GB2596346A

GB2596346A - Hospital-bay barrier screen

Info

Publication number: GB2596346A
Application number: GB2009796.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Minney Steven
Original assignee: Volvina Ltd
Current assignee: Volvina Ltd
Priority date: 2020-06-26
Filing date: 2020-06-26
Publication date: 2021-12-29
Also published as: GB202009796D0

Abstract

A hospital-bay barrier screen 10 comprises a barrier curtain 12 formed from an opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material, a viewing portion 14 formed from a light-transmissible fluid-resistant or impermeable material, and rail engagement means at an upper edge 16 of the barrier screen 10 for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail 18. Opaque fluid resistant covers 28 or blinds may be provided to cover each side of the viewing window if a patient desires privacy. The covers 28 may be furled for storage, unrolled during use and held in place by retaining means such as straps 30. Ideally, the barrier curtain and viewing portion are constructed from fabric plastic materials which may be connected by a machine welded seam (heat welded). The curtain may incorporate an anti-pathogenic agent / coating.

Description

Hospital-Bay Barrier Screen The present invention relates to a hospital-bay barrier screen, preferably but not exclusively for hanging from a curtain rail within a hospital bay.

Hospital bays are areas in hospital wards in which hospital beds are located. Each 5 hospital bay is surrounded by a rail to which is attached a privacy screen, so that the medical examination of the occupant can be conducted discreetly.

The fabric curtains used tend to be formed from a cotton/polyester blend, or from a disposable plastic film material. Over time, the curtains must be replaced due to the accumulation of contaminants.

Infection control has become more critical during the Covid-19 global emergency. There are significant risks for ill patients in hospitals, as physicians can unwittingly transfer infections between patients whilst remaining asymptomatic themselves.

One option for overcoming this issue would be to provide a physical structure between adjacent bays, such as a Perspex screen. However, this would require significant 15 restructuring of hospital wards.

The present invention provides a means for providing a barrier between hospital bays, which allows for light and air flow, whilst still providing privacy and dignity for the patient.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a hospital-bay barrier screen comprising: a barrier curtain formed from an opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material; a viewing portion formed from a light-transmissible fluid-resistant or impermeable material; and rail engagement means at an upper edge of the barrier screen for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail.

The advantage of the present screen over than of curtains known in the art is that the barrier screen is completely wipeable. This allows hospital staff to disinfect the screen easily in situ, significantly reducing the risk of cross-infection due to highly infectious diseases. The presence of the viewing portion also isolates the physician from the patient, allowing for many checks to be made on the patient at negligible risk of cross-contamination. This is a vital development for hospital bays experiencing highly contagious disease transmissions, such as the Covid-19 coronavirus, but also other diseases commonly transmitted in hospitals, such as M RSA or norovirus.

The hospital-bay barrier screen may further comprise at least one covering for the viewing portion, the or each covering being formed from an opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material.

The provision of a covering over the viewing portion allows for the barrier screen to act 5 both as a privacy screen and a means for a physician to view a patient without risk of contamination.

Optionally, a plurality of said coverings may be provided.

By dividing the covering into a plurality of individual coverings, a more discreet viewing arrangement can be considered; a physician can approach the barrier screen from 10 whichever angle is most appropriate to maintain privacy for the patient from other patients.

At least one said covering may be provided on each side of the viewing portion.

Coverings on either side of the viewing portion allow the patient some level of privacy, as they can prevent undesirable opening of the viewing portion if, for example, they are 15 in a state of undress.

Preferably, the covering may be movable between a viewing condition in which the or a part of the viewing portion is not obscured, and a covered condition in which the or a part of the viewing portion is obscured.

The ability to open and close the coverings, for example, in the style of a blind, provides 20 an easy means of switching between a privacy screen condition and a patient observation condition, without the risk of contact between the physician and the patient.

The hospital-bay barrier screen may further comprise retaining means associated with the or each covering for retaining the covering in the viewing and/or covered condition.

It is preferred that a mechanism for holding the coverings in position be provided, so that 25 the users can maintain a specific condition for the barrier screen. In particular, it is desirable to hold the viewing condition, so that the patient's view is improved during recuperation.

Optionally, the retaining means may comprise a strap formed from fluid-resistant or impermeable material.

A strap is a suitable retaining element which can be cleaned and disinfected in much the same manner as the remainder of the screen. This simplifies the cleaning process.

In one preferred embodiment, the barrier curtain may be formed from a fabric plastics material. Furthermore, the viewing portion may be formed from a fabric plastics material.

