Device for allowing a person to be connected to and walk with various medical equipment

The present invention is generally a device for allowing a person to be connected to and walk with various medical equipment (such as an intravenous bag, control system, intravenous hoses and wire). In one embodiment, the device comprises a base member having a plurality of wheels for allowing the device to roll upon a floor. The device further comprises a lower pole member engaged with and extending upward from the base member. The device further comprises an upper pole member and a medical system (such as a intravenous bag, control system, intravenous hose and wires) engaged with and extending outward from the upper pole member and adapted to be connected to the patient. The device further comprises a coupling member engaged with the lower and upper pole members and allowing rotation in either direction and independently of the lower pole member with respect to the upper pole member and/or to allow the upper pole member to remain stationary when the upper pole member is held by the hand by patient. With the device of the present invention, a person may be connected to medical equipment (such as an intravenous bag, control system, intravenous hose and/or wires) and walk and currently push or pull the upper member of the device without the medical equipment (for example, an intravenous bag, control system, intravenous hose and/or wires) becoming entangled with and/or wrapped round the person and/or the device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to medical devices. More 
particularly, the present invention relates to devices for allowing a 
person to be connected to and walk with various medical equipment such as 
an intravenous bag and lines. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
IV poles are well known devices used to allow a person to be connected to 
and walk with an intravenous bag, control system and intravenous lines. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,191 discloses one such IV pole. Conventional devices 
of type exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5.125,191 have at least one 
significant drawback. When the device is connected to a person and is 
moved along the floor with the person, the intravenous lines often become 
entangled with and/or wrap around the device and/or person thereby 
potentially causing harm to the person (for example from a needle pulling 
out of the person's vein) and/or forcing the person to stop walking and 
correct the problem and/or require assistance from medical personnel. 
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device that 
allows a person to be connected to and walk with various medical equipment 
such as an intravenous bag, control system, and lines without the medical 
equipment itself preventing the person from walking and/or hurting the 
person. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is generally a device for allowing a person to be 
connected to and walk with various medical equipment such as an 
intravenous bag, control system, and lines. In one embodiment, the device 
comprises a base member having a plurality of wheels for allowing the 
device to roll upon a floor. The device further comprises a lower pole 
member engaged with and extending upward from the base member. The device 
further comprises an upper pole member exending upward. The device further 
comprises a medical system (such as a intravenous bag, control system, 
intravenous hose and wires) engaged with and extending outward from the 
upper pole member and adapted to be connected to the patient. The device 
further comprises a coupling member engaged with the lower and upper pole 
members and allowing rotation in either direction and independently of the 
lower pole member with respect to the upper pole member and/or to allow 
the upper pole member to remain stationary when the upper pole member is 
held by the hand by patient. With the device of the present invention, a 
person may be connected to medical equipment (such as an intravenous bag, 
control system, intravenous hose and/or wires) and walk and concurrently 
push or pull the upper member of the device without the medical equipment 
(for example, an intravenous bag, control system, intravenous hose and/or 
wires) becoming entangled with and/or wrapped round the person and/or the 
device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1 where the present invention is as a device 10 which as 
will be described more fully herein is adapted to allow a person to be 
connected to and comfortably walk with various medical equipment (such as 
an intravenous bag, control system, intravenous hoses and wires). In one 
embodiment the device 10 generally comprises a base member 12 having a 
plurality of caster wheels 14. The device 10 further comprises a lower 
member 16 having first and second ends 18 and 20. The first end 18 is 
engaged with and extending upward from the base member 12. The device 10 
further comprises an upper member 22 having first and second ends 24 and 
26. The device 10 further comprises a medical system 28 engaged with the 
upper member 22. The medical system 28 may consist of various medical 
equipment such as an intravenous bag 30, control unit 32 and intravenous 
lines 34 and/or wires (not shown). The device 10 further comprises a 
coupling member 36 which rotatably connects the upper member 22 to the 
lower member 16. 
Referring to FIG. 2, wherein the coupling member 36 generally comprises a 
lower housing 38 secureably fastened with the second end 20 of the lower 
member 16 by conventional fastening means such as bolts 40 and nuts 41. 
The coupling member 36 further comprises an upper housing 42 secureably 
fastened with the first end 24 of the upper member 22 by conventional 
fastening means such as bolts 44 and nuts 45. The upper housing 42 
comprises a second end 46, a cavity 48, and a bearing assembly 58 disposed 
and retained within the cavity 48 by conventional fastening means such as 
a retainer ring(s) 52. The lower housing 38 further comprises a first end 
54, a cavity 56, and a bearing assembly 50 disposed and retained within 
the cavity 56 by conventional fastening means such as a retainer ring(s) 
60. The coupling member 36 further comprises an interconnect member 62 
such as an elongated shaft having a first end 64 and a second end 66, and 
a median portion 67 having flanges 71 and 75 extending outward therefrom. 
Rotatable engagement of the bearing assembly 50 with the first end 64 of 
the interconnect member 62 is provided by the first end 64 being securely 
engaged with one side of the bearing assembly 50 by conventional fastening 
means such as of a cap or flange 68 and a bolt 70 connected to the first 
end 64 and the opposite side of the bearing assembly 50 being engaged with 
the flange 71 of the interconnect member 62. Rotatable engagement of the 
bearing assembly 58 with the second end 66 of the interconnect member 62 
is provided by the second end 66 being securely engaged with one side of 
the bearing assembly 58 by conventional fastening means such as of a cap 
or flange 72 and a bolt 74 connected to the second end 66 and the opposite 
side of the bearing assembly 58 being engaged with the flange 75 of the 
interconnect member 62. 
The upper housing 42 and therefore the upper member 22 is rotatable about 
the interconnect member 62. Likewise, lower housing 38 and therefore the 
lower member 16 is rotatable about the interconnect member 62. The device 
10 of the present invention will alleviate all problems associated with 
tangling of hoses or wrap around of hoses which are attached to the 
patient. Use of conventional devices while the patient walks around causes 
wrap around of hoses or tubes around the pole and/or patient or to become 
otherwise entangled. As such, with conventional devices a patient can only 
walk a short distance before the hoses become tangled. Thereafter, the 
patient would have to stop and unwrap the tangled hoses and/or wires then 
begin walking again. Conventional devices also have four (4) or five (5) 
casters on the base which turn and role causing wrap around of the hoses 
about the middle and/or upper portions of the pole. With the present 
invention, these problems are eliminated in that rotation of the upper 
housing 42 and therefore the upper member 22 and/or rotation of the lower 
housing 38 and therefore the lower member 16 about the interconnect member 
62 will prevent and/or significantly reduce the ability of a hose (s) to 
wrap around the pole as he or she walks and/or as the caster wheels move 
and/or rotate the device. 
The device 10 may further comprise support blocks 80 and 82 disposed within 
the second end 20 of the lower member 16 and the first end 24 of the upper 
member 22, respectively, so that upon engagement of bolts 40, 44 and nuts 
41 and 45, a secure connection is achieved without deformation of the 
second end 20 of the lower member 16 and the first end 24 of the upper 
member 22. 
The foregoing description is intended primarily for purposes of 
illustration. This invention may be embodied in other forms or carried out 
in other ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. 
Modifications and variations still falling within the spirit or the scope 
of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art.