Examination assembly with improved access for the wheelchair bound patient

An examination assembly advantageous for use with wheelchair bound patients comprises a rotatable stand which receives medical equipment, an arm assembly mounted on the stand comprising a main arm connected to the stand and an auxiliary arm operatively connected to the main arm, a table which mounts at least part of the medical equipment having a table area and an underside, and an S-bracket connecting the auxiliary arm to the table such that the auxiliary arm is remote from the table. The auxiliary arm is above the table and the S-bracket comprises a mounting flange, an underside flange and a linking flange connecting the mounting flange to the underside flange. Fasteners connect the underside flange to the table.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a stand for medical equipment and more particularly to a stand which improves access to the medical equipment for wheelchair bound patients.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Medical equipment for examination of a patient sometimes comprises an examination chair, a stand which supports some of the medical equipment, and a table which supports additional medical equipment. The table is connected to the stand via a series of adjustable arms. An example would be a slit lamp biomicroscope. The slit lamp is an instrument consisting of a high-intensity light source that can be focused to shine as a slit. It is used in conjunction with a microscope. The lamp helps examination by allowing a doctor to look at the anterior segment, or frontal structures of the human eye, which includes the eyelid, sclera, conjunctiva, iris, natural crystalline lens, and cornea. The binocular slit-lamp examination provides stereoscopic magnified view of the eye structures in striking detail, enabling exact anatomical diagnoses to be made for many eye conditions. Combined with special lenses the examination of retinal structures can be accomplished in detail. While a patient is seated in the examination chair, he rests his chin and forehead on a support (chin strap) to steady the head. Using the biomicroscope, the optometrist or opthalmologist then proceeds to examine the patient's eye. The slit lamp is mounted on the table, which is in turn adjustably connected to the stand. This adjustablity allows the doctor to treat patients of varying heights and sizes.

However, known medical equipment stands have several limitations in the range of patients which can be conveniently examined, especially with respect to patients confined to a wheelchair. For example, the table is typically too wide to be placed between the arms of a standard wheelchair. Also, the arms are designed to work with an examination chair which is much higher than standard wheelchairs, and therefore cannot get low enough to examine a patient bound to a wheelchair. Moreover, the arms are attached to the table on the underside of the table near the center of the table, such that the arm partially obstructs area below the table, requiring the table to be raised to clear over a patient's legs, for example. Typically a wheelchair bound patient needs to be lifted out of his wheelchair and moved to a separate examination chair. All of this makes known medical equipment stands inconvenient for wheelchair bound patients. It would be desirable to provide a patient examination assembly which is convenient for essentially all patients, including wheelchair bound patients.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect, a patient examination assembly comprises a rotatable stand which receives medical equipment, an arm assembly mounted on the stand comprising a main arm connected to the stand and an auxiliary arm operatively connected to the main arm, a table which mounts at least part of the medical equipment having a table area and an underside, and an S-bracket connecting the auxiliary arm to the table such that the auxiliary arm is remote from the table. The auxiliary arm is above the table and the S-bracket comprises a mounting flange, an underside flange and a linking flange connecting the mounting flange to the underside flange. Fasteners connect the underside flange to the table.

From the foregoing disclosure and the following more detailed description of various preferred embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a significant advance in the technology and art of stands for medical equipment. Particularly significant in this regard is the potential the invention affords for providing a high quality, low cost, easy to use stand adapted for specialized design constraints, including wheelchair bound patients. Additional features and advantages of various preferred embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the patient examination assembly as disclosed here will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to help visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity of illustration. All references to direction and position, unless otherwise indicated, refer to the orientation illustrated in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, to those who have knowledge or experience in this area of technology, that many uses and design variations are possible for the medical equipment stand disclosed here. The following detailed discussion of various alternative and preferred features and embodiments will illustrate the general principles of the invention with reference to a stand for use with an ophthalmic slit lamp. Other embodiments suitable for other applications, such as a stand for use with an ocular blood flow analyzer will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.

