WO2022043960A1

WO2022043960A1 - Hospital-rehabilitation bed

Info

Publication number: WO2022043960A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/057927
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franciszek GRETKOWSKI; Artur GRETKOWSKI
Original assignee: Gretkowski Franciszek
Priority date: 2020-08-31
Filing date: 2021-08-31
Publication date: 2022-03-03
Also published as: PL243685B1; PL435149A1

Abstract

The subject of invention is a hospital-rehabilitation bed consisting of a frame supported by stationary legs and a lateral tilting lie-down section set in said frame in a swinging matter, wherein the frame is made of closed profiles of approximately rectangular shape connecting the headrest and footrest of the bed, characterised in that in the central part of a headrest (4a) and footrest (4b) there is a socket (5) connecting the frame (2) of the bed with the lie-down section (3), wherein said lie-down section (3) comprises a cradle (6) connected by bolts (20) with two movable side wings (7a and 7b); wherein the cradle (6) comprises a base (8), two sides (9a and 9b), a cradle headrest (10a) and a cradle footrest (10b), whereby hinge elements (11') are fixed at the ends of the upper profiles of the sides (9a and 9b) of the cradle (6), which together with sleeves (23) positioned on the side wings (7a, 7b) form hinges (11); in the central part of the cradle headrest (10a) and of the footrest of the cradle (10b), on the outer side of the cradle (6), welded bolts (20) are located which, when inserted into sockets (5) of the frame (2), connect the lie-down section (3) with the frame (2) of the bed (1); the cradle headrest (10a) is fitted with a pin (24) positioned at the height of the bolt (20), which, together with a vertical actuator bottom mount (12) positioned in the lower part of the frame (2) of the bed (1), secures a mounting of a vertical actuator (13) which, together with a horizontal actuator (14) positioned under the cradle (6) in the upper part of the frame (2) of the bed (1) and connected by a movable arm (15) to the lower part of the frame (2) of the bed (1), constitutes a drive of the lie- down section (3) controlled by a control module (16) positioned in the lower part of the frame (2) of the bed (1); the side wings (7a and 7b) are fixed to the sides (9a and 9b) of the cradle (6), and each wing (7a, 7b) has wheels (17) mounted on bolts, wherein the upper part of the frame (2) of the bed (1) is provided with crossbars (18) for guiding the wheels (17).

Description

Hospital-rehabilitation bed

The subject of invention is a hospital-rehabilitation bed consisting of a frame supported by stationary legs and a lateral tilting lie-down section set in said frame in a swinging matter, wherein the frame is made of closed profiles of approximately rectangular shape connecting the headrest and footrest of the bed.

Known and commonly used treatment hospital beds are shaped as a three-position couch situated on a support structure with the possibility of adjusting the position angle. This type of bed is disclosed in the Polish description of the invention application PL325321 Al.

An immobilized patient is one of the most difficult care and treatment challenges that can be encountered while working in medical professions. It requires appropriate treatment and specialist care of nurses and physiotherapists who care for its current and future quality of life. Pressure ulcers, which occur together with the underlying disease, are an ailment that effectively hinders painless functioning of patients (Wysokiriski P., Swieszczak K. Pressure ulcers as a significant problem in the care and rehabilitation of an immobilized patient. Horizons of modern physiotherapy. 2016, pp: 195- 211) .

Pressure ulcers are a very troublesome problem for both patients and their caregivers. The occurrence of pressure ulcers prolongs the patient recovery time from the underlying disease. They are a source of severe pain and discomfort, a decrease in patient's self-esteem and loss of faith in the effectiveness of the treatment. The appropriate positioning of immobilized patients and the effective repositioning is one of the methods of pressure ulcers prevention (Wysokiriski P., Swieszczak K. Pressure ulcers as a significant problem in the care and rehabilitation of an immobilized patient. Horizons of modern physiotherapy. 2016, pages: 195-211).

