AU2007219308B2

AU2007219308B2 - Patient Turning Apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU2007219308B2
Application number: AU2007219308A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Stephen Hitch; Gordon Richard Sivewright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-27
Filing date: 2007-09-26
Publication date: 2013-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2027-09-26
Also published as: AU2007219308A1

Abstract

Abstract A patient turning apparatus 10 comprises a flexible draw sheet 12 adapted to 5 be placed under a patient 14 on top of a bed 16. The draw sheet 12 is typically of rectangular configuration and is placed lengthwise across the bed 16 so that the shoulders and the hips of the patient 14 will rest on the draw sheet 12. A support structure 20 designed to stand beside the bed and has a roller means 30 is provided thereon which is adapted to receive one side of 10 the draw sheet 12 in connection therewith. A rolling tube 32 is provided with releasable fastening means for releasably fastening one side of the draw sheet 12 thereto. The rolling tube 32 is rotatably supported between a pair of upright support members 22 of the support structure 20. An upper section 22a of each support member 22 is slidably mounted on a lower section 22b so 15 that the height of each upright support members 22 can be adjusted. With the combined actions of both pulling and lifting the draw sheet 12, the patient 14 can be gently rolled onto their back and onto their other side. 20 Drawing suggested to accompany the Abstract: Figure 1.

Description

P/00/009 28/5/9 1 Regulation 3.2 ORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention title: "PATIENT TURNING APPARATUS" Applicants: JOHN STEPHEN HITCH and GORDON RICHARD SIVEWRIGHT Associated Provisional Application No.: 2006905320 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 "PATIENT TURNING APPARATUS" Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for turning a patient on a bed from side to side. 5 Background to the Invention Many bed-ridden patients in aged care, or long-term patients in hospital, are substantially immobilised due to injury, sickness or simply old age. Such persons need to be periodically rolled in bed from side to side to prevent the onset of bed sores. Usually this operation is done manually by nursing staff 10 and/or other carers. However, apart from being strenuous and time consuming, there is a substantial risk of back injury due to the awkward posture adopted by the person doing the lifting, which places significant strain on the lower back. The present invention was developed with a view to providing a patient 15 turning apparatus that substantially eliminates the need for manual lifting and hence reduces the possibility of back injury to nursing staff and carers. References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere. 20 Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a patient turning apparatus for turning a patient on a bed from side to side, the apparatus comprising: 25 a flexible draw sheet adapted to be placed under the patient on top of the bed; a support structure designed to stand beside the bed; 3 a roller means provided on the support structure and adapted to receive one side of the draw sheet in connection therewith, wherein by winding the draw sheet onto the roller means the draw sheet is pulled across the top of the bed towards the support structure in such a manner that the patient is turned over; 5 and a lifting means provided on the support structure and adapted to lift the roller means a prescribed height at the same time as the draw sheet is being wound onto the roller means. Preferably the support structure is provided with wheels so as to be mobile 10 and readily wheeled from one side of the bed to the other so that the patient can be turned back to the original position. Preferably the roller means is provided with releasable fastening means for releasably fastening one side of the draw sheet thereto. Preferably said releasable fastening means comprises a hook and loop fastener. Preferably a 15 strip of said hook and loop fastener is attached to the roller means and a mating strip of said hook and loop fastener is attached to each end of the draw sheet. Preferably the apparatus further comprises a drive means for automatically driving said roller means and said lifting means when turning a patient. 20 Typically said drive means comprises an electric motor and/or an hydraulic actuator. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of turning a patient in bed from side to side, the method comprising the steps of: 25 placing a flexible draw sheet under the patient on top of the bed; attaching one side of the draw sheet to a roller means provided on a support structure designed to stand beside the bed; winding the draw sheet onto the roller means in such a manner that as the draw sheet is pulled across the top of the bed towards the support structure 30 the patient is turned over; and 4 lifting the roller means a prescribed height. Typically said step of lifting the roller means is performed at the same time as the draw sheet is being wound onto the roller means. Alternatively said steps of lifting and winding are performed consecutively. 5 Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word "preferably" or variations such as "preferred", will be understood to imply that 10 a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following 15 detailed description of several specific embodiments of the patient turning apparatus, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a patient turning apparatus according to the present invention, illustrating the manner of operation 20 when turning a patient on a bed; Figure 2 is a front view of the patient turning apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the patient turning apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of the patient turning apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a draw sheet employed with the 25 patient turning apparatus of Figure 1.

5 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments A preferred embodiment of the patient turning apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, comprises a flexible draw sheet 12 adapted to be placed under a patient 14 on top of a bed 16 (see 5 Figures 1 and 5). The draw sheet 12 is typically made from a soft fabric material, for example cotton, which is comfortable to lie on. It may be fluid impervious so as to also act as a mattress protector; however this is not part of the invention. The draw sheet is typically of rectangular configuration with a length of about 200 cm and a width of about 120cm. It is placed lengthwise 10 across the bed 16 so that the shoulders and the hips of the patient 14 will rest on the draw sheet 12 (see Figure 1). When not being used to turn the patient 14 the ends of the draw sheet 12 are tucked under the mattress on both sides of the bed 16. The apparatus 10 further comprise a support structure 20 designed to stand 15 beside the bed. In this embodiment the support structure 20 comprises an U shaped frame, when viewed front-on as in Figure 2, having a pair of upright support members 22 respectively mounted upright at each end of a base support rail 26. A pair of base support members 24a and 24b extends horizontally from the base support rail 26 at each end. The horizontal base 20 support members 24 form an L-shaped frame with the upright support members 22, as can be seen most clearly in Figure 4. Advantageously the base support members 24 are pivotally coupled to the base support rail so as to be pivotal between an extended operational position as shown in Figure 3, and a retracted storage position as shown in broken outline in Figure 3. With 25 the base support members 24 retracted in the storage position, the apparatus 10 can more easily be wheeled to another location and/or stored without taking up precious hospital floor space. Each of the upright support members 22 and the support rail 26, are typically made from steel rectangular tubing welded together at the joins. A vertical 30 pivot pin joins each base support member 24 to the base support rail 26 at a hinged joint. A castor wheel 28a is preferably provided at the free end of each base support member 24, and a second castor wheel 28b is provided at each 6 end of the base support rail 26, so as the make the entire support structure 20 mobile. In this way it can be readily wheeled from one side of the bed 16 to the other so that the patient 14 can be turned back to the original position. A roller means 30 is provided on the support structure 20 and is adapted to 5 receive one side of the draw sheet 12 in connection therewith. The roller means 30 comprises a rolling tube 32 of circular cross-section mounted on a roll shaft (not visible), which is rotatably supported between the upright support members 22. Typically an electric drive motor 34 (not visible) and gearing 36 (not visible) is provided inside the rolling tube 32 for automatically 10 rotating the rolling tube 32 when activated. The upright support members 22 are preferably formed in two sections, an upper section 22a and a lower section 22b telescopically joined together, as can be seen most clearly in Figures 1 and 2. Preferably the upper sections 22a are slidably mounted on the lower sections 22b so that the height of the 15 upright support members 22 can be adjusted. Advantageously the upper sections 22a are each driven by a suitable linear actuator (not visible) provided within the respective support members 22. The linear actuators may take the form of an electric drive motor or an hydraulic actuator. The rolling tube 32 is rotatably mounted adjacent a top end of the upper sections 22a. 20 Hence when the linear actuators are activated the upper sections 22a with the rolling tube 32 supported thereon are lifted or lowered automatically as required. Preferably the rolling tube 32 is provided with releasable fastening means for releasably fastening one side of the draw sheet 12 thereto. In this 25 embodiment the releasable fastening means comprises a hook and loop fastener 40, such as that sold under the registered trade mark "Velcro". Preferably a strip of hook fastener material 40a is fixed along the length of the rolling tube 32 as shown in Figure 1. A matching strip of loop fastener material 40b is attached to each end of the draw sheet 12 (see Figure 5). By 30 this means one end of the draw sheet 12 can be releasably fastened to the roller means 30 and wound onto the rolling tube 32. By winding the draw sheet 12 onto the rolling tube 32 the draw sheet 12 can be pulled across the 7 top of the bed 16 towards the support structure 20 in such a manner that the patient 14 is turned over, as will be described in more detail below. The roller means 30 could be provided with a manual winder (not shown) for manually winding the draw sheet onto the rolling tube 32. Likewise a manual 5 winder could be provided by manually lifting and lowering the upper sections 22a of the upright support members 22. However in the illustrated embodiment a first electric drive motor (not visible) is provided for automatically rotating the rolling tube 32 when activated and second and third electric drive motors (not visible) are provided for lifting and lowering the 10 upper sections 22a. An electrical control box 44 is provided on the base support rail 26, with a remote hand controller 46 for activating the respective electric motors. Advantageously the hand controller 46 permits each of the drive motors to be driven in either direction as required. Advantageously the electric motors can also be activated simultaneously so as to lift the roller 15 means 30 a prescribed height at the same time as the draw sheet 12 is being wound onto the rolling tube 32. Operation of the patient turning apparatus 10 will now be described with particular reference to Figure 1. The draw sheet 12 is fitted to the bed 16 prior to the patient 14 being placed on the bed. When the patient is not being 20 turned the ends of the sheet 12 are tucked under the mattress. When the patient 14 needs to be turned the support structure 20 is wheeled to the side of the bed 16 to which the patient 14 is facing, with the base support members 24 extended to their operational position under the bed. The draw sheet 12 is then untucked on both sides. The end of the sheet 12 on the side 25 where the support structure 20 is positioned, is then attached to the rolling tube 32 by means of the hook and loop fastener 40. The sheet 12 in an untensioned condition is then wound one and half times onto the rolling tube 32 by activating the electric drive motor within the rolling tube 32. This locks the draw sheet 12 onto the rolling tube 32. 30 Then with the combined actions of both pulling and lifting the draw sheet 12, the patient 14 can be gently rolled onto their back and onto the other side with the aid of a carer. The actions of both pulling and lifting the sheet can be 8 performed separately or simultaneously by means of the remote hand controller 46. For example, the rolling tube 32 can be first lifted to the prescribed height relative to the patient 14, and then the draw sheet 12 can be pulled towards the support structure 20 by activating the motor 34 to wind 5 the draw sheet 12 onto the rolling tube 32. The height of the rolling tube 32 determines to some extent at what position on the bed the patient is turned and therefore where they end up. Alternatively the draw sheet 12 can first be pulled towards the support structure 20 by winding it onto the rolling tube 32, so as to translate the 10 patient 14 horizontally across the top of the bed 16. Then the rolling tube 32 with the draw sheet wound thereon can be lifted, by activating the electric motor for lifting the upper sections 22a of the upright support members 22. As the draw sheet is lifted from one side the patient 14 will roll onto their back and then onto their other side, guided if necessary by a member of the 15 nursing staff or other carer. Alternatively, both the pulling and the lifting actions can be performed simultaneously by activating both sets of electric motors at the same time. When the patient turning operation has been completed, the rolling tube 32 is rotated in the opposite direction so as to unwind the draw sheet 12. The end 20 of the draw sheet 12 is released from the hook and loop fastener and both sides of the sheet can then be tucked back under the mattress of the bed 16. To roll the patient 14 back again the support structure 20 is wheeled to the opposite side of the bed 16 and then same procedure is repeated from the other side. 25 Now that a preferred embodiment of the patient turning apparatus has been described in detail, it will be apparent that the described embodiment provides a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following: (i) It substantially eliminates the need for nursing staff or other carers to lift the patient, thus minimising the possibility of back or other injuries. 30 (ii) It is lightweight and portable and does not occupy a large amount of valuable floor space.

