Head immobilization device

A head immobilization device for an accident patient and a manufacturing blank of sheet material, such as cardboard, for making such a device are described. The manufacturing blank is H-shaped and provided with fold lines. The blank is folded to form the head immobilization device with a pair of triangular cylinders which extend longitudinally upward from the top surface of a head support center section on opposite sides of such section to prevent lateral movement of the head. The head immobilization device is provided with adhesive tape on the bottom surface of the center section to attach such device to a flat support such as a back-board. Ear hole slots are provided in the inner sides of the triangular cylinders to enable examination of the ears. The sides of the triangular cylinders are releasably fastened by hook and loop fasteners.

The present invention relates to a head immobilization device, hereafter 
referred to as Headlock.TM., and a manufacturing blank for making such 
device. 
Headlock is a head immobilization device for emergency medical rescuers and 
other medical personnel to use on patients involved in the event of a 
suspected cervical spine injury. Headlock functions as a better means of 
protection against further harm to a patient's cervical spine. This 
invention is used in coordination with other standard medical equipment 
such as a back-board and a cervical collar to control a patients cervical 
spine. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Head restraints are products that are intended to assist in limiting the 
movement of a patient's head and neck after an accident in which said 
patient's spine and/or head has been or may be injured. Head restraints 
are both disposable or re-usable, depending on each independent product. 
Disadvantages of a nondisposable head restraint are high cost and frequent 
replacement due to loss or damage. The disadvantages of the disposable 
cardboard head restraint used at this time are inefficiency of adequate 
head immobilization. The tape for taping the head restraint to a back 
board, that also comes with other cardboard head restraints, is difficult 
to keep from becoming twisted and stuck to gloved hands during application 
to the patient. Application of other head restraints has been obviously 
confusing to many Emergency Medical Technicians, thus wasting valued time 
to patient's welfare. 
The Headlock head restraint of the present invention is superior in 
immobilizing the patient's head compared to other cardboard restraints. 
Common sense methods in application make the Headlock a more desirable 
choice for restraining a patient's head and spine (cervical region). The 
design of the H-shape manufacturing blank sheet enables it to be folded to 
form triangular cylinders extending upward on either side of the patient's 
head which considerably reduces lateral head movement. The simplicity of 
being able to examine ears, with the incorporation of ear slots on the 
sides of the triangular cylinders is a great benefit. Simplicity with 
superior immobilization makes the Headlock much more desirable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Material used for Headlock include: H-shaped rigid sheet material 1, such 
as two hundred pound weather resistant cardboard, one side white and the 
other side brown, with head support sheet center section 5 and side strips 
6 and 7. One inch wide tape 2 on outer sides wrapped around edge with 3m 
brand. Ear slots 3 sealed with RTV silicone rubber with 3m brand. Brown 
wax paper 4 one inch wide slipped through one inch slots on head area 
(cross section) used to cover two sided tape 8. This two sided tape is to 
be exposed when Headlock is used on a flat surface, such as a back board, 
for application to a patient. To produce a Headlock head immobilization 
device a 24".times.141/2" manufacturing blank of rigid sheet material, 
such as weather resistant 200# cardboard, is required. This cardboard 
blank is white on one side and brown on the reverse side. Headlock blank 
is cut into the shape of an H including a head support sheet center 
section 5 upon which lies a head 21 of the patient. This shape does show 
the center cross-section of the H closer to one end. This head support 
section 5 is 7" long for small people, 71/2" long for the adult, and 8" 
long for the large size people. This head support section of the H is 
51/2" wide for the small person, 6" wide for the adult, and 61/2" wide for 
the large size people. On the backside of this center section 5 are two 
strips of foam tape 8 approximately 2" long by 1" wide. This foam tape 8 
is positioned 1" down from the upper edge of the center section and runs 
parallel to the side flaps of this H-shape. On this foam tape is 1" 
two-sided adhesive with wax paper protection. This adhesive covers the 
foam tape completely, the wax paper covers the adhesive completely and 
then continues on approximately 3" long to make a tail 4. This tail 4 of 
wax paper is slid through 11/4" slots located approximately five eights of 
an inch down from the top edge on the center section 5. The purpose for 
these wax paper tails 4 are for easy application of the Headlock to 
desired flat surfaces such as a wooden back-board 20. Once these wax paper 
tails are pulled free, the two-sided adhesive tape 8 is exposed for use. 
Connected to the head support section 5 of the Headlock are a pair of 4" 
wide side strips that are the sides of the H-shape. These vertical sides 
are exactly the same length, each being 24" long. These side strips 
include first end portions 6 and 7 which run from end to center section 
10" for small people, and 111/2" for both the adult and the large size. 
This first end strip 6 is equal in length exactly to the first strip 7 on 
opposite side of the H-shape. At the end of this first end strip is a 
fastener device 9, such as a 1" wide by 2" long piece of "hook and loop" 
Velcro.TM. fastener, being only the hook material located at this section. 
This hook piece 9 is secured by its own adhesive to the cardboard end 
strips 6 and 7 horizontally approximately 1" from edge and centered 
between sides equally. This end of strip is scored at fold line 13 for 
folding two and five eights of an inch up. At the other end of the H are a 
pair of second end strips 10 and 11 that are 5" long on the adult and 
large sizes and 41/2" long on the small size extending from the center 
section 5. These two end strips 10 and 11 are exactly the same length. At 
the ends of the second end strips are the two loop pieces 12 of the hook 
and loop material. The loop material here is approximately 1" from the 
edge and runs horizontally 2" long. These loop pieces 12 are on the back 
(brown) side of the cardboard. Weather resistant tape 2 is wrapped around 
the outer edges of the side strips of the H-shaped sheet 1 along its full 
length of 24", with exception of ear holes 3 incorporated on the outer 
edge of the middle portions 14 and 15 of the side strips. These ear slots 
3 are moon shaped and are located at the outer edge of the middle side 
strips 14, 15. Silicone is used to seal the edge of the ear slots from wet 
weather and other fluids. 
To use the Headlock, fold the middle side strips 14 and 15 of the H up 
where score lines 16 are present at a location where the middle side 
strips meet center section 5. Fold the scored ends on the first end long 
strips 6 and 7 with the hook material 9 forcefully over along fold lines 
16. Then bend the end strips 6 and 7 out along fold lines 17 and the 
second end strips 10 and 11 out along fold lines 18 and continue to bend 
the long side strips 6 and 7 to meet the short side strips 10 and 11 with 
the loop material 12. Once the hook material 9 and loop material 12 meet, 
the side of this H-shape will have formed a triangular cylinder. This 
results in a pair of triangular cylinders 19 on opposite sides of the 
center section 5. The triangular cylinders 19 will stand 4" high on both 
sides of center section 5 and extend longitudinally upward and 
substantially perpendicular to the top of such center section. The 
triangular cylinders are spaced apart by a spacing fixed distance 
substantially the same as of the maximum width of the patient's head for 
providing lateral support to prevent lateral movement of the head and 
thereby will act as security for the patient's head. The wax paper tails 4 
should be pulled when the Headlock is ready for securing to a flat, firm 
surface, such as a wooden back-board 20, upon which the patient lies as 
shown in FIG. 1-B(4). Thus, the patient's head 21 lies on the center 
section 5 of the Headlock and is immobilized by tape extending over the 
forehead and/or chin of the patient to the back-board in a conventional 
manner (not shown). In addition, a cervical collar 22 may be fastened to 
the neck of the patient beneath the chin to further immobilize the head.