Emergency support for stabilizing individual limbs or body parts

Emergency support for stabilization of individual limbs or body parts for transport or for performance of surgical-treatment measures, including a granulate-filled cushion (1) which is provided with a valve (2) for purposes of alternating evacuation and filling, and which allows at least partial surrounding of the limb or body part, made of two lengths of airtight flexible material which are connected on their edges, in which within the cushion interior which contains the granulate there are chokes (7) to prevent the free flow of granulate and the cushion in the middle area of its outer surface which faces away from the body after application is provided with a Velcro strip border (8) as part of a Velcro-pile connector, for fixation on a solid structure. The cushion on the inside and on the outside is provided with Velcro or pile spots (9, 10) of a Velcro-pile connector for fastening of another auxiliary element provided with a corresponding opposite border, especially a chin support and/or the filter system of a respirator.

The immobilization of an accident victim in rescue at the accident site,
 for example from a motor vehicle or in impassable terrain, and for his
 transport to the hospital is, as in the past, a problem which has not been
 satisfactorily solved. Especially in cases in which skull, nape of the
 neck or thoracic vertebral injuries must be assumed, the prevention of
 changes in position until the type of treatment has been definitively
 clarified is generally of critical importance. Various embodiments of
 so-called rescue splints are known and are in use; they are however to
 some extent very unwieldy and thus unmanageable and difficult to apply, in
 all cases for application however they require prior rescue of the injured
 party which is generally associated with major changes in his position.
 The corresponding applies to a series of surgeries in the head and neck
 area, for example, performing a tracheotomy during which a perfectly
 stable location must be ensured for a longer time with perfectly reliable
 immobilization of the neck area and head. The belt systems used for this
 purpose in operating rooms cannot adequately meet this requirement due to
 their flexibility.
 A fixed dressing for the cervical spinal column has been disclosed for
 example in DE-GM G 83 12 991; it consists of several interconnected,
 tube-like sleeves which are delineated against one another, which are
 filled with a granulate, and after application in a manner which
 essentially surrounds the head and neck area, which can be evacuated so
 that the head and neck area are embedded securely in the sleeves. This
 known fixed dressing has a series of major defects. One defect lies
 especially in the mutual delineation of the individual sleeves which on
 the one hand not only essentially hinders, but almost prevents both
 evacuation in one step with the corresponding delay of the application of
 the fixed dressing, and on the other hand also the transfer of granulate
 from one sleeve into the adjacent one and thus its adaptation to the form
 dictated by the situation. In addition, the emergency support as a result
 of the connection of the individual sleeves over its entire length
 completely surrounds the supported body part, but especially the neck area
 of the patient and thus precludes access for interventions which may be
 necessary to save life, for example, a tracheotomy. For use in emergency
 situations which on the one hand require extraordinary flexibility, prompt
 and easy handling and access to the neck area without significant loss of
 the support effect, the known sleeve thus appears unsuited and has
 therefore not been accepted in either emergency or in-patient medical
 practice.
 Accordingly the object of this invention is to devise an emergency support
 which allows simple application even under difficult ambient conditions
 and perfectly safe stabilization of the location of the supported body
 region with good access as required to sensitive areas of the body,
 especially the neck area.
 This object is achieved with an emergency support with the features given
 in claim 1.
 The invention devises an emergency support which in its totality can be
 evacuated in one step and therefore can be quickly and easily brought into
 its hard shell form, on the one hand preventing the flow of granulate from
 one area into other areas, i.e. guaranteeing high stability of shape even
 under difficult working conditions, but it being possible without major
 problems so that especially for application the adaptation to the
 necessities resulting from the respective local and personal situations is
 easily possible. The emergency support as claimed in the invention can be
 caused to assume any form and thus it can be moved into position using
 extremely small open spaces or openings and adapted to the shape of the
 body, and afterwards consolidated with this contour adapted to the shape
 of the body with a single evacuation process to form a rigid and closed
 support. Application of the support can thus be done even under difficult
 ambient conditions or in impassable terrain so that changes in position
 can be for the most part precluded from the start of rescue of the injured
 party to his in-patient admission.