Referring now to the drawings,FIG. 1shows a patient examination assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment. A stand10, preferably rotatable about a vertical axis, receives an arm assembly and other medical equipment. InFIG. 1, some of the medical equipment can comprise, for example, a control panel and storage chamber11, as well as a phoropter12, (the instrument used by optometrists and opthalmologists to measure an individual's refractive error and determine his eyeglass prescription) are mounted on the stand10. The arm assembly operatively connects the stand to an S-bracket30and comprises, for example, a main arm14which is adjustable up and down, a linking arm15, an elbow arm16which is preferably rotatable with respect to the linking arm15, and an auxiliary arm18. Additional combinations of arms can be used to operatively connect the table50and stand10. The S-bracket is attached to the auxiliary arm at a free end of the auxiliary arm18, remote from the pivot connection between the auxiliary arm18and the elbow arm16. The table50is in turn connected to the S-bracket. Additional medical equipment, here, for example, a slit lamp biomicroscope20, is mounted on the table50.

FIG. 1shows a standard wheelchair70having a gap w between its arms. This standard length is about 15.5 inches. Heretofore known slit lamp biomicroscopes could not fit between the arms of the standard wheelchair in part because the table was too wide. In accordance with a highly advantageous feature, the width52of the table50is reduced to less than the gap w between the arms of a standard wheelchair. Most preferably, the table width is about 1.5-3.5 inches less than the gap w between the arms, or 12-14 inches wide.

In accordance with another highly advantageous feature, the auxiliary arm18is positioned remote from the table50. More specifically, the table defines a table area and, as seen inFIG. 2, the auxiliary arm18is not positioned within a column defined by the volume above and especially below the table area (shown by the dashed vertical lines ofFIG. 2). Advantageously, all equipment except for the thin S-bracket is removed from the underside55of the table50. Also, as shown best inFIGS. 1 and 2, preferably the auxiliary arm is above the table (but also remote from the table). Also, a transformer80which controls power to the slit lamp may advantageously be removed from the known mounting location on an underside of the table and moved free of the underside of the table, such as to the stand10. Thus, the only component of the patient examination assembly underneath the table50now is an underside flange34of the S-bracket30, and this flange has a thin cross section.FIG. 4shows the view of the underside flange34attached to the underside55of the table50with fasteners78. This combination of improvements has the overall effect of allowing wheelchair bound patients to be examined without the need for removing them from their wheelchair. The distance between the table50and the ground or floor can be reduced from about 32 inches (without significant manual deflection of the arm assembly) to about 25 inches. This, plus the improvements in the mounting locations which clear out the space under the table allow for the existing medical equipment (slit lamp biomicroscope, etc.) to be readily used with wheelchair bound patients.

FIG. 3shows the S-bracket30and its connection to the table50in more detail. The S-bracket30has a mounting flange31, a linking flange33and an underside flange34. Preferably the mounting flange31is generally horizontal with the ground (or the floor), the linking flange33is generally vertical with the ground, and the underside flange34is generally horizontal with the ground and parallel to the underside55of the table50. This allows the S-bracket to be conveniently mounted to the auxiliary arm18and to the underside55of the table50. A mounting bracket40is preferably positioned between the auxiliary arm18and the mounting flange31of the S-bracket30. A pin44extends from the mounting bracket40and engages and opening in the auxiliary arm18. Optionally a set screw (not shown) may be provided at the auxiliary arm which engages the pin44to help secure the mounting bracket/S-bracket/table to the auxiliary arm.

FIG. 5shows one preferred embodiment where a hump45extends vertically from the mounting bracket40. The mounting flange31sits on the hump45to produce a gap between the mounting bracket and the mounting flange31of the S-bracket30as shown. Advantageously, this allows for deflection of the S-bracket with respect to the mounting bracket. This allows for some additional adjustment of the table with respect to a patient. Fasteners77may extend through openings46in the mounting bracket40and openings36in the S-bracket30. The openings may be either threaded or smooth, as desired. For example, openings46on the mounting bracket40may be threaded and openings36on the S-bracket not threaded. Also, the fasteners may preferably be screws having round heads to avoid creating rough surfaces. Optionally, lock nuts (not shown) may be provided on fasteners77.

From the foregoing disclosure and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications, additions and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.