Abstract:
The training headwall is a self-contained unit that delivers air and vacuum to medical gas outlets. Each training headwall contains a minimum of two motors, one a compressor to provide simulated gas flow, and the other a vacuum pump to provide a vacuum run off of electricity supplied from a standard electrical outlet. Because the training headwalls are not used on actual patients there is no need to deliver actual medical gases. Instead, the compressor pumps air to medical gas outlets that are labeled as desired, and may be attached to the appropriate secondary medical equipment, while the vacuum delivers a vacuum to the appropriately labeled gas outlet. Students may use the training headwall to practice patient care procedures.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to headwall units used for training nurses and other persons involved in patient care. Headwall units are typically located in patient care rooms in hospitals, nursing homes, and the like. 
         [0004]    A variety of headwalls exist in the prior art, as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,753,055, 4,338,485, and 3,462,892. Each of the headwalls described in these patents is a fully functioning headwall designed for use with actual patients in a patient care room. A typical headwall is placed near a patient&#39;s bed, and contains light, electricity, and medical gas outlets. These medical gas outlets may provide a variety of gases, including oxygen, nitrous oxide, or air, and may also provide a vacuum outlet. Secondary equipment may be attached to the vacuum or gas outlets in the headwall for use in patient care. If a patient needs vacuum or a particular gas the patient care provider simply removes the cover of the appropriate medical gas outlet, and attaches the needed secondary equipment, such as, a vacuum regulator, or a flow meter, to the outlet 
         [0005]    The gases arrive at each patient&#39;s headwall via pipes that are attached to central compressors, and the vacuum arrives at each headwall via pipes that are attached to a central pump. The compressors and pumps are typically located remotely from the patients&#39; beds, frequently in the basement. 
         [0006]    When health care providers are being trained in patient care they need to practice manipulating headwalls, medical gas outlets, and secondary medical equipment so that they will be able to respond appropriately when providing care to actual patients. The current invention describes training headwalls that are not used with actual patients, and therefore are not attached to central compressors or pumps. Instead, the training headwalls contain a small vacuum pump and compressor to simulate gas flow through medical gas outlets. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In order to provide flexibility, mobility, and to decrease costs, each training headwall is a self-contained unit that delivers air and vacuum to medical gas outlets. Each training headwall can be designed to meet the specifications of the training facility and may come in a variety of sizes and shapes with a variety of lighting, electrical, and other patient care options. Each training headwall contains a minimum of two relatively small motors, one a compressor to provide simulated gas flow, and the other a pump to provide a vacuum. The motors are run by electricity supplied from a standard electrical cord and outlet. Because the training headwalls are not used on actual patients, there is no need to deliver a vacuum, oxygen, nitrous oxide or other gases to the medical gas outlets. Instead, the motors deliver air or vacuum to medical gas outlets that are labeled as desired. 
         [0008]    The vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum outlet in the headwall. The patient care trainee can practice manipulating the medical gas outlets, attaching secondary medical equipment to the outlets, and experience the flow of gas or vacuum through the training headwall. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front view of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front view of some of the internal components of the invention connected to an external console panel. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The current art contains many different kinds of headwalls. There are vertical and horizontal headwalls, half-wall, single or multiple section headwalls, recessed, ceiling mounted, or the headwalls that contain cabinets. The present invention may come in any of these combinations or configurations. The training headwalls may also contain a variety of options, either standard or as requested by the training facility. For example, the training headwall may contain vertical equipment tracks, track accessories, nurse call systems, equipotential grounding systems, bed bumpers, monitor support, isolated power, emergency electrical receptacles, normal electrical receptacles, or any other headwall option as requested by the training facility. 
         [0013]    In each configuration, the training headwall contains a cabinet  42  to which two motors are securely attached. At least one motor is a pump  14 , and at least one motor is a compressor  12 . The power of compressor  12  may be varied to correspond to the number of medical gas outlets attached.  FIG. 1  shows two medical gas outlets,  16  and  18 , while  FIG. 3  shows three medical gas outlets,  16 ,  17  and  18 , attached to compressor  12 . However, any number of medical gas outlets may be attached to compressor  12 , depending on the training needs and the power output of compressor  12 . 
         [0014]    The inventors currently prefer a compressor capable of delivering  50  psi, which allows multiple gas outlets  16 ,  17  and  18 . Likewise, the power of vacuum pump  14  may vary depending on the number of vacuum medical gas outlets  20  connected to pump  14 . The inventors currently prefer using a pump capable of providing 24 inches Hg maximum vacuum, which allows multiple vacuum outlets. Different pump and compressor capacities may be used as needed to increase or decrease the number of medical gas outlets in the training headwall. Additional motors may also be used, if desired by the training facility. 
         [0015]    The motors  12  and  14  are attached to cabinet  42  of training headwall  10  in any convenient position, by any means capable of securely holding the motors in position. Air compressor  12  is connected to one or more medical gas outlets  16 ,  17  and  18  by piping or tubing  22  and  24  that provides an airtight connection between air compressor  12  and medical gas outlets  16 ,  17  and  18 . Vacuum pump  14  is connected to one or more medical gas outlets  20  by piping or tubing  22  and  24  that provides an air-tight connection between pump  14  and medical gas outlets  20 . The inventors currently prefer using brazed connections, but any method of providing a secure, air-tight connection between the motors, tubing and medical gas outlets may be used. There are many different types of tubing or pipes that can be used to connect compressor  12  to the medical gas outlets  16 ,  17  and  18 . The connection may be made using flexible tubing only, rigid tubing only, or some combination of flexible and rigid tubing. 
