DE8712004U1 - Ambulance, rescue or emergency medical vehicle or similar. - Google Patents

Description

i i · ill III

■ · · ti &igr;&igr;&iacgr;

Ii I «I I · ■ · ·

The invention relates to a patient transport or |

Rescue or emergency vehicle etc. with fittings housed in the medical transport compartment or vehicle,

such as a wash basin/tap and water reservoir and, if necessary, a motor-driven pump arranged between the tap and the reservoir.

Appropriate vehicles are available on the market. In emergency situations, it is generally desirable for the doctor or paramedic to be able to wash their dirty hands. This is particularly necessary if the doctor or paramedic contaminates their hands with blood or dirt when treating a patient's injuries.

Furthermore, for hygienic reasons, it is generally desirable and important that the doctor or paramedic cleans and then disinfects their hands frequently.

In order to avoid the doctor or paramedic having to touch a handle or grip with dirty hands to operate the water tap or pump, various devices are provided in existing vehicles to start the water flow from the water tap. To operate the water tap or pump, for example, foot switches or switches that can be operated with an arm or knee are provided. The respective foot, knee or arm switch must be operated or pressed for the entire time during which the water is to flow out. As soon as the switch is released, the water pump stops or the water tap closes. The operation of the switch required to control the water flow is therefore comparatively complicated and difficult, especially if the

11 It ·· ·<<· <L

I ·· 4 « < · &ldquor;7

Vehicle is moving and the doctor or paramedic also has to ensure that the vehicle is in a safe position.

In addition, the switches described have a large number of mechanically moving parts which can become dirty. Although the dirt does not usually affect the function of the switch, this dirt is undesirable from a hygienic point of view and therefore makes it necessary to dismantle the switch from time to time for disinfection.

The object of the invention is to create a device for a vehicle of the type specified at the beginning, which enables the doctor or paramedic to control the water outflow in a particularly simple manner; at the same time, a simple construction and a particularly low outlay for disinfection measures should be ensured.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that an electronic switch device is arranged near the faucet for contactless operation of the faucet or pump by a hand located under the faucet |

Due to the possibility of controlling the water flow from the tap without having to touch any handle or actuator, it is easier for the doctor or paramedic to wash his hands, especially during the journey/ because the doctor or paramedic does not need to perform any special or additional movement to control the water flow.

Since the electronic switch device does not require any mechanically movable parts that would have to be touched by the doctor or paramedic, the electronic switch device can be completely encapsulated, i.e. housed in a hermetically sealed housing. This ensures that there are no difficult-to-access areas in which dirt that is unhygienically questionable could collect. Instead, the switch arrangement can be housed in completely smooth-surfaced housings or similar, the outside of which can be cleaned just as easily as the rest of the interior of the vehicle or the patient transport compartment.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the switch device reacts to infrared light with wavelengths typical for the thermal radiation of the human body.

Beer makes use of the fact that the human body and therefore also the hands are a source of infrared light. Accordingly, the water flow can be controlled using an infrared light sensor that reacts to the infrared light radiation from the hands under the tap.

This embodiment of the invention also takes into account that the washbasin is often used during an emergency operation to temporarily collect used swabs, used bandages, etc. In order to gain time for emergency measures, these waste materials are simply thrown into the washbasin. The switch device that reacts to infrared light ensures that these waste materials can also be thrown into the washbasin through the area occupied by the hands when washing hands, without activating the electronic switch.

the heating device or the infrared light sensor And open the tap or switch on the pump, The waste materials mentioned emit little or practically no infrared light radiation.

In principle, however, it is also possible to use other electronic switching devices to distinguish the doctor's or paramedic's symptoms from bandages, etc. If, for example, the area under the faucet is monitored by devices that work like light barriers or have a similar function to radar devices, for example by emitting electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic waves and evaluating the radiation or waves reflected by objects under the faucet, it is sufficient if the switching device reacts with a short delay, such that the water only starts flowing out of the faucet when an object remains under the faucet for a minimum time. Since the bandages and the like thrown into the sink only pass through the area under the faucet for a very short time, the delay time can also be very short and only slightly longer than the time it takes for the discarded bandages and the like to pass through the area under the faucet. This is another simple way of ensuring that only the doctor's or paramedic's hands can open the faucet without touching it or switch on the pump without touching it. In this embodiment of the invention, the different times the hands or the discarded bandages and the like are under the faucet are a way of distinguishing the two from one another.

&bull; T ·

If necessary, several electronic switching devices can be arranged, which must be simultaneously activated without contact in order to start the water outflow. For example, one switching device can be activated by the hands and the other switching device by the head or another part of the body of the doctor or paramedic. This also makes it possible to ensure that no water outflow can be started by discarded dressing material or the like, because the dressing material or the like cannot activate both switching devices simultaneously.

