FR3113372A1 - Medical examination chair - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical examination chair (10) intended to receive a patient (12). The chair (10) comprises: - a seat (14), - a backrest (16) connected to the seat (14) and extending mainly in a first direction (L1), - a headrest (18) mounted on the backrest (16), said headrest (18) comprising a device for maintaining the head (28) of the patient (12) intended to maintain the head of the patient (12) in a substantially immobile position with respect to the seat (14) of the chair (10), - at least one first back support member (20) for at least part of the patient's back (12) intended to hold said part of the back against a surface of the backrest (16). Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Medical examination chair

The present invention relates to a medical examination chair intended to receive a patient.

The patient generally sits in this chair so that the doctor, general practitioner or specialist, such as a dental surgeon, can carry out a certain number of examinations and/or procedures and/or medical and/or dental care.

The behavior of some patients, such as a young child or an adult with temporarily or permanently impaired mental faculties, can make the medical examination difficult for the practitioner. The practitioner may then need the assistance of a third party to perform the examination in the best possible conditions.

Nevertheless, when the patient is not cooperative, at best the medical examination takes longer, at worst it is not performed optimally. Moreover, the behavior of the patient can be dangerous both for the practitioner and for the patient himself.

An object of the invention is to provide a medical examination chair which allows the practitioner to perform medical examinations and/or gestures and/or medical care on the patient in a reliable and rapid manner, in complete safety for him. yourself and for the patient.

To this end, the invention relates to a medical examination chair comprising:

- a seat,

- a backrest connected to the seat and extending mainly in a first direction,

- a headrest mounted on the backrest, said headrest comprising a device for holding the patient's head intended to hold the patient's head in a substantially immobile position with respect to the seat of the chair,

- at least one first dorsal support member for at least part of the patient's back intended to maintain said part of the back against a surface of the backrest.

Thus, the patient seated in the examination chair is kept substantially immobile, particularly at the level of the back and the head thanks to the headrest. The practitioner can perform medical examinations, for example on the ears, mouth, eyes, etc. without the patient being able to move his head relative to the chair back. This facilitates the medical examination and guarantees that the patient is not unintentionally injured by the practitioner during the examination. In addition, during the short moments during which the practitioner does not have an eye on the patient, for example when he has to prepare or pick up a medical instrument, patient safety is guaranteed.

According to other aspects of the invention, the medical examination chair comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or according to all possible technical combinations:

- the headrest is movable in translation relative to at least part of the backrest in the first direction.

This allows the chair to accommodate patients of different sizes while ensuring that they are well supported in the chair.

- the headrest is mounted rotatably relative to the backrest in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

This facilitates the installation of the patient inside the armchair since the patient is first installed on the seat and the backrest, then held on the backrest using the first dorsal support member before setting up the headrest. In addition, thanks to the articulation of the headrest in relation to the backrest, the headrest may not be fixed on the patient's head, especially when the medical examination performed does not require the patient's head to be held.

- the headrest comprises a cranial support member intended to surround the patient's skull.

- the headrest comprises a maxillary holding member intended to enclose at least part of the patient's jaw.

The cranial support member and the maxillary support member provide good support and immobilization of the patient's head to facilitate the medical examination. In particular, the patient's ears are unobstructed to facilitate their examination by the practitioner.

- the first dorsal support member comprises an abdominal belt intended to surround the patient's abdomen.

The back support belt ensures that the patient is held in the chair and cannot get up on his own initiative.

- the chair further comprises a second dorsal support member for at least part of the patient's back, said second support member comprising at least one support strap intended to maintain a shoulder of the patient against the surface of the backrest.

This is particularly advantageous because one of the first and second back support members can be detached to put the medical examination of the part of the body initially held by said back support member while maintaining the patient on the backrest using on the other side of the first and second back support members.

- the backrest defines at least one through opening so as to allow auscultation of at least part of the patient's back.

The through opening is particularly advantageous because it allows pulmonary auscultation of the patient without the need to detach him from the chair.

- the chair also includes two footrests mounted on the seat and intended to receive the patient's heels.

The toe clips are used to maintain only the heel of the patient's foot and thus allow the soles of the feet to be free to, for example, allow the practitioner to look for a plantar cutaneous reflex in young children.

