WO2011102757A1

WO2011102757A1 - Splint for the temporary immobilization of an extremity

Info

Publication number: WO2011102757A1
Application number: PCT/RU2011/000091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Сергей Иванович СНОПОК; Абрам Шурович БОРОДА; Владимир Михайлович МИХАЛЁВ
Original assignee: Snopok Sergey Ivanovich; Boroda Abram Shurovich; Mikhalyov Vladimir Mikhailovich
Priority date: 2010-02-19
Filing date: 2011-02-18
Publication date: 2011-08-25
Also published as: RU2010107130A; RU2442550C2

Abstract

The invention relates to splints for the temporary immobilization of an extremity and, more specifically, to inflatable splints. The splint for the temporary immobilization of an extremity, which comprises an inflatable base body that is capable of encompassing at least part of an extremity, is characterized in that the base body is also capable of holding at least one plate in such a way that when the base body encompasses the extremity, one of the two surfaces of the plate faces the extremity. The splint provides for the rigid fixation of the damaged extremity and the reliable protection thereof against external forces during transportation of the patient. Furthermore, it can be applied easily and quickly and is convenient to store and transport.

Description

TIRE FOR TEMPORARY IMMOBILIZATION OF THE EXTREMITY

The technical field to which the invention relates. The invention relates to tires for temporary immobilization of a limb, in particular to inflatable tires. The tire can be used when transporting a patient with a damaged limb to a medical institution.

State of the art

In medical practice, with injuries and fractures of the extremities, for example, with a fracture of the femoral neck, it is necessary to provide immobilization and protection of the injured limb when transporting the victim to a medical institution. For this purpose, various tire designs can be used that are superimposed on the limb for its fixation. Such tires are widely used in ambulances and emergency services, in disaster medicine services, in the formations of the Ministry of Emergencies and civil defense, in units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, in large production and mining enterprises, in sports societies, clubs and sports complexes, in various transport enterprises, in traffic police vehicles, etc.

The most common tires include a plywood grooved tire, a stair tire (Cramer tire), which can be easily modeled depending on the characteristics of the victim and the type of damage, various types of plastic tires, a wooden transport tire for immobilizing the lower limb (Diterichs tire). The above tires are rigid and provide reliable fixation of the damaged limb. However, such tires are bulky, and therefore are usually available only at medical services, but cannot be included, for example, in the first-aid kit. On the other hand, such tires may not provide sufficient protection against external influences during transportation of the victim from hard-to-reach places due to the fact that when applied they do not surround the limb on all sides, and in case of accidental impacts of the tire, the impact pulse is almost completely transmitted to the limb. In addition, the proper application of such tires requires certain skills that people may not have, providing first aid to the victim. Such tires require prior preparation before applying to prevent prolonged compression of the underlying tissues of the limb or trunk. Such preparation can be carried out by applying to the tires from the side facing the surface of the body, layers of cotton and strengthening them with bandages.

Another group of tires for immobilization, which has become widespread, are inflatable tires (pneumatic tires). When these tires are applied to a limb, they are usually brought into a deflated state, and after the application of these tires, they are inflated. Inflatable tires provide an acceptable level of fixation, as well as protect a damaged limb due to damping of external impacts. At the same time, due to the ability to blow off inflatable tires, they have an advantage in storage and transportation due to the reduction of mass and occupied volume. For example, such inflatable tires can be stored and rolled up in compact bags. Other advantages of medical pneumatic tires are the simplicity and speed of their application with minimal trauma to the injured person and the possibility of radiography without removing the tire. In this case, tires of this type can be applied to a damaged limb without softening pads.

From US Pat. No. 4,440,042, an inflatable limb immobilization tire is known comprising an inflatable body including front and rear parts, as well as a side part having opposing segments, and a strap attached thereto. The strap forms two loops into which the victim's limb is threaded. After that, the body is inflated, which leads to pulling the loop and fixing the limbs of the victim. The tire is convenient to use and can easily be applied by a lay person, however, although such a tire can dampen external blows from one direction, it covers the damaged limb on one side only and thus does not provide sufficient protection for the limb from accidental blows during transportation, which can be especially it is important when the patient is transported from a hard-to-reach place without the use of special means of transportation. In addition, applying the tire on one side only may result in insufficient fixation of the damaged limb.

The closest analogue of the proposed invention is an inflatable tire according to the application for patent of Great Britain 2416490, intended for temporary support and immobilization of a damaged limb or joint. The tire in accordance with the specified application is a sheet of material that has hermetically connected outer and inner walls and which can be wrapped around a damaged limb. After that, the opposite edges of the tire are connected, for example, using lightning, and the tire itself is inflated through the corresponding valve. Such a tire, due to the fact that it covers the entire limb, completely surrounding it, and the fact that it can dampen external blows due to the compressed air contained in it, provides reliable protection of the limb from further damage during transportation of the injured person and prevents pain sensations of the injured person, which may be caused by careless movement.

