Patent Application
20120286010
The present invention relates to the field of devices for containing, storing and transporting documents, and more particularly to document containers designed to store and transport medical documents in a secure, confidential and hygienic manner.
The handling of medical charts and documents for hospital patients or patients in the outpatient setting involves issues of accessibility, chart integrity, hygiene and privacy. A medical chart must be readily available at all times so that a nurse or physician may obtain and enter up-to-the-minute information on the patient's symptoms, prognosis, procedures and medications. While remaining with a patient throughout transport, the chart must be maintained in its entirety, without being subject to accidental loss or misplacement of contents. Also, because patient charts are handled by numerous medical personnel, they are apt to become vehicles for spreading pathogens if not adequately protected. While the chart's information must be accessible to the appropriate medical professionals, the privacy of the patient's sensitive medical data must also be protected.
The prior art in this field does not disclose a device for handling and storing hospital patient charts which simultaneously addresses the needs of accessibility, chart integrity, hygiene and privacy.
The patent to Dawson (U.S. Pat. No. 955,325) discloses a spring-loaded clip board binder typical of those used for holding patient charts. A binder with attachment means is taught by the Millert patent (U.S. Pat. No. 546,492). A patient's file chart clip is taught by the patent to Arblaster (U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,434). None of these devices provides for enclosure of the chart for hygienic and privacy purposes.
The patent of Ho (U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,291) discloses a fully-enclosing rectangular plastic document holder, but it is designed to hold single sheets flexibly within a looseleaf-type binder. The document container taught by the patent application of Giglio et al. (U.S. 2008/0296313) uses a translucent plastic material to display documents, which is inconsistent with the goal of privacy.
The patents of Simonson (U.S. Pat. No. 1,967,632) and Wittke (U.S. Pat. No. 7,374,143), which teach the use of transparent plastic covers to protect clipboards from the elements, are inappropriate for medical use, since they lack features to maintain document privacy and insure hygienic handling.
A clipboard attached to the lid of a hinged document receptacle is taught by the patent to Gaska (U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,774), but this device does not protect the clipboard documents themselves, but instead provides storage space for paper and writing utensils.
Consequently, there remains a need, not addressed by the prior art, for a hospital patient chart receptacle that allows convenient access to the chart documents, while at the same time preserving their privacy and maintaining a pathogen-free enclosure.
The present invention comprises a rectangular enclosing container with dimensions to accommodate a typical hospital chart, of approximately 9″ in width by 12″ in length, with a depth of about 3″-4″. The container is open at the top for insertion and removal of the chart, and with an arcuate slot in the front face to facilitate access to the chart. From the top rear face of the container extend one or more means, such as hooks, for attaching the container to a patient bed, gurney or stretcher. The container is fabricated from a hard, non-porous material, such as plastic, that is wipe-down cleanable. The material forming the container is opaque or darkly translucent so as to protect the privacy of the patient's medical data, in accordance with the Health Insurance and Portability Act (HIPPA). Alternately, only the front panel of the container is opaque or darkly translucent, while the remaining panels—back, bottom and sides—are light translucent or transparent.
In this design, the attachment means assures that the chart will always be readily accessible at the bedside or gurney of the patient. The access slot on the front face of the receptacle provides for easy insertion and removal of the chart from the container. Privacy of patient information is protected by the opacity of the material comprising the receptacle or its front panel, or sufficient translucency of same to prevent reading of the chart within. The non-porous, wipe-down cleanable surfaces of the receptacle prevent the spread of pathogens during the handling and transport of the patient chart. The attachment means obviates the current practice of placing charts directly on the patients' bed or under the mattress.
An alternate design of the present invention, described hereinbelow, allows the front cover of the chart to be viewed without removing the chart from the receptacle. This alternate version of the receptacle has the advantage of allowing a physician, nurse or other hospital personnel to check the patient's name, status or other information quickly, without handling the chart itself.
Referring to
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many additions, modifications and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims.
