AU2002100234A4 - Frame and system for suspending a person - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: FRAME AND SYSTEM FOR SUSPENDING A PERSON The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us FRAME AND SYSTEM FOR SUSPENDING A PERSON FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns improvements in, or relating to, a system for suspending a person in a lying position, and in particular to a frame for use in such a system.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION In nursing homes, hospitals and other similar industries the ability to maintain good body alignment with a minimum of pressure applied to a person is important in circumstances in which, for example, the person has been involved in hip replacement therapy or injury. Immobilized persons who are confined to a lying position on a bed may require staff to attend to wound dressings, panning, new bedding, post operative x-rays, pressure area care, the administration of enemas, relocation and other matters.

If suspension systems are to be used on a regular basis, say in an orthopedic ward, then it is has been seen to be desirable to employ systems which are versatile, easy to store, assemble, allow for a easy and simple suspension, and require a minimum of staff. Patient safety and comfort are important considerations when purchasing and employing such systems.

Operating a plethora of different suspension and lifting systems for different applications may in some instances be superfluous.

In the prior art it has been observed by some for a patient or device to have to be moved before a suspension system can be rolled over an end of a bed upon which the patient is lying. Furthermore, it is has been considered prudent by some to store suspension systems where they would be regularly used and found to be convenient.

Any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission that any of the material formed part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia on or before the priority date of the claims herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a suspension system for patients of the aforementioned kind which does not need to be rolled over a bed end and longitudinally along the bed to enable satisfactory operation of same.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a frame wherein said frame is adaptable to be releasably connected to a second frame for use, together, in a system for suspending a person above a lower surface, said frame including: at least one projecting member adaptable to be releasably coupled to coupling means in said second frame and being substantially perpendicular to said person when said frames are connected at, at least, said at least one projecting member and said person is suspended in a lying position above said lower surface.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a system for suspending a person, lying on a supporting means, above a lower surface including: a first frame that includes at least one projecting member; and a second frame that includes at least one projecting member, characterized in that each of said at least one projecting members of said first frame are adaptable to couple with an opposing one of said at least one projecting members of said second frame to connect said frames for suspending a person thereunder.

Preferred aspects and features of the present invention may be defined in claims 3 to 5 as annexed hereto, which claims are hereby made part of the disclosure of the specification.

A preferred embodiment of a frame according to the invention may include supporting wheel means, and according to one particularly preferred embodiment, may include two spaced support wheels.

Advantageously, embodiments of the invention allow for the sideways connection of two frames in a suspension system thereby circumventing particular practical difficulties that may be associated with passing, for example, a frame over the end of a bed.

Advantageously the invention allows for the convenient storage of suspension system frames.

Further insight into the advantages and characteristics of the claimed invention can be gained from the claims along with the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will be hereinafter described by way of an example only, with reference to the drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows two frames and a supporting stretcher for use in a system for suspending a person according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1A shows, in detail, the area marked A of Figure 1; Figure 2 shows a top view of two connected frames, as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 schematically shows an end view of the patient supporting system of Figure 1; Figure 4 schematically shows a side view of Figure 3; Figure 5 schematically shows two frames conveniently stored together, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 shows a person lying on a stretcher; and Figure 7 shows a preferred mechanism for releasably fastening together two frames, as shown in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings there is shown two frames and a supporting stretcher 30 for supporting a person 50 therebetween. Two telescopic extendable poles 33 are used with three vinyl slings 36, 37 and 38 to support a person 50 under the head and trunk, upper legs, and the lower legs and feet. The telescopic poles 33 are slid through sleeves on either side of each of the slings 36, 37 and 38. The thicker end of the telescopic extendable poles 33 is located in the sling 36 positioned under the head and trunk of the person 50, and thus bears most of the weight.

The two slings 36 and 37, positioned away from the feet of the person have cut out portions 39 from which the supporting stretcher 30 is connected to the connected frame assembly 10. The supporting stretcher 30 is connected from each of the cut out portions 39 to a corresponding stretcher connecting portion 11 of the two frames 20 that form the connected frame assembly Referring now to schematic Figures 3 and 4, there are shown flexible tethers 41 which connect from the stretcher connecting portion 11 of each of the two frames 20 to the supporting stretcher 30 so as to provide a suspension system that maintains, comfortable and good body alignment when a person 50 is suspended therefrom.

Each of the tethers 41 may include two modified seat belt straps: one of an adjustable length with an eyelet at one end and, at the opposing end, a seatbelt tongue; and the other of a fixed length with a seat belt tongue catch at one end and, at an opposing end, an eyelet. The two eyelets may be placed over a corresponding stretcher connecting portion 11 and attached thereto using a locking pin, such as a clevis pin, that passes through the corresponding stretcher connecting portion 11, once the eyelets are so placed. Thus the supporting stretcher 30 may be releasably attached to the connected frame assembly with four tethers 41 each resembling a seat belt with eyelets at each end to be fixed. To limit the stress placed on any one stretcher connecting portion 11 two such portions may be placed on the lateral sides of the frame cross section upon which they are located. In this manner half the load is experienced by each stretcher connecting portion 11, to which is attached one eyelet.