Furthermore, with regard to preferred features of the invention, reference is made to the subclaims and the following explanation of a particularly preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing.

This shows

Fig. 1 a front view of a built-in cupboard in the patient transport room on the partition wall to the driver's cabin with a washbasin, water tap as well as an electronic switch device and

Fig. 2 a plan view according to arrow II in Fig. 1 *

The patient transport vehicle or rescue vehicle or the like, not shown in the drawing, has, in the conventional manner, a partition wall extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle between the driver's cabin and the patient transport compartment arranged behind it. In the patient transport compartment, a counter-like built-in cupboard 6 is arranged on the partition wall, as shown by way of example in Figures 1 and 2. A washbasin 4 with a water tap 1 is arranged on one side of the washbasin cupboard 6. A water reservoir 7 and

I I

a pump which supplies the fresh water to the tap 1 can be housed in the cabinet 6.

Above the washbasin 4 there is an upper cabinet part 5 or similar, on the underside of which above the washbasin |

An electronic switch device 2 is arranged in the basin 4 or above the water tap 1. This reacts to the infrared radiation of the human hands and opens the water tap 1 or switches on the pump 3 1 as soon as the doctor or paramedic holds his hands under the water tap 1.

Since there are practically no objects other than the hands, which \

emit infrared light into the area under the 1

Water tap 1, it is guaranteed that the water flow is started without contact only by the hands.

If, for example, used dressing material etc. is initially collected in the wash basin 4 during an emergency operation, the material thrown into the wash basin 4 cannot cause water to flow out even if it passes through the area under the switch device 2 on its trajectory.

In principle, it is also possible to arrange the switch device 2 | elsewhere so that it reacts to other parts of the doctor's or paramedic's body. For example, the switch device 2 could also be arranged on the ceiling of the patient transport room above the space in front of the wash basin 4 and react to the doctor's or paramedic's head coming sufficiently close. 1

I i I
II

t I &igr;

Claims (5)

MANITZ, FINSTERWALD & ROTERMUND Applicant: Binz GmbH & Co. Zollstraße 7073 Lorch GERMAN PATENT ATTORNEYS DR. GERHART MANITZ · dipl.-phys. MANFRED FINSTERWALD - dipi&mdash;ing. dipl -wirtsch.-ing. HANNS-JÖRG ROTERMUND dipl-phys DR. HELIANE HEYN dipl-chem. WERNER GRÄMKOW dipi&mdash;ing. ci939-i933) BRITISH CHARTERED PATENT AGENT JAMES G.MORGAN · B.sc cphys.).d.ms. ANNOYED REPRESENTATIVES AT THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE SEELBERGSTRASSE 23/2B D-700O STUTTGART 50 CBAD CANNSTATT) TELEPHONE CO711) 56 7261 TELEX 7254475paro YOUR SIGN OUR SIGN L 207-Ro/Bt 03 September 1987 Ambulance or rescue vehicle or medical vehicle or.^gI. Expectations 1. Ambulance or rescue or emergency doctor vehicle or similar with fittings in the ambulance compartment or vehicle, such as a washbasin, water tap and water reservoir and, if necessary, a motor-driven pump arranged between the water tap and the reservoir, characterized in that that an electronic switch device (2) is arranged near the water tap (1) for contactless operation of the water tap (1) or the pump (3) by a hand located under the water tap (1). RÖTErMUND MANITZ ,FlNST^RWA ₁ L ₁ O-4ßYfJ MORGAN Süelbiäfiili'. 23/20,7000 Stuttgart SC RObert.Kc>4h-3U-.(,eOO}lilOri{h^nEp J , f«liiföMb7H)56726l RObeJrlKc>4lv3U.l, Xoleion (089) ti4 Deutsche Bank AG 219 915 (bank code 60t70070) LondesglrokasSe Stuttgart 80906)6 (bank code SOOSÖtOI) Gänhstatter Volksbank 500429 006 (SUZ 600904 00) Postgiroamt Stuttgart 4Ö7 34-706 (bank code 6ÖÖIÖ0 70) 2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic switch device (2) reacts to infrared light with wavelengths typical for the thermal radiation of the human body, 3. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the electronic switch device (2) is arranged above the water tap (0) or the wash basin (4) on the underside of an upper cabinet part (5) or the like. 4. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the electronic switch device (2) reacts with a delay, such that water only starts flowing out of the faucet (1) when the hand remains under the faucet (1) for a minimum time. 5. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that instead of or in addition to the electronic switch device (2) arranged near the faucet, an electronic switch device is arranged which can be actuated without contact by a body part of a user of the wash basin (4). 11 # * *