However, the disadvantage of the tire according to patent application UK 2416490 is the insufficiently rigid fixation of the injured limb of the victim, which may not always be adequately provided with the elastic material of which the tire is made to allow inflation. This can cause additional trauma to the limb during transportation, and in exceptional cases even lead to the development of such a serious condition as traumatic shock. This drawback may occur primarily when using this type of tire for fractures of the femur or humerus.

Thus, despite the wide variety of existing tires for temporary immobilization of a damaged limb, there are no tires in the prior art that provide, on the one hand, rigid fixation of a damaged limb, and on the other, reliable protection against external influences during transportation of the injured, as well as being characterized by simplicity and speed of application and ease of storage and transportation.

Given the importance of reliable transport immobilization for various injuries of the limbs, there is a need for tires for immobilization with the above properties. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a tire for the temporary immobilization of a limb, while simultaneously providing rigid fixation damaged limb and its reliable protection against external influences, as well as characterized by simplicity and speed when applied and ease of storage and transportation.

This problem is solved due to the fact that in the tire for temporary immobilization of the limb, containing an inflatable base, made with the possibility of grasping at least part of the limb, the base is additionally made with the possibility of holding at least one plate so that when grasping the base of the limb, this plate is turned to the limb of one of its two surfaces.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ability to hold the base of said at least one plate is realized due to the fact that this base contains at least one through pocket configured to insert said at least one plate into it.

When the limb is wrapped around the base, said at least one pocket and at least one plate are typically located on the inside of the base.

Usually the base is made with the possibility of grasping at least part of the lower limb of a person and contains three through pockets, each of which is made with the possibility of inserting one of the three plates into it, two of which are relatively longer, and one of which is relatively shorter, so that when the base of the lower limb is grasped by the base, two relatively longer plates are located with the long side along this limb from its rear and outer lateral sides, respectively, and relatively more the short plate is located the long side along this limb from its inner side.

The tire may further comprise a belt configured to connect to at least one of these three plates.

It is advisable that the belt was further configured to detach from said at least one plate.

The ability to connect and disconnect can be realized by means of a fastener like a flypaper.

For inflation and deflation, the base of the tire may be provided with a valve.

The plate may contain at least one hole. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate comprises a stair rail.

The base is usually made with the possibility of separation and connection along the direction corresponding when the base covers the limb direction along the length of this limb, and the possibility of separation and connection is usually realized through a fastener type "lightning".

The list of figures of the drawings of FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tire for temporary immobilization of a lower limb in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 - belt for additional fastening of the tire for temporary immobilization of the lower limb in accordance with the present invention Information confirming the possibility of carrying out the invention

In FIG. 1 shows a general view of a tire for temporary immobilization of the lower limb, which can be used for hip fractures at various levels, combined lower limb fractures, etc.

Tire 1 contains an inflatable base 2, which is two sheets of the same size, hermetically sealed along the edges. The base 2 has a trapezoidal shape, and its narrower part is equipped with wings welded together to form the heel 15. The base 2 is made of elastic material and is equipped with a valve 3 through which the base can be inflated by means of an air pump (not shown) or deflated. If necessary, the base can be inflated by mouth. The pressure at the base should not exceed 50 mm Hg. Art. and can be monitored by a pressure gauge on the pump.

The base 2 from the side, which, when grasping the limb is turned inward, contains three through pockets 4, 5 and 6, each of which can be inserted one of the plates 7, 8 and 9, placed in covers. The plates may have at least one opening or comprise stair tires. From the drawing it can be seen that the plate 7 is relatively shorter and the plates 8 and 9 are relatively longer. Opposite edges 10 of the base 2 are provided with mutually corresponding parts of the fastener, which is made in the form of a zipper 10.

The tire 1 is further provided with a belt 13, which is shown in FIG. 2. The belt 13 can be attached to the plates 8 and 9, for which the belt 13 and the covers of the plates 8 and 9 contain mutually corresponding parts of the fasteners, which are made in the form of Velcro 11, 12 and 14. The belt 13 can be mounted on the victim’s waist by means of straps (not shown).

When storing and transporting the base 2 in a deflated state and the belt 13 can be folded and placed in a compact bag along with an air pump, and the plates 7, 8 and 9 can be placed in a transport case.

Tire 1 in accordance with the present invention can be used to immobilize the lower limb of the victim as follows.

The base 2 is deployed and laid out so that the pockets 4, 5 and 6 are located on top. Next, one of the plates 7, 8, and 9 is inserted into each of the pockets. In this case, in the position of the base 2, illustrated in FIG. 1, a relatively shorter plate 7 is inserted into one of the outer pockets, depending on which limb should be immobilized. So, if the left limb is damaged, then the plate 7 is inserted into the leftmost pocket 4, as shown in FIG. 1. If the right limb is damaged, then plate 7 is inserted into the rightmost pocket 6. In the two remaining pockets, plates 8 and 9 are inserted, respectively.