The use of modified seat belt straps with seatbelt webbing and connectors with the connected frame assembly 10 and the supporting stretcher 30 is particularly advantageous when the person 50 is immobilised on a bed that can be raised and lowered. They allow for the tethers 41 to be easily tensioned before the bed is lowered and the person 50 suspended.

Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown a left projecting member 6, and an opposing right projecting member 6, which belongs to another frame, that are releasably fastened with the use of a spigot 66 secured to the right projecting member 6 by a drilled weld 62 and a bolt 63 operable by hand to engage groove 61 in spigot 66. In this manner the two frames 20 shown coupled in Figures 1, 2 and 3 may be releasably fastened at each of their projecting members 6.

Releasable fastening may only be required at one of the two pairs of projecting members shown in Figure 1. That is between one projecting member 6 and an opposing projecting member of the other frame 20. Also a mechnical inversion of the releasable fastening system 60 is envisaged in which end portions of the projecting members 6 are coupled by way of an out sleeve that replaces the function of spigot 66.

An advantage of the two frames being adapted to be releasably connected is that the connected frame assembly 10 is able to be connected by bringing together the two frames 20 from opposite sides of a separating object such as a bed (not shown). Thus the whole connected frame assembly 10 does not have to be rolled over one end of the separating object.

This is particularly advantageous in situations where it is not feasible to roll the connected frame assembly 10 over an end of a bed.

The present invention is very much suited to elevatable hospital and nursing home beds that allow for an immobilized patient 50 to be elevated. When combined with such a bed a suspension system according to the present invention allows a immobilized person 50 to be lifted onto a supporting stretcher The bed is elevated to its maximum position. The two frames 20 are rolled over the sides of the bed and secured using the releasable fastening system shown in Figure 7 at the projecting members 6 of the two frames 20. The supporting stretcher 30 is then assembled on the bed by positioning the slings 36, 37 and 38 underneath the person 50 and then passing the telescopic extendable poles 33 through the side sleeves in the slings 36, 37 and 38. The telescopic extendable poles 33 may then be secured to the connected frame assembly using the tethers 41 than connect to the telescopic extendable poles 33 at the cut out portions 39. The tethers are tensioned using the adjustable straps of the seatbelt connectors. Once the supporting stretcher 30 is firmly attached to the connected frame assembly 10, the bed is lowered away from the person leaving the person 50 suspended in a well supported lying position. The person may then be moved away if the need arises, eg linen change or relocation, or the patient 50 can remain suspended over the bed whilst dressing, pressure care and other aspects of nursing care are attended to. The lifting system is particularly useful when bed pans are to be used, as the bed, with the pan in position, may be raised up to the patient 50 alleviating problems associated with pressure and discomfort that often occur when patients 50 have to "sit" on bed pans in bed.

Once the patient care has been attended to, the bed can be elevated once again until the patient is firmly in position on the bed. The supporting stretcher can then be unclipped from the connected frame assembly 10, by removing the seat belt tongue from the catch; then, the vinyl slings 36, 37 and 38 and telescopic extendable poles 33 can removed, and the bed lowered to the desired position. The patient 50 is left in a position of comfort.

Comfort and immobility are able to be maintained in those patients 50 who need to be lifted in a supine or lateral position and where maintenance of immobility and alignment of limb/other body parts is mandatory.

Discomfort and movement are minimized due to the smooth uniform manner in which patients 50 are lifted.

Total hip replacement, anterior bowl resection, cerebral vascular resection, fractured femurs (including neck and shaft), combined fracture of pelvis and femur, quadriplegia and fractured lumbar vertebra are some of the immobilized conditions to which the system may find application.

Referring now to Figure 6, a further advantage of the releasably connected frame assembly 10 is shown. The two frames 20 are able to be stored in a compact position. They would, of course have to be secured to a wall to prevent them from falling over under the action of their own weight. In orthopedic wards, nursing homes and the like accessible storage space is often highly valued. (It is to be noted that the reference numerals on one of the frames in Figure 6 are not shown because of reasons of on clarity.) The simplicity of design means that maintenance costs are kept to a minimum and in the majority of cases, patient lifting can be carried out with little effort by one or two nurses. The system is versatile and does not have to be wheeled over the end of a bed.

It is to be noted that the forgoing discussion pertaining to embodiments of the invention are not intended to restrict the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. In the claims, means plus function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. All additional embodiments, modifications and applications obvious to those skilled in the are thus included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims (3)

1. 2. A system for suspending a person, lying on a supporting means, above a lower surface including: a first frame that includes at least one projecting member; and a second frame that includes at least one projecting member, characterized in that each of said at least one projecting members of said first frame are adaptable to couple with an opposing one of said at least one projecting members of said second frame to connect said frames for suspending a person thereunder.
2. 3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said frame includes an upright support member and at least two said projecting members extending laterally from an upper zone of said upright support member, the upright support member being supported at a lower end by wheel means.
3. 4. A system as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the or each said projecting member of said first frame includes a spigot means extending from a free end of the or each projecting member which is adapted to be received in a co-operable recessed zone in a said projecting member of the second frame, and releasable fixing means adapted to secure said spigot means in a respective said recessed zone when the system is operational. A system substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 19th day of March 2002 MR DONALD FRASER WATERMARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA SKP/AJL/MBL