EP2981239B1

EP2981239B1 - Birthing chair to facilitate delivery

Info

Publication number: EP2981239B1
Application number: EP14755427.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ayse Duman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-07-15
Filing date: 2014-06-11
Publication date: 2017-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 2034-06-11
Also published as: EP2981239A1; WO2015009253A1

Description

Technical Field

The invention relates to a birthing stool that facilitates the childbearing of the woman who is going to give birth, reducing the postnatal interventions to minimum. Such a birthing chair is disclosed in the KR 20110037991 .

Prior Art

For deliveries in hospital environment; chair structures composed of stool, reclining surface (backrest), footplate and body are used. Mostly, delivery beds are set-ups designed for pregnant women to give birth in a comfortable position.
In delivery beds used in the state of art, the desired comfort is designed with their moving armrests, stool parts that have height setting and backrests having angular motion. However, the conditions for woman to give birth easily with reduced pain and the baby to be born easily are not fully met.
The delivery beds used in prior art, although they have super comfort and high technology, can not fully ensure the women to give birth easily.
In prior art, when the cervix is fully opened, the woman is "laid down" on the delivery bed. The legs are hanged open. When the woman who will give birth sits on the fork, she starts to be concerned. The fear tenses up the body, this tenseness narrows the birth canal. Thus, the advancement of baby through the canal, the most enjoyable part of the birth journey, becomes painful.
While she's in a laying position on the delivery bed, it is expected from the woman to push the baby. However, it is too hard for baby to advance through the canal in this position physiologically and anatomically. Actually it is a wrong position to give birth. Morever, she's prompted to push the baby from her belly and this is terrifying and panicking. To help the woman who's tense because of the panic and fear, the baby is pushed swiftly to the outside by pressing her belly. In the end, mother who is giving birth suffers and the baby which's moving swiftly through the canal tears down the birth canal and is transferred to outside.
In a natural birth, since the baby exits by stretching out the birth canal, perineum, there won't be any tears or there will be few of them. Because of the interventions in the current state of art, the doctor carries out a cutting process called episiotomy in order to protect the perineum which does not stretch out.
Episiotomy (Cut): An acceptable trauma created by medical sector in order to reduce the damages caused by the imposed positions during birth journey. Moreover when the woman lays on her back, blood supply to baby is reduced, baby's heart sounds lower, the risk of urgent cesarean section increases.
Because the woman, who is laid down on the delivery beds used in the state of art, can not help the advancement of the baby, anatomically and physiologically, sometimes the advancement stops. If baby stays inside the birth canal for a long time, the risk of interventions like vacuum, forceps or cesarean section increases.
The only advantage of giving birth on delivery beds in the current state of art is that the doctor sees the place he works easily and works easily. The doctor who has no other options, prefers the usage of delivery beds in the current state of art.
According to the patent research on delivery beds; the American patent no. US4426071 mentions support elements that support the calves while the woman giving birth is placed onto the fork. It mentions a stick mechanism that adjusts the desired position for calf support. This product in the American patent mentions a set-up for calf support and technical development instead of making the delivery swift and easy.
The American patent no. US6446287 mentions a delivery bed backrest of which is jointed from two spots and can be folded. The birthing chair; has a calf support which is jointed from multiple spots and which has folding legs that can be hidden. Again it presents a set-up whose headrest part has functional features.

