Abstract:
A bariatric bed having extensible side portions and extensible end portions which facilitate an expansion of the overall width and length of the bed to comfortably support an obese patient, the side portions capable of being retracted to reduce the overall width of the bed to fit through a standard hospital door opening, the bed including a plurality of load cells which transmit a signal to a weigh scale to provide a readout of the weight of the patient.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/436,555, filed Dec. 26, 2002. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a patient management system and more particularly to a bariatric patient management system having extensible side portions and extensible end portions which expand the width and length of the system to facilitate supporting an obese patient.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A growing number of people are becoming obese to the point bariatric surgery becomes necessary for the patient to lose weight and avoid a life of obesity. While the trend toward obesity concerns health experts throughout the world, obesity is being treated by bariatric surgery. Such surgery procedure involves the sealing off of eighty-five percent (85%) of the patient&#39;s stomach. In such procedures, it is necessary to support the patient during the surgical procedure and transport the patient before and after the surgical procedure and during convalescence.  
         [0004]     Bariatrics is typically defined as the branch of medicine concerned with the management of obesity and allied diseases. The above referred example of bariatric surgery is only one of the examples of an instance where it becomes necessary to support persons of considerable weight. It has been found necessary to deal with persons weighing up to and exceeding one thousand pounds.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it has become necessary to develop beds, stretchers, chairs, and/or tables capable of supporting the weight of persons weighing up to and exceeding one thousand pounds.  
         [0006]     Typically, a standard hospital bed can be adjusted to control both mattress contour and height above the floor. The standard hospital bed is rated for approximately 350 pounds of weight. When it is necessary for the hospital bed to be moved, it is transported by rolling on casters. The standard hospital bed is typically 39inches wide so as to fit through a standard hospital door.  
         [0007]     The bariatric bed must have the capabilities of the standard hospital bed. That is, the bariatric bed is capable of adjusting the contours of the mattress and raising or lowering the elevation of the mattress above the floor. However, the bariatric bed is typically wider than the standard hospital bed, thus restricting the mobility of the bariatric bed within the hospital. The bariatric bed can be as wide as 60-inches, thus being much wider than the standard hospital door.  
         [0008]     It would be desirable to produce a bariatric bed which combines a full array of functions including: flat, seated, reclining, and trendelenburg positions for patient transfer, transportation, examination, treatment, surgery, procedural, and cardiac chair position, and wherein the mobility of the bariatric bed is maximized.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     Consistent and consonant with the present invention, a bariatric bed which combines a full array of functions including: flat, seated, reclining, and trendelenburg positions for patient transfer, transportation, examination, treatment, surgery, procedural, and cardiac chair position, and wherein the mobility of the bariatric bed is maximized, has surprisingly been discovered.  
         [0010]     The bariatric patient support system comprises: a body supporting main frame having a mattress supporting surface, the main frame including at least one of an extensible side pull out extension and an extensible end pull out extension to increase an area of the mattress supporting surface; a plurality of ground engaging wheels disposed on the mainframe to facilitate a transporting of the bariatric patient management system; and a plurality of actuators to effect a change in a contour of the mattress supporting surface of the main frame.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The above, as well as other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a bariatric patient management system for supporting a bariatric patient in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the bariatric patient management system illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and showing a trapeze suspended from a boom assembly;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the bariatric patient management system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a partial exploded perspective view of the bariatric patient management system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a partial exploded perspective view of the bariatric patient management system illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3  showing the boom assembly for the bariatric bed;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of the bariatric patient management system illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 , and  4  showing a pull out extension;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a partial exploded perspective view of a load cell and wheel assembly for the bariatric patient management system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the load cell and wheel assembly illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown generally at  10  a top perspective view of a bariatric patient management system or bed in accordance with the present invention. The bariatric patient management system  10  includes a body supporting main frame  12 , a headboard  14 , a footboard  16 , and ground engaging wheels or casters  18  for supporting a patient, as clearly illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 , and  4 .  
         [0021]     The main frame  12  can be of solid or split construction and includes a backrest section  20 , a middle section  22 , a leg section  24 , and a foot section  26  disposed thereon. The backrest section  20 , the middle section  22 , the leg section  24 , and the foot section  26  cooperate to form a mattress supporting surface  27  for the bariatric patient management system  10 . The backrest section  20  includes a pair of backrest panels  28 . A substantially planar surface is formed by the backrest panels  28 . In the position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the backrest panels  28  are parallel with a supporting surface  30  such as a floor, for example. Each of the middle section  22 , the leg section  24 , and the foot section  26  includes at least one respective middle panel  32 , leg panel  34 , and foot panel  36 .  
         [0022]     Both a first side and a second side of each of the backrest section  20 , the middle section  22 , the leg section  24 , and the foot section  26  include an extensible side pull out extension  38 . In the embodiment shown, the side pull out extension  38  telescopes outwardly.  FIG. 6  shows a partial perspective view of the side pull out extension  38 . A plurality of locking apertures  40  are disposed in the side pull out extension  38 . A spring loaded locking pin  42  is disposed on the respective sections  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and cooperates with the apertures  40  to lock the side pull out extension  38  in a desired position. Other locking means may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. An extensible end pull out extension  44  is provided at an end of the main frame  12  adjacent the foot section  26 . As illustrated in the drawings, the end pull out extension  44  telescopes outwardly. Referring to  FIG. 3 , a plurality of locking apertures  46  are show which are disposed in the end pull out extension  44 . A spring loaded locking pin  48  is disposed on the main frame  12  and cooperates with the apertures  46  to lock the end pull out extension  44  in a desired position, clearly shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . Other locking means may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. An extensible end pull out extension  44  can also be provided at an end of the main frame  12  adjacent the backrest section  20 .  