FIGS. 1 to 6 show a cervical emergency support which is used for
 stabilization of the area of the head and nape of the neck of an
 individual and which includes essentially a granulate-filled cushion 1
 which is provided with a valve 2 for purposes of alternating evacuation
 and filling, made of two lengths of airtight flexible material which are
 connected on their edges. In the case of an embodiment which reproduces a
 cervical cushion the cushion is divided by means of two lateral, aligned
 notches 3, 4 into two segments 5, 6, of which segment 5 is used to
 surround the skull and the other segment 6 is used to surround the
 nape-neck area, in the area between the notches 3, 4 there being one and
 in the larger of the two segments 5 two more cross sectional narrowings
 aligned with one another in the form of dash-like welds 7 as drip
 barriers, by which the cushion is divided into several zones, in this
 exemplary case, three, between which flow of granulates is prevented. In
 this way, by the corresponding external pressure the granulate is pressed
 from one zone into the other and the shape is imparted to the cushion
 which is required for the individual case, for example, when applied in a
 space with restricted motion, and which it retains during further activity
 as a result of the prevention of free flow caused by the drip barriers at
 least essentially during the critical application phase. FIG. 2 which
 schematically shows the weld 7 clearly indicates that a narrowing of the
 flow cross section which far exceeds the length of the weld seam is
 achieved by the connection as a result of the dramatic tapering around the
 seam.
 The cushion 1--see especially FIG. 3--in the middle area of its outer
 surface which faces away from the body after application is provided with
 a Velcro strip border as part of a Velcro-pile connector, said border
 consisting of three spots in the exemplary case; the connector can then be
 used for direct fixation of the cushion 1 on a solid structure which is
 provided with a pile border or for attachment of a magnetic, adhesive PVC
 or similar adhesive film which bears the pile border; using this film it
 can be fixed on a solid structure which has a corresponding surface, for
 example an operating table or a dentist's chair. It has been found that by
 applying only one evacuatable granulate sleeve sufficient immobilization
 of the body or individual body parts cannot be achieved, rather twisting
 is possible which may be dangerous and which is undesirable in critical
 cases and which can be reliably prevented by stabilizing the cushion by
 means of a solid structure, so that only in this way is the desired
 objective of sufficient immobilization of the body achieved. In this case
 great flexibility is achieved by the possibility of attaching adhesive
 films which work in a different way such that any solid structure can be
 used which may be present, i.e. for example in an emergency an available
 metal or plastic plate or in in-patient or out-patient operation the
 existing operating table or treatment chair. This greatly expands the
 possible applications of the emergency support.
 Other adhesive spots, for example Velcro spots 9, 10, on the outside of the
 cushion 1 are used to attach (pile) tension bands 11 over the forehead,
 eye and chin part and thus to further stabilize the head in the cushion
 which surrounds it.
 Furthermore, see FIG. 1, the cushion on its inside is provided with pile
 spots 12 of a Velcro-pile connector for attachment of the chin support 14
 which bears the corresponding Velcro spot 13 of the connector and which is
 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this way it is securely incorporated into the
 overall arrangement, due to the concave arch of the chin plate 15
 rotational stabilization of the head and in conjunction with fixing the
 cushion on a solid structure its complete immobilization being achieved.
 In addition the chin support which rests against the chest area of the
 body can itself be regarded as a solid structure which in conjunction with
 the skull which acts via the chin plate 15 provides for immobilization of
 the critical cervical vertebral area or at least contributes significantly
 to its immobilization. The chin support in its area underneath the chin
 plate 15 is provided with a window 16 through which diagnostic or first
 aid measures which may be necessary in the neck area, therefore for
 example feeling the carotid pulse, for performing a tracheotomy or the
 like, can be undertaken.
 The (Velcro) adhesive spot 9 or a correspondingly separate adhesive spot is
 furthermore used--see FIG. 7 and 8--for fixing the filter system 17 of a
 respirator, for which purpose there is a pile band 19 which is provided
 with a head cushion 18 and on which surface facing away from the head
 cushion two pile bands 20, 21 are sewn permanently on one side in the
 exemplary case; a Velcro spot 22 is attached to fix the bands on the
 opposite side. To attach the filter first of all the pile band 19 which
 bears the head cushion 18 is stretched over the head and fixed on the
 spots 9 of the cushion 1 and afterwards the parts of the filter device are
 attached by means of the bands 20, 21 by fixation against the Velcro spot
 22.