Known hospital and rehabilitation beds assist caregivers in repositioning patients. Polish patent application PL379929 Al discloses a hospital bed, provided with a subdivided lie-down section and a mobile base, characteristic in that it contains mechanisms effecting lateral tilt and that it is supported by three columns, which are fixed in place by one end in the mobile base. Wherein the two columns are situated at patient's legs, and the third column is situated behind patent's head. The first two columns are interconnected with one another by the lateral tilt system, which is separably fixed to the lie-down section by means of rotational kinematic pairs, and where on the third column there is a separably fixed system of longitudinal tilts and that of lateral tilt consisting of a unit fixed onto the column and of a unit fixed to the lie-down section by means of the kinematic pair.

Polish patent description PL210391 Bl discloses a hospital bed, which lie-down section is located on a support structure allowing a wide adjustment of the angle of its position, which is particularly important for intensive care units, which require wide possibilities of different angular settings of the lie-down section. The bed is equipped with a segmented lie-down sections supported by rollers and a hinge on a circular cradle with a circular profile when viewed from the side and a rectangular profile when viewed from the front, which can be tilted from the horizontal by an angle (a) from 0 to 90°, angle (P) from 0° to 20° and a lateral tilt angle from 0° to 25°. The drive to the bed is effected by means of gears. European patent application EP0635250 Al discloses a bed construction, including a movable netting panel, for preventing bed-sores from occurring, comprising a bearing framework, to which is connected a netting panel, including a central portion and, on the two sides thereof, side portions pivoted along longitudinal axes. Disclosed bed construction is characterized in that said bed construction further comprises height setting elements operating on spaced points of said central portion in order to change its laying plane. Sliding rollers being furthermore provided supported by longitudinal members of said framework and engaging with cross tracks arranged at said side portions.

Polish patent application PL411159 Al discloses an automatic bed made of a horizontally situated rectangular frame supported on legs, or more preferably on legs with electric adjustment of their extension, ending with braked wheels. The disclosed bed is characterized in that inside the frame, between the long sides, arched beams with treadmills are perpendicularly fastened, along which the cradle moves on the support rollers attached to the base and blocking rollers. The cradle is moved by an actuator that can deflect it by an angle of up to ± 40 °, while in the upper part of the cradle an electrically adjustable frame on which the mattress rests. An articulated frame is mounted around the electrically adjustable frame, which has an stretched flexible cover with a layer of sponge so that it covers the mattress from above, and the operation of the bed is controlled by a programmed electronic system.

American patent application US4084274 A relates to a tilting assembly for a bed comprising: a longitudinally divided mattress frame including a centre section which is pivotally supportable from the frame of a bed, and an outer section adjacent each longitudinal side of said centre section. Each said outer section being pivotally connected to the centre section. Wherein the pivotal connection between the centre section and each outer section comprises a plate secured across each end of each said section. The plane of each said plate being substantially perpendicular to the plane of said section, adjacent plates being arranged to butt against each other when the centre section is not titled, and a bracket extending across said adjacent plates. Said bracket being pivotally secured to one of said plates and rigidly secured to the other of said plates, such that tilting the centre section to raise one longitudinal side thereof causes tilting of the outer section adjacent said longitudinal side of the centre section, the longitudinal side furthest from the centre section of said outer section being raised. A lever secured at one end to the centre section, the other end of said lever being moveable so as to tilt the center section; and means for moving said lever. Disclosed tilting assembly can be controlled manually by the patient or medical caregiver or may be connected to an electronic timing device to operate automatically at pre-set intervals.

In recent years, enormous medical advances have been made, including in the treatment of cancer, significantly prolonging patients' lives. Demographic data on the ageing population indicate that there is a high demand for round-the-clock medical care and specialist medical equipment. Known treatment and rehabilitation beds are not able to meet the requirements of the modern market.

The aim of the invention was to provide a new design of hospital-rehabilitation bed reducing the risk of pressure ulcers development.

