GB2303331A

GB2303331A - Material for use in the manufacture of a patient lifting sling

Info

Publication number: GB2303331A
Application number: GB9514991A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Frederic Cra Matthews
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-07-21
Filing date: 1995-07-21
Publication date: 1997-02-19
Also published as: GB9514991D0

Description

MATERIAL FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A PATIENT LIFTING SLING The present invention relates to a material which may be used primarily, although not exclusively, in the manufacture of a patient lifting sling.

Such lifting slings are used to manipulate patients who have a disability or are ill, for example to enable a carer to lift the patient into bed, or into a bath, or even into a chair. Necessarily the patients for whom lifting slings are needed are those who are permanently or temporarily incapacitated. Many such patients, because of their disability, are overweight, and many suffer from other problems, including incontinence.

Unfortunately this causes something of a problem for the carer who will need to wash or replace the lifting sling from time to time. This can prove very expensive because the material of the sling itself is made of good quality fabric, to enable the sling to bear the quite frequently considerable weight of a patient.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide a material for use in the manufacture of a patient lifting sling, said material comprising upper and lower layers of non-woven fabric and an intermediate layer of compressible material, and first and second substantially parallel spaced rows of bonding between said upper and lower layers, the first rows extending at an angle to the second rows.

Such material can be made relatively inexpensively, the material in fact costing as little as one third of that of the conventional lifting sling material.

However, experiments have shown that it is able to withstand, even in quite severe conditions, a very considerable weight, and one embodiment of lifting sling using the material according to the invention has been found to be able to support a load of 190 kilograms for an extended period without any damage whatsoever.

The bonding is preferably effected as rows of stitching, passing through the upper and lower layers and the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is preferably in the form of foam material, in particular an open cell foam such as polyurethane foam.

Advantageously the upper layer is formed of a needled non-woven fabric.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a patient lifting sling comprising a sheet of material including upper and lower layers of non-woven fabric and an intermediate layer of compressible material, and first and second substantially parallel spaced rows of bonding between said upper and lower layers, the first rows extending at an angle to the second rows, said sheet of material being secured to support straps at opposite ends of the material.

The lifting sling may include at least two straps secured to each end of the material. The rows of bonding, e.g. stitching, are advantageously angled approximately perpendicular to one another and the straps extend at an angle, for example 45 , to both of these rows. In the alternative, the straps could be parallel to one of the rows.

Advantageously, bonding, such as stitching, completely surrounds the periphery of the sheet of material adjacent the edge thereof.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a sheet of material according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic view of the material used in a sling.

Referring first to Figure 1, it will be seen that the material sheet includes an upper layer 10 of non-woven fabric, preferably a polyester fabric, this upper layer being a needled non-woven fabric.

Adjacent this upper layer 10 is an intermediate layer 12 of compressible polyurethane open cell foam material and this lies on top of a second or lower layer of non-woven fabric 14 which, in this instance, is not needled.

Again it is preferably formed of a polyester material.

First and second substantially parallel spaced rows 18,20 of bonding are provided between these upper and lower layers, this preferably being effected by stitching.

The first row extends at approximately 90 to the second row so that substantially square panels are formed therebetween.

Further stitching 24 extends around the periphery of the material to prevent any tearing thereof.

At each end, two straps 26,28 (Figure 2) are provided, as shown these extending at an angle to the rows of stitching, that is to say at about 45" to each row. It is contemplated, however, that the straps could extend at a different angle, and even parallel to one of the rows. As illustrated, the straps are formed as extensions of robust binding material, which extend around the periphery of the sheet material. The binding material is stitched to the sheet, this stitching forming stitching 24 shown schematically in Figure 1.

The straps are provided at their distal ends with loops 30 which are used to be engaged in a suitable conventional lifting mechanism.

Using the material of the invention, it is readily possible to dispose of the lifting sling, and thereby save the need for washing. This is possible because the material is extremely inexpensive as compared with that previously available and yet is able to stand the very large forces which are necessary when manipulating a heavy patient.

One further advantage of the structure of the present invention is that by using firstly a needled nonwoven fabric as the upper layer, and by using the compressible intermediate layer, e.g. of polyurethane foam, a very comfortable product is provided for the patient. The open cell nature is entirely porous and reduces the possibility of bed sores.

Claims

1. A material for use in the manufacture of a patient lifting sling, said material comprising upper and lower layers of non-woven fabric and an intermediate layer of compressible material, and first and second substantially parallel spaced rows of bonding between said upper and lower layers, the first rows extending at an angle to the second rows.

2. A material according to claim 1, wherein the rows of bonding are rows of stitching, passing through the upper and lower layers and the intermediate layers.

3. A material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the intermediate layer is an open cell foam, such as polyurethane foam.

4. A material according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the upper layer is a needled non-woven fabric.

5. A patient lifting sling comprising a sheet of material including upper and lower layers of non-woven fabric and an intermediate layer of compressible material, and first and second substantially parallel spaced rows of bonding between said upper and lower layers, the first rows extending at an angle to the second rows, said sheet of material being secured to support straps at opposite ends of the material.

6. A lifting sling according to claim 5, wherein the rows of bonding are rows of stitching, passing through the upper and lower layers and the intermediate layers.

7. A lifting sling according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the intermediate layer is an open cell foam, such as polyurethane foam.

8. A lifting sling according to claim 5, 6, or 7, wherein the upper layer is a needled non-woven fabric.

9. A lifting sling according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein at least two straps are secured to each end of the material.

10. A lifting sling according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the rows of bonding are angled approximately perpendicular to one another and the straps extend at an angle to both of said rows.

11. A lifting sling according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein a line of bonding extends around the full periphery of the sheet of material, adjacent the edge thereof.

12. A material for use in the manufacture of a patient lifting sling, said material being substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

13. A patient lifting sling substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.