- the chair further comprises two armrests fixed to the backrest or to the seat, each armrest comprising at least one member for holding an arm or a forearm of the patient on a surface of said armrest.

This makes it possible to maintain the arm and/or the forearm of the patient in a substantially immobile position relative to the chair, for example to carry out a vaccine, a blood test or a visual inspection of the limb.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings, including:

- Figure 1 is a first perspective view of a medical examination chair according to one embodiment of the invention, and

- Figure 2 is a second perspective view of the medical examination chair of Figure 1.

Figures 1 and 2 show a medical examination chair 10 according to the invention intended to receive a patient 12.

The examination chair 10 is for example intended for a medical examination carried out in the office of a general practitioner or a medical specialist such as, for example, an otolaryngoglogist, an ophthalmologist, a pediatrician, etc.

Alternatively, the examination chair 10 is intended for a medical examination carried out in a hospital service such as a medical emergency service, pediatrics, psychiatry, etc.

The patient 12 is more particularly a person for whom it is difficult to carry out an examination, gesture or medical treatment in an optimal and secure manner, for example because this person may have unpredictable gestures or is not able to remain still for the time of the medical act.

For example, in the example of Figures 1 and 2, patient 12 is a child and more particularly a toddler. For example, the age of the child is between 0 and 10 years old, preferably between 0 and 30 months.

Alternatively, patient 12 is an adult. For example, the patient is a person with impaired faculties temporarily under the influence of alcohol or a drug, or permanently like a patient suffering from psychiatric pathologies.

According to the invention, the medical examination chair 10 comprises a seat 14, a backrest 16 connected to the seat 14 and extending mainly in a first direction L1, a headrest 18 mounted on the backrest 16, and at least one first dorsal support member 20 for at least part of the patient's back 12.

The seat 14 and the backrest 16 are for example formed in one piece.

Alternatively, the seat 14 and the backrest 16 are two separate parts fixed together.

The seat 14 and the backrest 16 are for example made of plastic material such as for example polypropylene.

The seat 14 and the backrest 16 are for example formed by molding.

Preferably, the armchair 10 comprises at least one foam element covering the seat 14 and/or the backrest 16 to improve patient comfort.

The backrest 16 and/or the seat 14 are for example covered by a coating layer. The coating layer is for example both an appearance layer providing a qualitative appearance comprising for example patterns and a protective layer.

Preferably, the coating layer is made of a material which can be cleaned and disinfected, such as a plastic material.

Advantageously, the backrest 16 defines at least one through opening 22 so as to allow auscultation of at least part of the back of the patient 12.

In the example of Figure 2, the folder 16 defines two through openings 22.

The through openings 22 make it possible, for example, to carry out an examination of the pulmonary field of the patient 12.

For example, the backrest 16 comprises an upper element 24 and a lower element 26 mounted on the upper element 24. The upper element 24 is movable in translation relative to the lower element 26 in the first direction L1.

This makes it possible to adjust the dimension of the backrest 16 in the first direction L1 to adapt to the morphology of the patient 12.

As a variant or in addition, the seat 14 defines at least one through opening.

The headrest 18 comprises a device for holding the head 28 of the patient 12 intended to hold the head of the patient 12 in a substantially immobile position relative to the seat 14 of the chair.

This facilitates the performance of examinations or medical acts by the practitioner.

Advantageously, the headrest 18 is movable in translation relative to at least a part of the backrest 18 in the first direction L1.

For example, the headrest 18 is fixed on the upper element 24 of the backrest 16, advantageously above an upper edge of the upper element 24.

Alternatively, the headrest 18 is mounted to move in translation in the direction L1 relative to the upper element 24 of the backrest 16.

This makes it possible to adapt the medical examination chair 10 to the size of the patient 12 to ensure that the headrest 18 is correctly adjusted at the level of the patient's head 12.

Also advantageously, the headrest 18 is mounted so as to be able to rotate with respect to the backrest 16 in a second direction L2 substantially perpendicular to the first direction L2.

Thus, the headrest 18 is movable between at least a first active position for examining the patient (visible in FIG. 1) in which the headrest 18 extends projecting from a front surface of the backrest 16 and a second positioning position. in place of the patient in the armchair 10 (visible in FIG. 2), in which the headrest 18 projects from a rear surface of the backrest 16.