The subject of invention is a hospital-rehabilitation bed consisting of a frame supported by stationary legs and a lateral tilting lie-down section set in said frame in a swinging matter, wherein the frame is made of closed profiles of approximately rectangular shape connecting the headrest and footrest of the bed, characterised in that in the central part of a headrest and footrest there is a socket connecting the frame of the bed with the lie-down section, wherein said lie-down section comprises a cradle connected by bolts with two movable side wings; wherein the cradle comprises a base, two sides, a cradle headrest and a cradle footrest, whereby hinge elements are fixed at the ends of the upper profiles of the sides of the cradle, which together with sleeves positioned on the side wings form hinges; in the central part of the cradle headrest and of the footrest of the cradle, on the outer side of the cradle, welded bolts are located which, when inserted into sockets of the frame, connect the lie-down section with the frame of the bed; the cradle headrest is fitted with a pin positioned at the height of the bolt, which, together with a vertical actuator bottom mount positioned in the lower part of the frame of the bed, secures a mounting of a vertical actuator which, together with a horizontal actuator positioned under the cradle in the upper part of the frame of the bed and connected by a movable arm to the lower part of the frame of the bed, constitutes a drive of the liedown section controlled by a control module positioned in the lower part of the frame of the bed; the side wings are fixed to the sides of the cradle, and each wing has wheels mounted on bolts, wherein the upper part of the frame of the bed is provided with crossbars for guiding the wheels.

Preferably, the lower part of the bed frame is distant from the floor by "a" value.

Preferably, the stationary legs of the bed are equipped with braking wheels.

Preferably, a longitudinal tilt of the lie-down section ranges from 0 to 40°.

Preferably, a lateral tilting of the lie-down section ranges from 0 to 40°.

Preferably, a Teflon insert is located inside the socket.

Preferably, the base and sides of the cradle and the side wings of the lie-down section are upholstered with a "skaic" type material.

Preferably, the base and sides of the cradle and the side wings of the lie-down section are filled with an upholstery sponge.

Preferably, each wing has two wheels.

Preferably, the lateral and/or longitudinal tilting of the lie-down section is controlled by means of a remote control.

The disclosed invention provides the following advantages:

• prevents pressure ulcers development by moving the patient's body to cause blood circulation and body ventilation;

• has both a manual mode controlled with remote control (day mode) and an automatic mode (night mode);

• the automatic mode allows the patient's body to move during sleep without the need for the intervention of an employee / caregiver, and wherein the safe range of motion prevents the patient from falling out;

• safety barriers additionally protect the patient against falling out;

• openable wings increase the surface of the lie-down section, which creates additional space for the patient's tilting body; • facilitates the work of caregivers by eliminating the need to use force for patient repositioning;

• enables patients to adjust their body position on their own, which will give them a greater sense of dignity, which is an important element of a long-term treatment process;

• the bed according to the present invention can be used both in hospitals, nursing homes and by private individuals;

• enables the exchange of bed linen in bed, as well as washing or massage of the patient, regardless of the patient's condition;

• ensures smooth adjustment of the lie-down section's longitudinal displacement;

• the cradle according to the invention can be fitted to standard hospital beds, which significantly reduces costs incurred by hospitals;

• the lie-down section of the bed according to the invention provides a massage of internal organs, which is very important for the proper functioning of the body (e.g. for physiological processes taking place in the intestines).

The invention is presented in the figures, wherein Fig. 1 shows an overview of the bed according to the invention in a resting state; Fig. 2 shows an overview of the bed according to the invention in an extended state that increase the surface of the lie-down section; Fig. shows a schematic view of the bed frame according to the invention with the lie-down section mounted in said frame in a side view (A) and a sectional view along section A-A (B); Fig. 4 shows the bed according to the invention in top view with the lie-down section mounted within with sections C-C and A-A visibly marked; Fig. 5 is a close-up of section C-C and section A-A of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 shows a top view of the bed according to the invention with mounted lie-down section, including the hinges; Fig. 7 schematically shows the cradle forming part of the lie-down section; Fig. 8 is a schematic top view of the cradle; Fig. 9 shows a schematic view of the footrest (A) and the headrest (B) of the lie-down section; Fig. 10 shows a schematic view of the movable side wing of the lie-down section, (A) in a top view (B) in a side view with a close-up of the bolt; Fig. 11 shows a schematic top view of a movable side wing of the liedown section according to the invention with wheels; Fig. 12 shows a schematic view of a leg (A) and a headrest (B) of a bed according to the invention; Fig. 13 shows a schematic view of the lower part of the bed frame according to the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the following non-limiting embodiments:

Example 1.