Before applying the tire to the limb of the victim, according to indications, a complex of anti-shock measures is carried out. For open fractures or cuts, a sterile dressing must first be applied to the wound. With arterial bleeding, a hemostatic tourniquet should first be applied above the site of damage. After this, the victim is laid in such a way that the injured limb is located on the deployed base 2, and the heel of the limb is placed on the heel 15 of the base 2. The application of the tire does not provide for removing clothes or shoes from the victim. Next, the base 2 is wrapped around the damaged limb so that when grasping this base 2 the limbs of the plate 7, 8 and 9 in the pockets 4, 5 and 6 are located on the inside of the base 2, and one of the two surfaces of the plates 7, 8 and 9 is facing this limb. In this case, a relatively shorter plate 7 will be located with the long side along the limb from its lateral inner side, and relatively longer plates 8 and 9 will be located with the long side along the limb from its rear and lateral outer sides, respectively. Plates 7, 8, and 9 are inserted into the pockets 4, 5, and 6 to such a depth that the plate 7 extends from about the ankle to the crotch, the plate 8 extends from about the heel to the lower back, and the plate 9 extends from about the ankle to the side. To fix the support 2 on the victim’s limbs, zipper 10 is fastened in the direction along the limb, ensuring that the opposite edges of the base 2 are connected to each other.

After that, the base 2 is inflated through the valve 3 by means of a pneumatic pump to a pressure not exceeding 50 mm RT. Art., thus fixing the damaged limb and providing protection from external influences. The valve is tightly closed by axial movement of the valve head along the valve base.

For additional fixation of the tire 1, the belt 13 is connected to the plates 8 and 9 by means of Velcro 11, 12 and 14 and secured to the victim’s waist by means of belts. In this way, simultaneous reliable immobilization is achieved in three joints - the hip, knee and ankle. After that, the victim can be transported to a medical institution, where he can be provided with further assistance. In this case, an x-ray of the injured limb can be performed without removing the tire 1.

When removing the tire, first open the valve to release air from the base 2.

After reducing the pressure in the base 2, open the zipper 10, unfasten the belt 13 at the victim’s waist and remove the tire 1 from his limb. After that, the plates 8 and 9 are disconnected from the belt 13, and the plates 7, 8 and 9 are removed from the corresponding pockets.

After each use, the surfaces of the plates 7, 8 and 9 and the base 2 should be sanitized accordingly. All components of tire 1 are made of hypoallergenic synthetic materials that are easy to process. With visible heavy contamination of the plates and base, it is necessary to wash them off under running water. Disinfection of plates 7, 8 and 9 and base 2 is carried out with a 4% solution of hydrogen peroxide with the addition of 0.5% lotus type detergent. If the pockets 4, 5 and 6 are contaminated, in particular when blood enters them, the disinfection is carried out by soaking the base 2 in a disinfecting solution, for example, a 0.1% solution of chloramix, for 60-90 minutes. Head Valve 3 is subjected to disinfection by immersion in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes, after which it is washed under running water of drinking quality.

It should be noted that although a tire for temporary immobilization of a limb is described using an example of a tire for temporary immobilization of a lower limb, such an example is not restrictive. A tire made in accordance with the principles of the present invention can also be used, for example, to immobilize the upper limb. In addition, depending on the purpose, the tire can be configured to cover both the entire limb and its parts and contain a different number of plates of various sizes.

Thus, the above tire is only one of the possible options for implementing the invention, while the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIM

1. A tire for temporary immobilization of an extremity, comprising an inflatable base configured to wrap around at least a portion of an extremity, characterized in that the base is further adapted to hold at least one plate such that when the base wraps around a limb, this plate faces the limb one of its two surfaces.

2. A tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the possibility of holding the base of said at least one plate is realized due to the fact that this base contains at least one through pocket made with the possibility of inserting said at least one plate into it.

3. The tire according to claim 2, characterized in that when grasping the base of the limb, said at least one pocket and at least one plate are located on the inside of the base.

4. The tire according to claim 3, characterized in that the base is made with the possibility of grasping at least part of the lower limb of a person and contains three through pockets, each of which is filled with the possibility of inserting one of three plates into it, two of which are relatively more long, and one of which is relatively shorter, so that when grasping the base of the lower limb, two relatively longer plates are located with the long side along this limb, respectively, with its rear and outer lateral orons, and a relatively shorter plate is located with the long side along this limb from its inner side.

5. The tire according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a belt made with the possibility of connection with at least one of these three plates.

6. The tire according to claim 5, characterized in that the belt is additionally filled with the possibility of disconnecting from the specified at least one plate.

7. The tire according to claim 6, characterized in that the possibility of connection and disconnection is realized by means of a fastener of the "Velcro" type.

8. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the base is equipped with a valve.

9. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate contains at least one hole.

10. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate comprises a ladder tire.

11. The tire according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, characterized in that the base is made with the possibility of separation and connection along the direction corresponding when the base covers the limbs direction along the length of this limb.

12. The tire according to claim 11, characterized in that the possibility of disconnection and connection is realized by means of a zipper.