         [0023]     A trapeze base frame  50  is disposed on an end of the main frame  12  adjacent the backrest section  20 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , outwardly extending arms  52  of the trapeze base frame  50  are received adjacent the main frame  12  and fastened thereto by any conventional fastening method such as threaded fasteners, for example. The trapeze base frame  50  and the arms  52  cooperate to facilitate a two-point mounting configuration. Common four-point mounting configurations require two additional mounting columns which obstruct access to the bariatric patient management system  10 . A trapeze boom  54  is pivotally received on the trapeze base frame  50 . A spring loaded locking pin  56  cooperates with apertures  58  formed in the trapeze base frame  50  to lock the trapeze boom  54  in a desired position. A trapeze bar assembly  60  depends from the trapeze boom  54 .  
         [0024]     Referring now to  FIG. 2  and  3 , there is shown a plurality of actuators  62 . Each of the actuators  62  includes an actuator arm  64  which is operatively engaged with a linkage member  66 . The linkage member  66  operatively links the actuator arm  64  with a respective one of the backrest section  20 , the leg section  24 , the foot section  26 , and the main frame  12  to cause an inclination of the respective one of the backrest section  20 , the leg section  24 , the foot section  26 , and the main frame  12  upon actuation of the actuator arm  64 . A controller  67  is provided to control actuation of the actuators  62 . The actuators  62  can be a push type actuator, a pull type actuator, or a push/pull type actuator as desired. In the embodiment shown, the actuators  62  are push/pull type actuators. It is understood that electrical actuators, hydraulic actuators, a combination thereof, or other actuators can be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 1-4  show a pair of side rails  68  adjustably connected to each side of the main frame  12  adjacent the backrest section  20  for the safety of the patient. The side rails  68  can be place in multiple positions. To facilitate transport, the side rails  68  can be dropped down into the main frame  12  to facilitate a width of 39 inches to fit through a standard 42-inch door. An ingress/egress bar  70  is pivotally mounted to each side of the main frame  12  adjacent the foot section  26  to assist with ingress and egress of the patient for the bariatric patient management system  10 .  
         [0026]     A load cell  72  is connected to each of the wheels  18  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 7  shows a partial exploded perspective view and  FIG. 8  shows a side elevational view of the load cell  72  and the wheel  18 . A cross member  74  is connected to the main frame  12 . The load cell  72  is disposed in the cross member  74  and the wheel  18  is connected to the load cell  72  by any conventional fastening method such as threaded fasteners, for example. Thus, the load of the bariatric patient management system  10  is transmitted through the load cell  72 . The load cell  72  is electrically connected to a weight display unit  76 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , such that a weight signal sent from the load cell  72  to the weight display unit  76  can be shown.  
         [0027]     In operation, the bariatric patient management system  10  can be configured in a plurality of positions. The actuators  62  can be used to raise and lower the backrest section  20 , the leg section  24 , the foot section  26 , or any combination thereof. Additionally, the bariatric patient management system  10  height can be raised or lowered. A trendelenburg position and a reverse trendelenburg position are also facilitated by operation of the actuators  62 . The bariatric patient management system  10  can be configured as a chair to place the patient in a seated position.  
         [0028]     The trapeze boom  54  is pivotally received on the trapeze base frame  50 . Thus, during patient evaluation or ingress/egress, the trapeze boom  54  can be pivoted to the side to a position as desired. The spring loaded locking pin  56  cooperates with the apertures  58  to lock the trapeze boom  54  in the desired position.  
         [0029]     Use of the side pull out extensions  38  facilitates a widening and narrowing of the mattress supporting surface  27  of the bariatric patient management system  10 . Use of the end pull out extension  44  facilitates a lengthening and shortening of the mattress supporting surface  27  of the bariatric patient management system  10 . The ability to change the length and width of the bariatric patient management system  10  facilitates a larger patient, thus maximizing the comfort of the patient. The ability to change the length and width of the bariatric patient management system  10  also facilitates transport of the bariatric patient management system  10  as desired. During times of emergency or evacuation, health care providers may not have the time necessary to transfer a patient to a wheel chair or other transporting device. By providing a quick and easy adjustment method, safety and flexibility of transport are maximized.  
         [0030]     The bariatric patient Management system  10  can also be provided with an optional 24-volt electric powered drive wheel (not shown) disposed on at least one of the wheels  18  to assist the health care provider during transport of the patient. Other features provided include special openings provided in the headboard  14  and the footboard  16  to mount patient various devices such as the display unit  76 , for example. A CPR quick release backrest (not shown) with a cable release backrest adjacent the foot section  26  is also provided. A safety battery back up (not shown) can be used to raise or lower a desired section of the bed and/or the bed height in an emergency.  
         [0031]     From the foregoing description, one ordinarily skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.