Construction of a hospital-rehabilitation bed according to the invention

The hospital-rehabilitation bed is shown in the figures (Fig. 1-13), in which 1 stands for bed; 2 stands for frame; 3 stands for lie-down section; 4a stands for headrest; 4b stands for footrest; 5 stands for socket; 6 stands for cradle; 7a and 7b stand for side wings; 8 stands for cradle base; 9a and 9b are cradle sides; 10a stands for cradle headrest; 10b stands for cradle footrest; 11 stands for hinges; 11' stands for hinge components; 12 stands for vertical actuator bottom mount; 13 stands for vertical actuator; 14 stands for horizontal actuator; 15 stands for movable arm; 16 stands for control module; 17 stands for wheels; 18 stands for crossbar; 19 stands for brakeable wheels; 20 stands for bolt; 21 stands for bolt reinforcement; 22 stands for holes for fixing the tops of the lie-down section; 23 stands for sleeve with flange; 24 stands for pin; 25 stands for reinforcement plate; 26 stands for base disc; 27 stands for side structural channel; 28 stands for horizontal actuator mount; 29 stands for internal part; 30 stands for side panel, and wherein a stands for the distance of the bottom of the bed frame from the floor.

The hospital-rehabilitation bed 1 (see Fig. 1-4) according to invention consist of two main elements - the frame 2 and the lie-down section 3.

Frame 2 is made of closed profiles of approximately rectangular shape (comprising lower and upper parts of frame 2) connecting the headrest 4a (Fig. 12B) and footrest 4b (Fig. 12A). In the lower part of the frame 2 of the bed 1 there is a rectangular plate on which the control module 16 and the lower mount of the actuator 12 are placed (Figs. 2 and 13).

Both the headrest 4a and the footrest 4b are constructed of two tubes connected by rectangular closed profiles and, in the upper part, by a sheet of metal forming a reinforcement of the supporting structure necessary to hold the lie-down section 3. At the lower ends of the said tubes there are base discs 26. Preferably, swivel braked wheels 19 provided with brakes are embedded below.

On both sides of the headrest 4a/footrest 4b, in the middle of its height, there are crossbars 18 made of angle bar and serving as support for wheels 17 placed on movable wings 7a, 7b of the lie-down section 3. In the central part of the headrest 4a and footrest 4b there is a socket 5 (Fig. 5, Fig. 12) constituting a point of connection of the frame 2 with the lie-down section 3. Additionally, the headrest 4a is equipped with an upper actuator mount (Fig. 12B).

Wherein, said socket 5 is a kind of half-shell welded to a rectangular reinforced plate (reinforcing plate 25), which in turn is welded to the profiles constituting the structure of the headrest 4a/footrest 4b (Fig. 12).

The lie-down section 3 (Figs. 7-8) consists of three parts, i.e. the cradle 6 and the two movable wings 7a and 7b. The cradle 6, in turn, consists of five elements: the cradle base 8, two sides 9a and 9b, the cradle headrest 10a (Fig. 9A) and the cradle footrest 10b (Fig. 9B).

Base 8 and the sides 9a and 9b of the cradle 6 are made of closed profiles welded together forming frames, wherein the base 8 is wider than the sides 9a, 9b and consists of three long and two short profiles, while the sides 9a and 9b are made of two long and two short profiles. Holes are drilled in the profiles for attaching the frames to the headrest 10a and the footrest 10b and for attaching the plywood constituting the upholstery backing. At the ends of the upper profiles of the sides 9a, 9b of the cradle 6, hinge elements 11' (Fig. 8) are welded, which together with the sleeves with flange 23 (Fig. 10A) form hinges 11 (Fig. 6). The hinges 11 are made of rectangular closed profiles in which holes have been drilled to accommodate bolts 20 connecting the cradle 6 with the wings 7a and 7b.