Various suitable fabrics are known in the art, and fabric material can be more readily seamed together to produce a continuous curtain.

At least one of the fluid-resistant or impermeable materials of the barrier curtain and viewing portion may include an anti-pathogenic agent.

An antimicrobial agent, or indeed, any anti-pathogenic may be desirable to maintain the 10 cleanliness of the barrier screen during normal use, further reducing the risk of infection transmission.

Preferably, the rail engagement means may comprise runner connectors.

Most hospital bays are already equipped with curtain runners which hang from the ceiling, and as such, it is preferred that the barrier screen be compatible with such existing 15 arrangements.

Optionally, the rail engagement means may comprise a plurality of eyelets in the barrier curtain.

The barrier screen may advantageously clip directly to existing runner connectors in curtain runners, via eyelets, further reducing the need to provide extra couplings.

The barrier curtain and viewing portion may be connected via a machine-welded seam.

A machine welded seam provides a smooth seam surface which is readily wipeable, and can be easily disinfected. As such, the risk of accumulation of pathogens in the seam is greatly reduced.

Preferably, the barrier curtain and viewing portion may be connected without the use of stitching.

Stitched seams are prone to accumulating dirt and therefore pathogens. Eliminating said seams from the barrier screen adds a further layer of protection for the user.

The hospital-bay barrier screen may further comprise a weighted seam at the base of the barrier curtain.

The hang of the barrier curtain may be improved by the use of a weighted seam. Since the fluid-resistant or impermeable material is relatively heavy, it will be appreciated that 5 it may bunch more easily than a comparable cotton or polyester curtain.

Preferably, the weighted seam may be a machine-welded seam.

As noted, a machine welded weighted seam provides a smooth seam surface which is readily wipeable, and can be easily disinfected. As such, the risk of accumulation of pathogens in the weighted seam is greatly reduced.

Optionally, the viewing portion may extend across the full width or substantially the full width of the barrier screen.

For simplicity of construction and reducing the number of seams to be provided, it is preferred that the viewing portion have an identical and full width to the rest of the barrier curtain.

In one preferred embodiment, the viewing portion may have a drop of at least 1000 mm from the top of the barrier screen.

A drop of approximately 1000 mm of the viewing portion, that is, to the base of the viewing portion, ensures that the majority of users will be able to look through the viewing portion without difficulty.

Preferably, the barrier curtain may include upper and lower barrier curtain portions, the viewing portion being located between the upper and lower barrier curtain portions.

The positioning of the viewing portion between upper and lower barrier curtain portions ensures that the viewing portion is correctly positioned without needing very large coverings which could lead to snagging. Snagged coverings could reduce the efficacy of 25 the barrier screen as a privacy screen.

Said upper barrier curtain portion may be formed by the or each covering.

The coverings need a portion of the barrier screen to engage with, and the uppermost portion of the barrier curtain provides an ideal position from which to provide this.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a hospital-bay barrier screen comprising: a barrier curtain formed from an opaque material; a viewing portion formed from a light-transmissible material, the barrier curtain and viewing portion being connected via a machine-welded seam; and rail engagement means at an upper edge of the barrier screen for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail.

Privacy curtains in the art must be moved aside in order for a physician to inspect a patient. This presents contamination risks. The present invention provides a means for the physician to inspect the patient without progressing through the curtain, and the barrier screen is capable of being easily wiped clean or disinfected, unlike existing cotton or polyester curtains.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a hospital-bay barrier screen comprising: a barrier curtain formed from a fluid-resistant or impermeable material including an anti-pathogen agent; and rail engagement means at an upper edge of the barrier screen for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail.

To improve infection control in hospitals, a barrier screen can be provided formed from a fluid-resistant or impermeable material, and which has anti-pathogenic properties. This allows for the screen to destroy pathogens thereon, for example, if bodily fluids land on the barrier screen.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with 20 reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front view of a one embodiment of a hospital-bay barrier screen in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 shows a front perspective representation of the hospital-bay barrier screen of Figure 1, with one of the coverings in a covered condition; Figure 3A shows a side view of the hospital-bay barrier screen of Figure 1 with all its coverings in a viewing condition; and Figure 3B shows a side view of the hospital-bay barrier screen of Figure 1 with all its coverings in a covered condition.

Referring to Figure 1, there is indicated a hospital-bay barrier screen, referenced globally at 10, and which is formed as rectangular sheet or curtain. The hospital-bay barrier screen 10 is therefore at least in part flexible.