         [0016]    The inventors currently prefer, for spacing reasons, to connect compressor  12  to flexible tubing  22 . Flexible tubing  22  is securely connected to rigid tube  24 .  As shown in  FIG. 1 , the relative locations of compressor  12  and rigid tube  24  are such that using only rigid pipes would require several joints, while using flexible tubing  22  allows for a joint-free connection between compressor  12  and rigid tube  24 . 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , rigid tube  24 , through a T connection, splits into two rigid tubes,  24   a  and  24   b . Tube  24   a  is securely connected to medical gas outlet  16  and tube  24   b  is securely connected to medical gas outlet  18 . Medical gas outlets  16 ,  17  and  18  may be labeled “air”, “oxygen”, “nitrous oxide” or other gas, as desired. The type, number of, and labels for, the medical gas outlets may be varied, as requested by the training facility. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , tube  24  may be split into three tubes,  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c , each connected to the back side of a specific medical gas outlet  16 ,  17  and  18 . 
         [0018]    Similarly, vacuum pump  14  is connected via tubes or piping  22  and  24  in a secure and air-tight manner to the back side of one or more medical gas outlets  20 , and may be connected using any combination of flexible and rigid tubing. Again, for spacing reasons, the inventors currently prefer to use flexible tubing  22  to connect to rigid pipe  24 . Each of these medical gas outlets  20  may be identified as a “vacuum” outlet. 
         [0019]    In the preferred embodiment, each medical gas outlet is located in a console panel  44  and has an external adaptation with a standard and specific external configuration to receive secondary medical equipment, such as a vacuum regulator or flow meter. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the front side of medical gas outlet  16  has an external adaptation in a standard configuration that is adapted to receive secondary medical equipment that supplies oxygen to a patient; the front side of medical gas outlet  17  has an external adaptation in a standard configuration that is adapted to receive secondary medical equipment that supplies nitrous oxide to a patient; the front side medical gas outlet  18  has an external adaptation in a standard configuration that is adapted to receive secondary medical equipment that supplies medical air to a patient; and the front side of medical gas outlet  20  has an external adaptation in a standard configuration that is adapted to receive secondary medical equipment that supplies vacuum to the patient. 
         [0020]    Typically, a vacuum regulator is attached to the “vacuum” outlet, and a flow meter is attached to the other medical gas outlets. Both the regulator and flow meter have a mechanism, typically a knob, for adjusting the vacuum or air flow rate. One or more students may use the training headwall to practice and learn patient care. The student may use the training headwall to practice attaching the appropriate flow meter or vacuum regulator to the medical gas outlet. The student may then practice adjusting the air or vacuum flow by adjusting the respective knobs to deliver the appropriate level of air or vacuum. 
         [0021]    The medical gas outlets  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  20  may be labeled to correspond to the standard configuration of the external adaptation. The type and quantity of medical gas outlets may be varied in any manner, for example there may be a single “air” “nitrous oxide” “oxygen” and “vacuum” medical gas outlet, or there may be two “oxygen” medical gas outlets and one “air” outlet, or any other combination to simulate the flow of gas. 
         [0022]    Each medical gas outlets acts as a valve, and only allows the compressed air or vacuum to exit when a piece of secondary medical equipment is attached to the standard external adaptation. For example, when the compressor is running, the compressed air will flow through the air-tight tubing to the medical gas outlets. Air will not exit the external adaptation unless secondary medical equipment is attached. Thus, if secondary medical equipment is attached only to the “oxygen” outlet, compressed air will only flow through that outlet, and no other. Likewise, when the vacuum pump is running, a vacuum will be pulled though the medical gas outlet only if secondary equipment is attached. 
         [0023]    In headwalls used on actual patients the diameter of the gas and vacuum tubing is a set medical standard. These standards are not required for training headwall  10 , and any diameter tubing that is capable of delivering the compressed air, or vacuum to the medical gas outlets may be used. The inventors currently prefer to use ½ inch diameter flexible and rigid tubing, although any size tubing that allows the air or vacuum to be delivered to the medical gas outlets may be used. The flexible and rigid tubing connects compressor  12  and pump  14  to the respective medical gas outlets  16 . 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the motors are powered by electricity supplied through electrical wires  26  that are connected to electrical cord  30  which may be plugged into a normal wall electrical outlet  32 . The motors may be activated by an electrical switch  34  on the outside of training headwall  10 . The inventors currently prefer to use a switch with a timer  36 . The use of timer  36  is preferred, but not necessary, because timer  36  reduces the chance of motor burnout if the motor is inadvertently left running for extended lengths of time. However, any type of electrical switch may be used, either with or without a timer, to turn the motors on and off. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the headwall typically contains removable front panel  38  that covers the motors, electrical cords, air-tight tubing and other internal equipment. The removable front panel  38  is not necessary to the invention and is provided for aesthetic reasons. 
         [0026]    The entire headwall is a self-contained unit. Although the training headwalls are typically fixed to the walls of the training facility, the training headwalls may be placed or attached to a cart or other device that allows the training headwall to be moved from location to location. 
         [0027]    Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the description of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention.