DE102021120808A1 - isolation tent - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an isolation tent with a dome extending over at least one bed and a floor that is sealingly attached to the bed or sealingly engages under it. The dome has translucent walls in which are located engaging elements that allow isolated access to a patient and an inflatable support structure for inflating the dome.

Description

The invention relates to an isolation tent for hospital wards according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Especially in times of a global pandemic, a problem in severely affected regions is making intensive care beds and the associated nursing staff available for seriously ill patients who are infected, for example, with the Covid 19 virus. It is particularly important to ensure that the nursing staff is adequately protected. Currently, this protection is mainly provided by protective suits, which, however, are not always available on site or in the required number.

There is therefore a need for solutions that can be used to isolate and treat patients at short notice in times of emergency when the regional health system is overloaded.

Solutions are described on the Internet in which patients are treated in a tent that isolates them from external influences.

However, these tents are very difficult to use and do not provide adequate protection against infection.

In contrast, the invention is based on the object of creating an isolation tent that is easy to install and ensures adequate protection.

This problem is solved by an isolation tent with the features of patent claim 1 .

Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The isolation tent according to the invention has a dome extending over at least one bed and a floor which is sealingly attached to the bed or sealingly encompasses it. The dome has see-through walls that allow for easy visual inspection of patients. Furthermore, engagement elements are arranged in the wall, which enable isolated access to a patient. According to the invention, the wall is spanned by means of an inflatable supporting structure.

This inflatable supporting structure ensures that the dome is sufficiently prestressed at all times, which also prevents the formation of folds in the area of the walls, so that the dome of the tent can be disinfected relatively easily. The insulation tent is very easy to set up, as the supporting structure only has to be inflated. In this case, it is preferred if the support structure is designed with a one-pump system.

In one embodiment, the support structure is constructed with inflatable columns that converge toward a dome crest and whose end portions remote from the dome crest are formed as a support.

Fixing the position of the insulating tent is particularly easy if the end sections of the columns on the support side are accommodated in support sleeves. These can be weighted, for example.

In one embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the interior of the isolation tent to be subjected to negative pressure by means of a vacuum pump and an air filter, so that the risk of infection to the outside is minimized.

Gas-tight connecting sluices for supply lines or the like can be implemented on the isolation tent to care for the patient.

Lockable interventions can be designed on the isolation tent for direct access to the patient.

The isolated engaging elements can each be designed in the manner of a glove, for example.

The only figure shows a three-dimensional representation of an insulating tent according to the invention, in which case an underbody of the insulating tent is attached to the bed in a sealing manner or grips under it in a sealing manner.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support structure of the isolation tent 1 is made with four inflatable columns 2, which converge towards said apex 4 and which span the bed 6 with sufficient space.

These four columns 2 carry transparent walls 8 on which said engaging elements 10, 12 are arranged.

The interior of the isolation tent 1, which is isolated from the environment, is subjected to negative pressure via a vacuum pump 14 and an air filter, with the extracted air being cleaned with a filter, preferably a HEPA filter, or the extracted air being completely removed from the space enclosed by the isolation tent 1 is sucked off.

With an isolation tent 1 in the form of an inflatable tent dome for patient beds 6 in the interior sive care, it is possible to isolate a hospital bed 6 individually from the atmosphere. Each patient on the ward is largely isolated for themselves. In this way, additional protection can be created within an isolation ward with the help of the isolation tent 1.

In emergency times when local conditions are overloaded, makeshift isolation of patients can also be achieved outside of isolation wards such as emergency shelters, gymnasiums, exhibition halls, etc.

The interior of the tent is put under negative pressure by means of the vacuum pump 14 . The extracted air is cleaned using a HEPA filter or, if necessary, completely extracted from the room.

The patient is treated using intervention elements 10, 12, for example intervention gloves 10, similar to clean room laboratory boxes. The engagement elements 10, 12 can be flexibly positioned on all four sides, ie on or in the walls 8.

The tent walls 8 can be opened completely or partially via minor interventions to care for the patient. To open up the smaller passages, the suction power can be increased to further maintain the isolation.

Compared to the solutions known from the prior art, the virus load on the ward or in the sick room is significantly reduced. Medical personnel only have to wear reduced medical protective equipment for many routine activities. Certain activities close to the face of a Covid patient could be carried out with the help of certain precautions and aids by the intervention elements 10, 12 and thus significantly reduce the process time for individual care steps that would otherwise be required for the precautionary measures. The tent dome of the isolation tent 1 can be mounted with an overhang on the side, with which a patient can sit up independently while awake and can assume a natural sitting position on the side of the bed 6 .

Especially with regard to hospitals, municipalities, THW and the like. the use of isolation tents 1 according to the invention is advantageous for the rapid and mobile expansion of isolation treatment options in times of crisis. Hospitals can also use the isolation tents 1 to control and further reduce the virus load on patients and staff in isolation wards.

One advantage is that in temporary emergency situations, the general capacities for isolation treatments can be created with simple means without expensive spatial and structural installations. In normal, crisis-free times, the isolation tent 1 can be stored in stacking boxes. The construction does not require any technical expertise and can be carried out by facility management. The additional viral load reduction in specialized isolation wards makes working with Covid patients easier and significantly reduces treatment times. This means that significantly more patients can be helped in an emergency when personnel resources are scarce. If necessary, the isolation tent 1 could also facilitate treatment in immunosuppression and burn patients.

The use and/or sale of insulating tents 1 according to the invention is particularly suitable for manufacturers or retailers of hospital equipment or hospital beds, providers of oxygen tents for immunosuppression and for the treatment of burn patients, for hospitals and their sponsors (municipalities) and/or Civil protection organizations such as THW, military, etc.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of an insulating tent 1 according to the invention, the dome of the tent is at least so high that it has enough space for the “lifting bar” with a handle. The columns 8 provide the necessary flexibility to map different bed dimensions within certain limits. The tent structure is adjustable to standard bed dimensions. The isolation tent 1 can be used in different dimensions within limits to be defined. For this purpose, pillar retaining shoes 16 are individually fixed to the bed. If necessary, a rail system can be used to increase the clear width of the tent by 30 - 50 cm over the edge of the bed on at least one side, in order to enable the patient to sit up in the tent.

With regard to the statics and constructive features in the static design, there are no particular challenges for the isolation tent 1 due to the primarily indoor use. The tent must be connectable to the bed to allow some mobility. The engagement elements 10, 12 and openings are designed in such a way that they can even be attached or cut out in coordination with the applications or target groups on site. When using operating gloves 10 and connecting locks 12 for equipment, flanges can also be flexibly attached.

The isolation tent 1, or in particular the column structure, preferably has a so-called one-pump system. This enables inflation using an electric pump. A repumping by hand/manually can be implemented at any time in the application.

The isolation tent 1 has a tent skin and zippers. These can be open to diffusion within limits, in accordance with the vacuum filter pump 14 used. From the edge of the bed to a height of approx. 2 m, the fabric is preferably transparent. The zip fasteners and the seals on the bed frames are designed in such a way that a negative pressure of approx. 20 Pa inside the isolation tent 1 is permanently possible. The fabric is washable and resistant to the use of disinfectants, at least during the product's service life. Ideally, the tent walls can be washed several times at 95° to meet hospital bed linen standards. Alternatively, the tissue is designed in such a way that it can be disposed of without any economic damage when the patient changes. It is particularly preferred here if the material is recyclable, so that it can be reused without major environmental damage, or that the former isolation tent 1 can then be used for another purpose.

The support columns 2 are fixed to the bed itself at the outer corners of the bed via so-called fixing shoes/support sleeves 16 . This means that the entire bed unit is mobile on the ward. The supporting structure of the tent is made up of so-called pressure hoses. These columns 2 can hold the pressure and take over the statics. The supporting structure is covered with a textile cloth/fabric which is completely transparent, as explained above, or alternatively is provided with suitable window sections. On the underside of the bed, below the electric drives and above the rollers, a “barrier fabric” is also stretched, also referred to as the sub-floor 18. The individual textile surfaces are connected to each other with zips and sealed to the bed frame struts with sealing sleeves. The "barrier fabric" near the floor for sealing could be placed under the mattress, or between the bed frame and bed wheels. A vacuum fan 14 with a HEPA filter is used for the negative pressure.

reference list

1

isolation tent

2

columns

4

apex

6

bed

8th

walls

10

engagement element

12

engagement element

14

vacuum pump

16

support sleeves

18

underbody

Claims (7)

Isolation tent with a dome extending over at least one bed (6) and a floor (18) which is sealingly attached to the bed (6) or sealingly grips under it, the dome having transparent walls (8) in which engaging elements (10, 12 ) are arranged to allow isolated access to a patient, and with an inflatable support structure for expanding the dome. Isolation tent after Claim 1 , wherein the supporting structure has columns (2) which converge towards a dome apex (4) and whose end sections, preferably protruding above the ground, are designed as a support. Isolation tent after patent claim 2 , wherein the support-side end portions of the columns (2) are accommodated in support sleeves (16). Isolation tent according to one of the preceding patent claims, with a vacuum pump (14) and an air filter. Insulating tent according to one of the preceding patent claims, with gas-tight connection locks (12) for supply lines. Isolation tent according to one of the preceding claims, with a closable opening for access to the patient. Isolation tent according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement elements (10) are designed in the manner of a glove.

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