The hospital-bay barrier screen 10 comprises a barrier curtain 12 having a viewing 5 portion 14 therein. The barrier curtain 12 is opaque, which the viewing portion 14 is at least in part light-transmissible, and preferably fully transparent, so as to allow a physician to look through the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 without risk of infection.

Each of the barrier curtain 12 and viewing portion 14 are formed from a fluid-resistant or impermeable material, such as plastics fabric material, such as opaque poly-vinyl chloride for the barrier curtain 12, and transparent poly-vinyl chloride for the viewing portion 14. This allows the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 to be wiped clean or disinfected for infection control purposes.

It is preferred that the fluid-resistant or impermeable material includes an anti-pathogenic, and most particularly an antimicrobial, agent, which reduces the risk of contamination of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10. Examples of anti-pathogenic agents might include silver particles, or poly-pyrroles. Other examples will be apparent to the skilled person. Furthermore, it is preferred that the fluid-resistant or impermeable material be fire retardant, and in particular, that the light-transmissible fluid-resistant or impermeable material forming the viewing portion 14 have a low thickness, for example, less than 1 mm, most preferably 0.5 mm, so that light-transmission is not impeded, and flexibility is maintained. The opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material of the barrier curtain 12 may have a similar or identical thickness for ease of construction.

The barrier curtain 12 preferably comprises an upper barrier curtain portion 12a and a lower barrier curtain portion 12b, the viewing portion 14 being positioned between the upper and lower barrier curtain portions 12a, 12b. The viewing portion 14 may, in a preferred embodiment, extend across the full width of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10, so that viewing can be conducted across said full width through the hospital-bay barrier screen 10. The viewing portion 14 could, however, be provided as one or more individual viewing portals or windows, which are fully or partially bounded by the barrier curtain 12 material.

The hospital-bay barrier screen 10 includes a rail engagement means at an upper edge 16 thereof for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail 18, such as that shown in Figure 2. This may be provided as a plurality of eyelets 20 in the upper barrier curtain portion 12a, for instance, with which may be engagable a plurality of runner connectors 22. Alternative curtain hooks or other connectors could of course be considered. To reinforce the upper edge 16 of the barrier curtain 12, a weighted seam could be provided at or adjacent to the eyelets 20, preferably, just below the eyelets 20 so as to prevent tearing of the material and stiffen the upper edge 16.

The lower barrier curtain portion 12b hangs down, preferably close to but not in contact with the floor. A weighted seam 24 may be provided at the lower edge 26 of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 in order to maintain suitable hang characteristics for the hospital-bay barrier screen 10. The weighted seam 24 may be machine-welded, and indeed, all seams of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 are preferably machine-welded, as opposed to being stitched, to improve the ease of disinfection. Stitched seams are much more difficult to clean due to the greater surface area.

In order for the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 to act as a privacy screen, at least one 15 covering 28 is required, which can be is movable between a viewing condition in which the or a part of the viewing portion 14 is not obscured, and a covered condition in which the or a part of the viewing portion 14 is obscured.

The or each covering 28 is preferably provided as a blind for the viewing portion 14, which can be furled and unfurled. A retaining means for holding the covering 28 in the viewing condition can be provided, and in the depicted embodiment, this is a strap 30 having an eyelet 32 thereon which can be used to retain the furled position of the or each covering 28.

The retaining means could be envisioned as alternative fastener arrangements, such as clasps, poppers, or even hook-and-loop fasteners. By way of example, a strip of hook or loop material, of medical grade so as to be disinfectable easily, could be provided on a rear surface of the covering 28, such that, as the covering is furled, the hook or loop material is exposed. The other of the hook or loop material could then be provided as a tab on the upper barrier curtain portion 12a. Other hook and loop configurations could be readily envisaged by the skilled person. Ties formed from fluid-resistant or impermeable material may be feasible, either attached to the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 or provided as separate components.

Two coverings 28 can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, positioned in a side-by-side arrangement on one side of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10, and are dimensioned to collectively cover the full viewing area of the viewing portion 14 when in the covered condition.

The coverings 28 are preferably formed from an opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material, preferably the same material as the barrier curtain 12. The coverings 28 may, at an upper end thereof, be seamed to the upper barrier curtain portion 12a, or indeed may be contiguously formed with the upper barrier curtain portion 12a.

It is preferred that a plurality of coverings 28 is provided, such that there is at least one 10 covering 28 on each side of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10. This can be seen from Figures 3A and 3B, in particular.