The headrest 10a and the footrest 10b of the cradle 6 (Fig. 9) have an approximately trapezoidal shape. In the central part of the headrest 10a and the footrest 10b, on the outer side of the cradle 6, further bolts 20 are welded as connecting points between the lie-down section 3 and the frame 2 of the bed 1. Said bolts 20 are seated in sockets 5 of the frame 2 and fixed from above with half-shells. Two half-shells are folded together and screwed together by means of two screws. Preferably, inside the socket 5 there is a Teflon friction-reducing insert.

In addition, on the headrest 10a at the height of the bolt 20 there is a pin 24 for attaching an actuator 13 which, together with the lower actuator mount 12 positioned in the lower part of the bed frame 2, provides for attaching a vertical actuator 13. Vertical actuator 13 together with a horizontal actuator 14 positioned under the cradle 6 in the upper part of the bed frame 2 and connected by a movable arm 15 to the lower part of the bed frame 2, constitutes a lie-down section drive controlled by a control module 16 (e.g. programmable electrical device containing a processor and memory) located in the lower part of the bed frame 2. Whereby, as indicated in Fig. 12, the horizontal actuator 14 attached to the bed frame 2 by a mount 28.

Wings 7a and 7b are attached to the upper edges of the cradle sides 9a, 9b. Wings 7a and 7b are constructed analogously to the cradle sides 9a and 9b. Each wing has two wheels 19 mounted on bolts 20, wherein said wheels 19 support the wings on the crossbars 18 of the frame 2 when the liedown section 3 is set in motion.

In this exemplary embodiment, the base 8 and the sides 9a, 9b of the cradle and the wings 7a and 7b are upholstered with "skaic" type material and filled with the upholstery sponge.

Furthermore, in this non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the dimensions of the bed 1 are similar to standard hospital beds for adults.

Example 2

Operating modes of a hospital-rehabilitation bed according to the invention

In this exemplary embodiment, the hospital-rehabilitation bed 1 according to the invention has two modes of operation for lateral tilting, i.e. a day mode and a night mode.

In the "day mode", the lie-down section 3 mounted in the frame 2 is controlled by the remote control, that is easy to use and may be used by both caregiver. When started, the lie-down section 3 gradually tilts from the rest position (Fig. 1) to the "side" (Fig. 2) and when it reaches a tilt of about 40 degrees, a very simple system of opening side wings 7a or 7b is activated, the purpose of which is to increase the surface of the lie-down section 3 and to create additional space for the tilting body of the patient.

After full opening of either side wing 7a or 7b, the lie-down section 3 stops the limit switch and the patient lies partially on the opened wing 7a or 7b. This position allows nursing work without the need for force. The procedure to "roll over" to the other side is the same.

In contrast, the "night mode" of lie-down section 3 is automatic, has a limited range and aims to move the patient's body so as to cause blood circulation, massage of internal organs and ventilation of the body.

All operation modes of the bed 1 according to the invention are controlled by a control module 16, comprising a computer program controlling the movements of the bed 1, a memory and a connection to a power source.

Example 3

Longitudinal movement of the lie-down section

In this advantageous example of the implementation, the bed 1 according to the invention is additionally provided with a mode of longitudinal movement of the lie-down section 3. This is a comfort option for the patient enabling an improvement in the patient's functioning during the day (e.g. facilitating the eating of meals). As in the case of lateral tilting, the longitudinal movement of the lie-down section 3 is implemented by a drive of the lie-down section 3 controlled by a control module 16 containing software controlling the operation of the actuators and, consequently, the longitudinal movements of the lie-down section 3 of the bed 1. The longitudinal movement of the liedown section 3 may be controlled by a remote control. When operating in the "longitudinal lie-down section movement" mode, the bed headrest 4a (together with mounted the lie-down section 3 and the inner lower part 29 of the frame 2 at the headrest 4a side) is gradually lifted upwards, by means of the actuators 13 and 14 and the movable arm 15, until the selected longitudinal angle of lie-down section 3 deflection, selected from values from 0 to 40°, is reached. This enables easy longitudinal movement of the patient - by pulling up. Return to the initial position of the bed 1 takes place after lowering the headrest 4a. At the same time, when the bed headrest 4a (together with the mounted lie-down section 3 and the lower inner part 29 of the frame 2 on the side of the headrest 4a) is raised, the lower inner part 29 of the frame 2 on the side of the footrest 4b swings down while maintaining the unchanged position of the footrest 4b and the side panels 30 shown in Fig. 13. For this reason, the mode of "longitudinal bed movement" requires that the distance between the bottom part of the bed frame 2 and the floor is ensured, so that the lie-down section 3 can be tilted longitudinally by an angle in the range from 0 to 40°. Whereby, in Fig. 3 the mentioned distance is marked as a, while the floor level is marked with a dashed line.