Description of the Invention

The invention comprises different technical features that provide new developments in this field unlike the set-ups used in prior art.
An object of the invention is to prevent unnecessary Caesarean incisions and episiotomies by ensuring that the woman gives birth easily and with less effort.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the labor pain to minimum and ensure the birthing process is easier and swifter.
An other object of the invention is to keep the woman who is going to give birth in upright position and keep her back constantly supported. By this way, the birthing process is facilitated.
An other object of the invention is to increase the perineal opening by keeping the woman who is going to give birth in upright position and keeping her back constantly supported.
An other object of the invention is to reduce the number of cuts to the perineum by keeping the woman who is going to give birth in upright position and keeping her back constantly supported.
An object of the invention is to keep the woman and the birth canal in the most relaxed position.
An object of the invention is to relax the birth canal with massage to the waistline, vibration in perineum and warmth to relax the birth canal with the help of the massage module adapted to the backrest.
An object of the invention is to positively effect the baby's blood circulation since the woman who is going to give birth is in upright position.
An object of the invention is to remove the pressure and pain the baby makes and gives to mother's waistline since the delivery operation is in the upright position.
An object of the invention is since the delivery position is in upright position the reflex of emptying herself in sitting position arises in the mother and the mother helps the baby's advancement.
An object of the invention, there is a principle that a relaxation or tenseness which starts from a spot in the body spreads through the whole body stage by stage. With this new set-up and birthing method, the relaxation of mother's body and all her muscles have been taken as a basis.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the tear and cutting risk with the help of the stool part designed for protecting the perineum.
Another object of the invention is to provide the opportunity to give birth in crouching position thanks to the movable footstand.
Another object of the invention is that, it comprises a structure that ensure's the doctor's working comfort.
To accomplish the above mentioned objects, the invention relates to birthing chairs, as further disclosed in claim 1, comprising upright backrest that ensures the back of the woman who is going to give birth stands upright, a stool with an open area, characterized in comprising a heating module that eases the delivery by giving warmth to perineum, a stool with breakable stool protrusions, a heating module placed inside the said stool, a vibration module placed on the stool that eases the delivery by vibrating the perineum, the massage module of the said backrest, an armrest element that is placed in the front section of the said backrest to rest arms that ensure the woman who's going to give birth to lean, a footplate which comprises the feature of going up and down.

Figures to explain the invention

Figure-1; General perspective view of the birthing chair with the feature of birth in upright position.
Figure-1.1; Representative view of the birthing chair according to the invention while in upright position and with lowered armrest.
Figure-1.2; Representative view of the second leaning element in an opened state apart from the armrests on the birthing chair.
Figure-2; Two-dimensional profile view of the birthing chair according to the invention with the representatively placed woman who is going to give birth on it.
Figure-2.1; Two-dimensional profile view of the birthing chair according to the invention with the representatively placed woman who is going to give birth on it, while the footplate is lifted up.
Figure-3; Separate view of the stool and the backrest.
Figure-3.1; Representative view of the folded protrusions to rest legs of the stool.
Figure-3.2 Representative view of the bag fixed under the stool.
Figure-3.2 Demounted representative view of the hygiene cover that covers the stool.

Part Numbers

10-: Birthing chair
11-: Backrest part
12-: Headrest
13-: Neckrest
14-: Armrests
15-: Stool
16-: Open area
17-: Stool protrusion
18-: Leg rests
19-: Lower carrying body
19.1: Wheels
20-: Footstand
21-: Remote control
22-: Armresting element
23-: Heater module
24-: Massage module
25-: Moving body
26-: Vibration module
27-: Bag
27.1: Fixing section
28-: Hygiene cover
28.1-: Cover opening
A.: The woman who's going to give birth