Figure 3A shows the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 with the coverings 28 in a viewing or furled condition, whilst Figure 3B shows the coverings 28 in a covered or unfurled condition.

Weighted seams 34 may be provided for the coverings 28, in order to provide viable hang characteristics for the coverings 28 in the covered condition.

The hospital-bay barrier screen 10 can be used in a hospital bay. When privacy is required, all coverings 28 on at least one side of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 will be in the covered condition, and the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 will be completely 20 opaque.

VVhen patient interaction becomes necessary, a physician can raise at least one of the coverings 28 in order to provide a viewing path through the viewing portion 14 hospital-bay barrier screen 10. For the purposes of infection control, there is no risk to the patient or the physician, since the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 provides a fluid-impermeable barrier. However, since the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 is formed as a curtain, there is no significant impact on the airflow properties into the hospital bay, and therefore dedicated air conditioning equipment is not necessary.

A preferred embodiment of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10, which is that illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3A and 3B, is 2100 mm wide, and has a 2000 mm drop. The width is such 30 that it covers the majority of a standard hospital bed, in the United Kingdom at least, and a 2000 mm drop allows the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 to hang well below the level of the bed without dragging on the floor. Other widths could readily be considered to offer greater coverage, or overlapping sections may be desirable. The length may well be determined by the height of the curtain rail in the existing hospital bay.

The drop of the viewing portion 14, that is the distance from the top edge 16 of the hospital-bay barrier screen 10 to the bottom edge 36 of the viewing portion 14, is 1200 mm, and is preferably always greater than 1000 mm. This ensures that a majority of users can easily see through the viewing portion 14. The drop of the lower barrier curtain 12b is then 800 mm.

It is therefore possible to provide a hospital-bay barrier screen which is easily wipeable and therefore can be disinfected in situ. A viewing portion can be provided to improve infection control, so that physicians can inspect a patient without always needing physical contact. Anti-pathogenic agents can be provided on the barrier screen to reduce cross-infection risk. This improves the transmission control capabilities of the hospital ward, without reducing the patient's airflow or ability to see out of their bay or other patients.

The words 'comprises/comprising' and the words 'having/including' when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various 25 other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

Claims A hospital-bay barrier screen comprising: a barrier curtain formed from an opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material; a viewing portion formed from a light-transmissible fluid-resistant or impermeable material; and rail engagement means at an upper edge of the barrier screen for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail.
2. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one covering for the viewing portion, the or each covering being formed from an opaque fluid-resistant or impermeable material.
3. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of said coverings is provided.
4. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one said covering is provided on each side of the viewing portion.
5. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the covering is movable between a viewing condition in which the or a part of the viewing portion is not obscured, and a covered condition in which the or a part of the viewing portion is obscured.
6. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 5, further comprising retaining means associated with the or each covering for retaining the covering in the viewing and/or covered condition.
7. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 6, wherein the retaining means comprises a strap formed from fluid-resistant or impermeable material.
8. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier curtain is formed from a fabric plastics material.
9. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the viewing portion is formed from a fabric plastics material.
10. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the fluid-resistant or impermeable materials of the barrier curtain and viewing portion includes an anti-pathogenic agent.
11. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail engagement means comprises runner connectors.
12. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail engagement means comprises a plurality of eyelets in the barrier curtain.
13. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier curtain and viewing portion are connected via a machine-welded seam.
14. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier curtain and viewing portion are connected without the use of stitching.
15. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, 20 further comprising a weighted seam at the base of the barrier curtain.
16. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 15, wherein the weighted seam is a machine-welded seam.
17. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the viewing portion extends across the full width or substantially the full width of the barrier screen.
18. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, 30 wherein the viewing portion has a drop of at least 1000 mm from the top of the barrier screen.
19. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the barrier curtain includes upper and lower barrier curtain portions, the viewing 35 portion being located between the upper and lower barrier curtain portions.
20. A hospital-bay barrier screen as claimed in claim 19 when dependent on any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the upper barrier curtain portion is formed by the or each covering.
21. A hospital-bay barrier screen comprising: a barrier curtain formed from an opaque material; a viewing portion formed from a light-transmissible material, the barrier curtain and viewing portion being connected via a machine-welded seam; and rail engagement means at an upper edge of the barrier screen for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail.
22. A hospital-bay barrier screen comprising: a barrier curtain formed from a fluid-resistant or impermeable material including an anti-pathogen agent; and rail engagement means at an upper edge of the barrier screen for engaging with a hospital bay curtain rail