The headrest 18 is for example rotatable relative to the backrest 16 over an angular distance of between 30° and 120°, for example 90°.

The headrest 18 preferably comprises at least one cranial support member 30 intended to surround the skull of the patient 12.

Preferably, cranial support 30 is configured to surround the entire skull of patient 12.

Advantageously, the cranial support member 30 is adjusted according to the perimeter of the skull of the patient 12.

The cranial support member 30 comprises for example a plurality of support elements 32 and elastically deformable connecting elements 34 connecting the support elements 32.

For example, the holding elements 32 are rigid.

By "rigid", it is meant that the holding elements 32 are not macroscopically deformable when they are manipulated by the user or are not deformable by the patient's head when the cranial holding member 30 is placed on the skull. of the patient 12.

Alternatively, the holding elements 32 are elastically deformable.

By “elastically deformable”, it is meant that the holding elements 32 are macroscopically deformable under the effect of a force exerted on said elements 32 and that the holding elements 32 return to their initial shape when the force is no longer exerted. The holding element 32 breaks if the force exerted is greater than a predetermined force.

The connecting elements 34 are for example formed by a strip of elastic material.

This allows adjustment of the cranial support member 30 to the cranial circumference of the patient 12.

Alternatively (not shown), the cranial support member 30 comprises a strip of material, for example plastic.

For example, the cranial holding member 30 further comprises a loop attached to a first end of the strip of material intended to receive and hold the second end of the strip.

This allows the practitioner to manually adjust the cranial support member on the patient's head 12.

Advantageously, the strip of material is graduated. This makes it possible to measure the cranial circumference of the patient 12 since the latter's head is held by the cranial holding member 30.

Preferably, the headrest 18 comprises a maxillary holding member 36 intended to enclose at least part of the jaw of the patient 12.

The jaw thus clamped reinforces the blocking of the rotation of the patient's head 12.

Advantageously, the maxillary holding member 36 is adjustable according to the size of the head of the patient 12.

The maxillary holding member 36 comprises for example an occipital holding element 38 and two maxillary elements 40 connected to the occipital holding element 38 by deformable connecting elements 42.

The maxillary holding member 36 is thus adapted to allow an opening of the patient's mouth 12 in order to authorize the examination of the oral cavity as well as the work, for example, of the dental surgeon.

The connecting elements 42 are for example elastically deformable.

For example, each connecting element 42 is an elastic fabric band.

The maxillary elements 40 preferably have a substantially "L" shape.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the maxillary support member 36 is connected to the cranial support member 30.

Preferably, the headrest 18 comprises at least one junction element 44 connecting the cranial support member 30 and the maxillary support member 36.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the headrest comprises three junction elements 44 distributed circumferentially around the cranial 30 and maxillary 36 holding members.

Preferably, the length of each connecting element 44, that is to say the main dimension of elongation of said element 44, is adjustable so as to make it possible to adjust the distance between the cranial support member 30 and the maxillary retainer 36.

This makes it possible to adapt the headrest 18 to the shape of the face of the patient 12 to ensure that the cranial support member 30 and the maxillary support member 36 are positioned in an optimal manner on the head of the patient 12.

The first dorsal holding member 20 is intended to hold the part of the patient's back 12 against a surface of the backrest 16.

The first dorsal support member 20 comprises for example one of an abdominal belt 46 intended to surround the abdomen of the patient 12 and at least one support strap 48 intended to maintain a shoulder of the patient 12 against the surface of the backrest 16.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the chair 10 further comprises a second back support member 50 formed by the other of the abdominal belt 46 and the at least one support strap 48.

Preferably, the first or second holding member 20, 50 comprises two holding straps 48 and a lower fastening element 52 intended to be fixed to the holding straps 48 in a removable manner.

The lower fixation element 52 is intended to be placed between the thighs of the patient 12.

For example, each retaining strap 48 comprises a first end 54 fixed to the backrest 16 and a second end 56 comprising a male snap element 58.

The lower fastening element 52 comprises a first end 60 fixed to the seat 14 and a second end 62 comprising two female snap-fastening elements 64 intended to removably receive the male snap-fastening element 58 of each of the shoulder straps. maintenance 48.

