electrical utilities.

31. The method of claim 30 in which the medical utilities include oxygen and the electrical utilities include communications.

32. A method of delivering medical utilities to a patient from a mobile treatment platform comprising the steps of:

providing a limited supply of onboard medically related utilities that are transported by the mobile treatment platform;

providing a less limited exterior supply of similar medically related utilities that are not transported by the mobile treatment platform;

delivering medically related utilities to the patient from the onboard supply;

connecting an umbilicus having a bundle of lines for delivering medically related utilities to the patient from the exterior supply; and

switching from the onboard supply of medically related utilities to the exterior supply of medically related utilities to provide the patient with a more permanent supply of the medically related utilities, wherein

said step of switching includes operating valving for closing the supply of the onboard utilities to the patient and for opening the supply of exterior utilities to the patient.

33. The method of claim 32 including the further step of switching from the exterior supply of medically related utilities to the onboard supply of medically related utilities to continue supplying the patient with the medically related utilities during further transport.

34. The method of claim 33 including the further step of disconnecting the umbilicus to permit the further transport.