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to birthing chairs (10) comprising; backrest (11) with the feature of angular motion that ensures the back of the woman who's going to give birth (A) stays upright, neckrest (13) and armrests (14) located on the said backrest (11), a stool with open area (16), a moving body (25) which ensures the said stool (15) to move up and down for the desired height, characterized in comprising a heating module (23) that facilitates the delivery by giving warmth to the perineum, a stool (15) with breakable stool protrusions(17), a heating module (23) placed inside the said stool (15), a vibration module (26) that facilitates the delivery by vibrating the perineum located on the said stool (15), the massage module (24) of the said backrest (11), an armresting element (22) located on the front section of said backrest part (11) which the woman who's going to give birth leans on, a footstand (20) with the feature of moving up and down, a hygiene cover (28) comprising a cover opening (28.1) that goes over the stool (15) and bag(s) (27) connected in the way that it covers the bottom part of the said stool (15) with the help of the fixing section (27.1) to answer the woman's (A) call of nature.
General perspective views of the birthing chair (10) according to the invention are given in Figure-1, 1.1 and 1.2. The birthing chair (10) comprises a stool (15) with an open area (16), and backrest that supports the woman who is going to give birth from her back. Backrest (11) comprises a moving structure and can be tilted. The whole structure is carried by the bottom carrying body (19). It is easily moved and transported to the desired location with the help of the wheels (19.1) placed at the bottom. Foldable armrests (14) are constituted in the backrest (11). The remote control (21) is used to move the stool (15) up and down and to optionally incline the backrest. The stool (15) also comprises a heating module (23) and a vibration module (26). The warmth given to the perineum by the heating module (23) and the vibration module (26) on the stool (15) facilitates the delivery. At the same time, the massage module (24) integrated to the backrest (11) relaxes the woman who's going to give birth, and the massage given to the waistline relaxes the birth canal in the perineum. In the backrest (11) there is a second armresting element (22) apart from the armrests (14). The armresting element (22) allows the woman who's going to give birth (A) to lean on or to rest her head against her arms. The armresting element (22) can be folded and tucked away or placed behind the backrest (11). Likewise, the legrests (18) can be folded and tucked away under the bottom part of the stool (15).
In Figure-2 and 2.1, the birthing positions of the woman who's going to give birth (A) on the birthing chair (10) are shown representatively as two-dimensional profile view. In Figure-2.1, feet are moved up by the footstand (20), legs are brought close to the belly. Preferably by opening the armresting element (22), the woman's (A) comfort is ensured. Before the delivery, heating module (23) and the vibration module (26) is activated with the remote control (21). By lifting up the footstand (20), the hip joint is strecthed. This way, the opening in the perineum widens.
Figure-3 shows the separate views of the stool (15) and the backrest (11). The stool protrusions (17) of the stool (15) are breakable. Since the stool protrusions (17) are breakable, the doctor can work easily and the woman's comfort is ensured.
In Figure-3.2, a bag (27) is fixed in the back of the joining area of the stool (15) and the backrest (11). The bag (27), which is connected with the help of the fixing section (27.1) is structured in order to answer the woman's (A) call of nature. The woman can answer her call of nature without getting up from the birthing stool (10) during the delivery. The bag (27) which is fixed with the help of a clip or any fixing element in the fixing section before the birthing process begins, ensures the woman who is going to give birth (A) is psychologically relaxed and feeling safe. By this way, psychological effects such as shame and feeling uneasy are removed.
In Figure-3.3, demounted representative view of the hygiene cover (28) which fits onto the stool (15) is pictured. Hygiene cover (28) is attached to the stool (15) with the help of the cover opening (28.1). The purpose of the hygiene cover (28) is to protect the stool (15) from blood and excrement during the delivery. The stool (15) needs to be kept clean for health aspects. The hygienic environment which is wanted, is provided by hygiene cover (28).
The usage and process steps of the birthing chair (10);

the woman who is going to give birth (A) is kept in upright position with the help of the backrest (11),
she is placed on the stool (15) in the squat position,
the stool (15) is heated by the heating module (23),
the birthing canal relaxes with the help of the heating module (23),
the stool (15) is vibrated by the vibration module (26) in order to relax the birthing canal,
in order to comfort the woman who is going to give birth (A), she's given a massage with the help of the massage module (24).

Claims

Birthing chairs (10) comprising a backrest (11) with the feature of angular motion which keeps the back of the woman who is going to give birth (A) upright, a stool (15) with an open area (16) to protect the perineum, characterized in; comprising
• a heating module (23) located inside the said stool (15) that facilitates the delivery by heating the perineum,

• said stool (15) having breakable stool protrusions(17).
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in that; the said heating module (23) has a modular structure.
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in; comprising a fixed heating module (23) located inside the said stool (15).
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in; comprising a vibration module (26) that is located on the said stool (15) and facilitating the delivery by vibrating the perineum.
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in that; the said backrest (11) comprises a massage module (24).
A birthing chair according to Claims 1 and 5, characterized in; comprising an arm resting element (22) placed in front of the said backrest (11) to which the woman who is going to give birth leans on.
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in that; the said stool (15) has a crescent shape.
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in; comprising bag(s) (27) connected in the way that it grips the bottom part of the said stool (15) with the help of the fixing section (27.1) and answering the call of nature of the woman who is going to give birth (A).
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in; comprising a hygiene cover (28) comprising a cover opening (28.1) that fits on the stool (15).
A birthing chair according to Claim 1, characterized in; comprising a footstand (20) that can move up and down.