GB2589324A

GB2589324A - A sling with one or more pockets

Info

Publication number: GB2589324A
Application number: GB1917157.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bennett James; White Marjorie
Original assignee: Care & Independence Ltd
Current assignee: Care & Independence Ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-26
Filing date: 2019-11-26
Publication date: 2021-06-02
Also published as: GB201917157D0

Abstract

A sling 10 for lifting a person 12. The sling comprises one or more panels 14 for supporting a person, one or more fastening components 20 and one or more pockets 22. The panels comprise a back portion 16 for supporting the back of a person 12 and two leg portions 18 each for supporting the leg of a person, each leg portion is connected to the back portion. The one or more fastening components are connected to the panels. The one or more pockets are located adjacent the side edge of the back portion and open towards the centre of the back portion. Optionally the pocket comprises a triangle of material and is subdivided into two or more parts by connection lines. The back portion may not include a handle or strap. A method for making the sling is also disclosed.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A SLING WITH ONE OR MORE POCKETS

This invention relates to a sling for lifting a person.

While caring for elderly or infirm people, it is common to use a sling to move such a person, for example from a bed to a wheelchair or in and out of a bath. The sling is designed to be used to lift the person and to support their io entire weight while they are being moved. Normally some sort of overhead mechanical system will be used in addition to the sling, with the sling being attached to a hoist or gantry, to provide the necessary mechanical support for the weight of the person being moved. Such slings are often used for moving people in and out of baths and also in dry situations where there is no water present. Since the person that is being moved in such a sling is often elderly and/or infirm, the care and comfort of the person being moved in the sling is of paramount importance.

A common feature of such slings is a sewn on handle, or series of handles on the outside surface of the sling, normally on the body section of the sling. The handles are present to facilitate the moving and handling of the person when they are in the sling in a hoisted position and to manoeuvre the person when lowering or raising them. However, there are a number of problems with the provision of one or more handles on the outside surface of such a sling. External handles on a sling present a challenge to the easy application of a sling to a seated or supine user in that the handles create particular high friction points and are prone to snagging on clothes or a chair, bedclothes or wheelchair etc. A middle handle in a set of three handles in particular is problematic in that such a handle is often placed in the middle of a slide sheet section of a sling that is specifically incorporated to allow ease of fitting.

In addition, in the practical use of a sling with external handles, the carer or clinician must engage with the patient from behind, out of the user's line of sight and must pull the user in order to position them. This presents several issues. Firstly, a common requirement of carer and patient interaction is to maintain eye contact for best practice. This is to promote greater dignity as well as to counteract difficulties that arise in patients with certain conditions such as special educational needs, reduced vision or blindness, challenging behaviours and extensor spasm etc., where being face-to-face enables a more controlled hoisting. Secondly, a carer or clinician does not actually physically engage with the user when they are using the handles on a sling. The carer is pulling on external straps connected to the sling and will have limited control to over the patient who is suspended in a vulnerable position. Thirdly, there is also little consideration of the impact of moving and handling on the carer or clinician. Ergonomically speaking, lifting or moving a person in a sling at arm's length is not ideal for the carer. Additionally, using a sling with external handles means that invariably the carer or clinician is applying most force though their arms and shoulders with a bent or twisted back which places the carer at risk of injury.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sling for lifting a person comprising one or more panels for supporting a person, the panel(s) comprising a back portion for supporting the back of a person and two leg portions each for supporting the leg of a person, each leg portion connected to the back portion, one or more fastening components connected to the panel(s), and one or more pockets, the or each pocket being located adjacent the side edge of the back portion and open towards the centre of the back portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a sling for lifting a person comprising forming one or more panels for supporting a person, the panel(s) comprising a back portion for supporting the back of a person and two leg portions each for supporting the leg of a person, each leg portion connected to the back portion, connecting one or more fastening components to the panel(s), and forming one or more pockets, the or each pocket being located adjacent the side edge of the back portion and open towards the centre of the back portion.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a sling with positioning pocket(s) which ideally replace the current straps or handles present on slings.

The pockets of the improved sling are preferably cut into the fabric of the sling's back portion so there is a smooth surface facing outwards. This removes the snagging issue of a handle and reduces the risk of friction and shear thereby promoting better tissue viability. This reduces the force required to apply the sling for the carer/ clinician thereby reducing the risk to them when io moving and handling. The carer or clinician will be able to engage the patient from in front as well as at the side and behind if required and eye contact can be maintained. The carer or clinician will have their hands either on the patient or much closer thereby enabling far greater control and reassurance to the patient. The carer or clinician will be able to move and handle the patient with better practice of keeping the person closer to them, with less bending or twisting and can maintain a better posture. The carer will be able to maintain a straight back, be more upright with better posture and distribute the forces more evenly while handling a person in the sling with one or more pockets.