9 (iii) It significantly improves the speed and efficiency with which a patient can be turned over. (iv) It is simple to operate and does not require specialist training. 5 It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, the manner in which the draw sheet is attached to the rolling tube 32 may be using any 10 suitable fastening means. Hook and loop fastener material is a particularly convenient means but other methods of fastening that do not require the addition of a strip of fastening material to the draw sheet can be used. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is to be determined from the 15 appended claims.

Claims

1. A patient turning apparatus for turning a patient on a bed from side to side, the apparatus comprising: a flexible draw sheet adapted to be placed under the patient on top of the bed; a support structure designed to stand beside the bed; a roller means provided on the support structure, the roller means being adapted to receive one side of the draw sheet in connection therewith and to wind the draw sheet onto the roller means; and a lifting means provided on the support structure, the lifting means being adapted to lift the roller means a prescribed height simultaneously with the winding of the draw sheet onto the roller means; wherein by simultaneously winding the draw sheet onto the roller means and lifting the roller means, the drawsheet is lifted and pulled across the top of the bed towards the support structure in such a manner that the patient is turned over.

2. A patient turning apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the support structure is provided with wheels so as to be mobile and readily wheeled from one side of the bed to the other so that the patient can be turned back to the original position.

3. A patient turning apparatus as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the roller means is provided with releasable fastening means for releasably fastening one side of the draw sheet thereto.

4. A patient turning apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the releasable fastening means comprises a hook and loop fastener.

5. A patient turning apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein a strip of said hook and loop fastener is attached to the roller means and a mating strip of said hook and loop fastener is attached to each end of the draw sheet.

6. A patient turning apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a drive means for automatically driving said roller means and said lifting means when turning a patient.

7. A patient turning apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said drive means comprises an electric motor and/or an hydraulic actuator.

8. A patient turning apparatus as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure comprises a base support rail and a pair of horizontal base support members, wherein the base support members are pivotally coupled to the base support rail so as to be pivotal between an extended operational position and a retracted storage position. 11

9. A method for turning a patient on a bed from side to side, the method comprising the steps of: placing a flexible draw sheet under the patient on top of the bed; attaching one side of the draw sheet to a roller means provided on a support structure designed to stand beside the bed; and simultaneously winding the draw sheet onto the roller means and lifting the roller means a prescribed height for turning the patient over.

10. A method of turning a patient as defined in claim 9, comprising the further step of unwinding and detaching said one side of the draw sheet from the roller means, and tucking the sides of the draw sheet under the mattress on both sides of the bed.

11. A patient turning apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of turning a patient substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.