 The emergency support shown in FIG. 9 is used to stabilize the thoracic and
 lumbar vertebral area and consists of a cushion 26 with an essentially
 cruciform outline which is divided into fields 28 by quilting or weld
 seams 27 in the manner of a quilt and is provided with side clips 29 which
 bear on their two surfaces on alternating sides Velcro and pile spots of a
 Velcro-pile connector. Otherwise it has one border (not shown) which
 corresponds to the spots 8 for fixation on a solid structure which--see
 FIG. 10--can be formed for example by a plastic, preferably Kevlar-Aramid,
 rescue plate 32 or stretcher which is coated with a velvet border 31 and
 on which there are strands of a six-point belt 33 with a length which
 makes it possible to surround the cushion including the supported patient,
 furthermore carrying straps 34 and an eye 35 for hooking a crane hook. On
 the rescue plate 32 there is furthermore an essentially T-shaped or double
 T-shaped pelvic cloth which can be pulled forward for rescue and transport
 from underneath through the crotch of the patient and can be fixed there
 together with the belts 33.
 One modification of the embodiment of a rescue device shown in FIGS. 9 and
 10 is shown in FIG. 11. In this case the essentially cruciform thoracic
 support and the rescue plate are provided with covers 41, 43 which bear
 the pile or Velcro border and which are connected or can be connected to
 one another, the cover 41 which surrounds the cruciform thoracic support
 bearing the side clips 29 which bear on their two surfaces on alternating
 sides Velcro and pile spots of a Velcro-pile connector, while the cover 43
 which surrounds the rescue plate has openings for passage of the belts 33,
 the carrying loops 34, the crane eye 35 and the pelvic cloth 36. The belts
 preferably end in a central lock 37.
 FIG. 12 shows in its totality the rescue device which allows perfect
 immobilization of an injured individual and his largely risk-free rescue
 itself using a mechanical rescue device, for example, an available shop or
 motor vehicle crane with hooks which are suspended in the crane eye 35,
 whereupon the patient who has been stabilized on the rescue plate by means
 of the cervical and the thoracic emergency supports 1, 26 which are fixed
 thereon, with chin support 14 and tension clips 29 and 42 in conjunction
 with the pelvic cloth 36 and the six-point belt, can be lifted
 mechanically even from a difficult position without the need to fear
 twisting or especially movement in the area of the spinal column.
 In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the solid structure is
 formed by a plate 52 which is integrated in a motor vehicle seat 51, the
 plate 52 which is made for example of Kevlar-Aramid or glass fiber
 material on the one hand having a form which corresponds to the seat
 economy, furthermore provided with the cushioning 54 which is conventional
 in seats and with rescue belts 53 which are housed in the conventional
 position of seat use at a site suitable for this purpose, i.e. a site
 which does not adversely affect sitting comfort, for example in cavities
 (hidden) which are provided especially for this purpose in the cushioning
 54 of the rescue plate 52 or in the motor vehicle seat 51. In this case
 rescue of an individual from a wrecked motor vehicle becomes extremely
 simple and essentially without changing the position of the (injured)
 individual in such a way that first of all the individual is fixed against
 the plate 52 by means of the rescue belts which are cut out of the
 cushioning, afterwards the safety belt which is conventional in motor
 vehicle and which holds the individual securely on the motor vehicle seat
 is cut at any accessible location and the connection which holds the
 rescue plate 52 on the seat 51 is released and the rescue plate 51
 together with the individual fixed thereon are lifted out of the vehicle.
 Instead of a sandwich-like connection of the rescue plate to the motor
 vehicle seat, in the manner shown schematically in FIG. 14, the seat shell
 55 itself is used as the solid structure of the rescue system and in the
 manner described using FIG. 13 it can be equipped with a separate rescue
 belt, at which location however the safety belts installed permanently in
 the motor vehicle can be made useful, such that the seat shell 55 or the
 plate 56 connected to it have slits 57, 58 for passage of the belts 59
 which are provided, on the side of the seat 55 away from the user or the
 plate 56, with fittings 60 which make it possible to fix the ends of the
 belt on the motor vehicle seat or the plate or to connect them to one
 another. In this case, in a rescue situation it is simply necessary to cut
 the belt guided through the slit between the attachment fittings and their
 attachment site in the motor vehicle, with the fittings 60 to hang the
 belt in corresponding receivers attached to the motor vehicle seat--not
 visible--and to re-tension the belt by means of the tensioning means which
 is integrated generally in the front belt lock in order to release the
 injured individual cramped in the motor vehicle and to fix him immovably
 on the solid structure--the motor vehicle seat or plate. To further
 simplify the rescue activities, in the cases in which the seat is used as
 the solid structure of the rescue system the seat is feasibly attached to
 the motor vehicle floor by means of quick-action closures.
 Accordingly, rescue takes place, optionally after opening the roof, see
 FIGS. 15 and 16, with the aid of a lifting frame 63 which has a block 62,
 which is seated on the vehicle or traverses it, by means of a tackle line
 64 which is hung in the seat.