Advantageously, the sling comprises two pockets located on opposite sides of the back portion. In the preferred embodiment of the improved sling, there are two pockets present on the sling, one on each side of the back portion. This provides the greatest flexibility in the use of the sling, when a person is present in the sling. A carer can handle the sling from either side or can use both pockets, with one hand in each pocket, which allows the carer to be located in front of the person, maintaining eye contact and handling the person closely, of benefit to the person in the sling and to the carer who is moving the person in the sling.

Ideally each pocket comprises a triangle of material and each pocket is elongate and extends from the top edge of the back portion towards the respective leg portion. The pockets are best provided as a long triangle of material that runs down the side of the back portion of the sling from the top of the sling towards the leg portion, ideally terminating at the start of the respective leg portion of the sling. This provides a long pocket that gives the carer the most flexibility in terms of available positions for their hand(s) while also keeping the amount of additional material to a minimum, thereby keeping the cost and bulk of the sling to a minimum.

Preferably, the back portion of the sling in a region from the or each pocket to the opposite side edge of the back portion does not have a handle or strap connected thereto. The sling, which preferably has two pockets, one on either side of the back portion of the sling, preferably has no connecting elements (such as handles or straps) between the two pockets. This allows the io sling to be configured so that there is relatively large region of smooth material between the two pockets that is free from any friction inducing means such as a handle or strap. This means that the sling can be more easily moved into position down and under a prone patient when compared to a sling that has handles or the like connected to the back portion of the sling.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a front view of a sling, Figure 2 is a side view of the sling in use, Figure 3 is a close up view of part of the sling, Figure 4 is a shows an alternative embodiment of the sling, and Figure 5 is a side view of the sling of Figure 4 in use.

Figure 1 shows a sling 10, which is for lifting a person. The sling comprises one or more panels 14 for supporting a person, the panels 14 comprising a back portion 16 for supporting the back of a person and two leg portions 18 each for supporting the leg of a person, each leg portion 18 connected to the back portion 16. The sling also comprises one or more fastening components 20 connected to the panels 14, and one or more pockets 22, each pocket 22 being located adjacent the side edge of the back portion 16 and open towards the centre of the back portion 16. Each pocket 22 is located along the respective edge of the back portion 16.

In this preferred version of the sling 10, the sling 10 comprises two pockets 22 located on opposite sides of the back portion 16. Each pocket 22 comprises a triangle of material. Each pocket 22 is elongate and extends from the top edge of the back portion 16 towards the respective leg portion 18.

Each pocket 22 is subdivided into three parts by connection lines running substantially perpendicular to the side edge of the back portion 16. The central part of the pocket is open to receive a carer's hand and the top and bottom parts are closed. The back portion 16 of the sling 10 in a region from each pocket 22 to the opposite side edge of the back portion 16 does not have a io handle or strap connected thereto.

The pockets 22 are provided for use by a carer or clinician, when a person is to be moved in the sling 10. For example, if a seated patient is to be moved in the sling 10, then the sling 10 is taken down the patient's back and under their body, so that the back portion 16 is able to support the back of the patient and the leg portions 18 are under respective legs of the patient. At this point the patient can now be raised and moved using some kind of mechanical hoist. Once the patient is lifted then the carer can use the pockets 22 to guide and move the patient, while remaining in front of the patient at all times and maintaining eye contact.

Figure 2 shows how a patient 12 can be lifted in the sling 10. An overhead hoist 24 supports the weight of the patient who is sitting in the sling 10 being lifted from a bath 26. The fastening components 20 connect the panel(s) of the sling 10 to the hoist 24, which can be raised and lowered in a mechanical system. The pockets 22 are on the outside of the back portion 16 of the sling 20, so that a carer can access the pockets 22 from the front. This allows the person 12 to be moved in a manner that help to maintain the dignity of the patient 12.

In the preferred embodiment of the improved sling 10, the pockets 22 are provided on both sides of the back portion 16 of the sling 10, as shown in Figure 1. This means that when the back portion 16 of the sling 10 is folded around the patient 12, there is a pocket 22 on both sides of the patient 12, which means that the carer or clinician that is handling the person 12 can use both of their hand to hold and handle the person 12, with one hand in each of the pockets 22 on respective sides of the person 12. This reduces the physical strain on the carer.

The pockets 22 are configured so that they are open to the centre of the back portion 16 of the sling 10. As can be seen in Figure 1, the pockets 22 connect to the back portion 16 adjacent the edges of the back portion 16 and are open towards the centre. The effect of this is that, as shown in Figure 2, when the sling 10 is wrapped around the person 12, the pockets 22 are open towards the back of the patient (to the right in the Figure). This means that the carer or clinician standing in front of the patient 12 can put their hands into respective pockets 22 and grasp the material of the pockets 22 to secure and move the sling 10.