In this example of implementation, the distance a is provided by stationary bed legs equipped with brakeable wheels 19 (Fig. 2). In this non-limiting example, the diameter of the wheels is 100 mm and their thickness is 27 mm, but larger wheels can also be used. Such dimensions will ensure that the bed 1 can be moved over thresholds, cables and other obstacles. On the other hand, the distance a may also be ensured in other ways, for example by an appropriate length of the stationary legs of the bed 1.

Claims

8

Claims A hospital-rehabilitation bed consisting of a frame supported by stationary legs and a lateral tilting lie-down section set in said frame in a swinging matter, wherein the frame is made of closed profiles of approximately rectangular shape connecting the headrest and footrest of the bed, characterised in that in the central part of a headrest (4a) and footrest (4b) there is a socket (5) connecting the frame (2) of the bed with the lie-down section (3), wherein said lie-down section (3) comprises a cradle (6) connected by bolts (20) with two movable side wings (7a and 7b); wherein the cradle (6) comprises a base (8), two sides (9a and 9b), a cradle headrest (10a) and a cradle footrest (10b), whereby hinge elements (11') are fixed at the ends of the upper profiles of the sides (9a and 9b) of the cradle (6), which together with sleeves (23) positioned on the side wings (7a, 7b) form hinges (11); in the central part of the cradle headrest (10a) and of the footrest of the cradle (10b), on the outer side of the cradle (6), welded bolts (20) are located which, when inserted into sockets (5) of the frame (2), connect the lie-down section (3) with the frame (2) of the bed (1); the cradle headrest (10a) is fitted with a pin (24) positioned at the height of the bolt (20), which, together with a vertical actuator bottom mount (12) positioned in the lower part of the frame (2) of the bed (1), secures a mounting of a vertical actuator (13) which, together with a horizontal actuator (14) positioned under the cradle (6) in the upper part of the frame (2) of the bed (1) and connected by a movable arm (15) to the lower part of the frame (2) of the bed (1), constitutes a drive of the lie-down section (3) controlled by a control module (16) positioned in the lower part of the frame (2) of the bed (1); the side wings (7a and 7b) are fixed to the sides (9a and 9b) of the cradle (6), and each wing (7a, 7b) has wheels (17) mounted on bolts, wherein the upper part of the frame (2) of the bed (1) is provided with crossbars (18) for guiding the wheels (17). The bed according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower part of the bed frame (2) is distant from the floor by ("a") value. The bed according to claim 1, characterised in that the stationary legs of the bed (1) are equipped with braking wheels (19). The bed according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that a longitudinal tilt of the lie-down section (3) ranges from 0 to 40°. The bed according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a lateral tilting of the lie-down section (3) ranges from 0 to 40°. The bed according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterised in that a Teflon insert is located inside the socket (5). The bed according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the base (8) and sides (9a and 9b) of the cradle (6) and the side wings (7a and 7b) of the lie-down section (3) are upholstered with a "skaic" type material. 9 The bed according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the base (8) and sides (9a and 9b) of the cradle (6) and the side wings (7a and 7b) of the lie-down section (3) are filled with an upholstery sponge. The bed according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 8, characterised in that each wing (7a, 7b) has two wheels (17). The bed according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the lateral and/or longitudinal tilting of the lie-down section (3) is controlled by means of a remote control.