This is particularly advantageous because one of the first or second back support members 20, 50 can be detached to allow the medical examination of the part of the body initially supported by said back support member 20, 50 while ensuring that the other of the first and second dorsal support members 20, 50 continues to ensure a function of maintaining the patient 12 on the chair 10.

Preferably, the chair 10 further comprises two armrests 66 connected to the backrest 16 and/or to the seat 14 intended to receive the arm and the forearm of the patient 12.

Preferably, each armrest 66 comprises at least one member for holding the arm and/or the forearm 68 of the patient 12 on a surface of the armrest 66.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, each armrest 66 comprises three holding members 68.

The holding members 68 are for example distributed along the armrest 66.

The holding members 68 are for example intended to respectively hold the arm, the forearm and the wrist of the patient 12.

Each holding member 68 is for example formed by a strap comprising an adjustment buckle.

As a variant, each holding member 68 is formed by one or two hook-and-loop strips, for example of the Velcro® type.

Advantageously, the chair 10 further comprises two footrests 70 mounted on the seat 14 and intended to receive the heels of the patient 12.

Preferably, the chair 10 comprises at least one holding member 72 intended to hold the leg of the patient 12 on the seat.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the chair 10 comprises two holding members 72 intended to respectively hold the thigh and the calf of the patient 12 on the seat 14.

Each holding member 72 is for example formed by a strap comprising an adjustment buckle.

As a variant, each holding member 72 is formed by one or two hook-and-loop strips, for example of the Velcro® type.

Advantageously again, the chair 10 includes a base 74.

The seat 14 is for example mounted on the base 74 and rotatable relative to the base 74 around an elevation axis Z.

As a variant or in addition, the seat 14 is movable in translation relative to the base 74 in the direction of elevation Z.

This facilitates the positioning of the patient 12 relative to the practitioner.

Advantageously, the chair 10 includes a device for measuring the mass (not shown) of the patient 12 connected to the seat 14 of the chair 10.

Thus, the practitioner knows the weight of the patient as soon as the latter occupies the examination chair 10.

The medical examination chair according to the invention is particularly advantageous because the patient seated in the examination chair is kept substantially immobile, in particular at the level of the back and the head thanks to the headrest. The practitioner can perform medical examinations, for example on the ears, mouth, eyes, etc. without the patient being able to move his head relative to the chair back. This facilitates the medical examination and guarantees that the patient is not unintentionally injured by the practitioner during the examination. In addition, during the short moments during which the practitioner does not have an eye on the patient, for example when he has to prepare or pick up a medical instrument, patient safety is guaranteed.

Claims (10)

Medical examination chair (10) intended to receive a patient (12), said chair (10) comprising:
- a seat (14),
- a backrest (16) connected to the seat (14) and extending mainly in a first direction (L1),
- a headrest (18) mounted on the backrest (16), said headrest (18) comprising a head support device (28) of the patient (12) intended to maintain the head of the patient (12) in a substantially immobile position relative to the seat (14) of the armchair (10),
- at least one first dorsal support member (20) for at least part of the patient's back (12) intended to maintain said part of the back against a surface of the backrest (16). Armchair (10) according to Claim 1, in which the headrest (18) is movable in translation relative to at least a part of the backrest (16) in the first direction (L1). Armchair (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the headrest (18) is mounted so as to be able to rotate with respect to the backrest (16) in a second direction (L2) substantially perpendicular to the first direction (L1). A chair (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the headrest (18) includes a skull support member (30) for surrounding the patient's skull (12). Armchair (10) according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the headrest (18) comprises a jaw support member (36) intended to grip at least part of the patient's jaw (12). Chair (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first back support member (20) comprises an abdominal belt (46) intended to surround the abdomen of the patient (12). Chair (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a second back support member (50) for at least a portion of the patient's back (12), said second support member (50) comprising at least one support strap (48) intended to maintain a shoulder of the patient (12) against the surface of the backrest (16). Chair (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the backrest (16) defines at least one through opening (22) so as to allow auscultation of at least part of the patient's back (12) . Chair (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising two footrests (70) mounted on the seat (14) and intended to receive the heels of the patient (12). Armchair (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising two armrests (66) fixed to the backrest (18) or to the seat (14), each armrest (18) comprising at least one resting an arm or forearm (72) of the patient on a surface of said armrest (66).