Figure 3 shows a close up of part of the sling 10. The pocket 22 is located adjacent the side edge of the back portion 16 and is open towards the centre of the back portion 16. The pocket 22 is subdivided into three parts 22a, 22b, 22c by connection lines 28 running substantially perpendicular to the side edge of the back portion 16. The connection lines 28 are sown lines that connect the material of the pocket 22 to the back portion 16 of the sling 10 and create three individual parts. In this embodiment of the sling 10, only the central part is open to receive the carer's hand and the top and bottom parts are enclosed, although in an alternative embodiment all three parts could be open to allow different hand positions.

The back portion 16 of the sling 10 in a region from each pocket 22 to the opposite side edge of the back portion 16 does not have a handle or strap connected thereto. As discussed above, the pockets 22 preferably replace all handling components such as handles or straps on the back of the sling 10. This makes the sling 10 easier to move into position behind a prone user, as there are no elements that could snag or cause friction as the sling 10 is moved into position. There is a large region on the back of the sling 10, lying between the two pockets 22 that is formed of a smooth material without interruption.

The central part of the pocket 22 is large enough for the carer or clinician to put their hand in and can be gripped by the carer when the sling 10 is in use. The carer is able to engage the patient from the front and eye contact between the carer and patient can be maintained. The carer will have their hands either on the patient or much closer thereby supporting excellent control and reassurance for the patient. The carer will be able to move and handle the patient while keeping the patient closer to them, with less bending or twisting and the carer can therefore maintain a better posture.

Figure 4 shows a second version of the sling 10. In this embodiment, io there are two individual pockets 22, with each pocket 22 being located adjacent to the respective side edge of the back portion 16 of the sling 10. Each pocket 22 is formed of a substantially semi-circular piece of additional material that is sown onto the back portion of the sling 10. As in the first embodiment of the sling 10, each pocket 22 is open towards the centre of the back portion 16 and there are no handles or straps in the region between the two pockets 22. The back portion is formed, in the centre part at least, from a relatively smooth material.

Figure 5 shows the sling 10 of Figure 4 in use. The sling 10 is wrapped around a patient 12. A carer 30 is located in front of the patient 12 and has their hands 32 in the respective pockets 22. This allows the carer 30 to manoeuvre the patient 12 while remaining at all times in front of the patient 12 maintaining eye contact with the patient. The handling of the patient 12 is made easier for the carer 30 while also having direct benefits for the patient 12 as well. The sling 10 is also easier to fit to the patient 12, since the relatively smooth centre part of the back portion 16, which has no handles or straps, can be slid into position on a prone patient 12.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sling (10) for lifting a person (12) comprising: * one or more panels (14) for supporting a person (12), the panel(s) (14) comprising a back portion (16) for supporting the back of a person (12) and two leg portions (18) each for supporting the leg of a person (12), each leg portion (18) connected to the back portion (16), * one or more fastening components (20) connected to the panel(s) (14), and * one or more pockets (22), the or each pocket (22) being located adjacent the side edge of the back portion (16) and open towards the centre of the back portion (16).
2. A sling according to claim 1, wherein the sling (10) comprises two pockets (22) located on opposite sides of the back portion (16).
3. A sling according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the or each pocket (22) comprises a triangle of material.
4. A sling according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the or each pocket (22) is elongate and extends from the top edge of the back portion (16) towards the respective leg portion (18).
5. A sling according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each pocket (22) is subdivided into two or more parts (22a, 22b, 22c).
6. A sling according to claim 5 wherein the or each pocket (22) is subdivided into two or more parts (22a, 22b, 22c) by connection lines running substantially perpendicular to the side edge of the back portion (16).
7. A sling according to any preceding claim, wherein the back portion (16) of the sling (10) in a region from the or each pocket (22) to the opposite side edge of the back portion (16) does not have a handle or strap connected thereto.
8. A sling according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each pocket (22) is located along the respective side edge of the back portion (16).
9. A method of manufacturing a sling (10) for lifting a person (12) io comprising: * forming one or more panels (14) for supporting a person (12), the panel(s) (14) comprising a back portion (16) for supporting the back of a person (12) and two leg portions (18) each for supporting the leg of a person (12), each leg portion (18) connected to the back portion (16), * connecting one or more fastening components (20) to the panel(s) (14), and * forming one or more pockets (22), the or each pocket (22) being located adjacent the side edge of the back portion (16) and open towards the centre of the back portion (16).