Abstract:
A disposable shield designed to sheath a patient control device prevents contaminants from contacting or entering the device. The shield has a bi-directional opening through which the hand-operated device is inserted and removed from the shield. A removable sealing device is used to preserve the integrity of the shield when the sealing device is removed. The shield can therefore be changed each time the device is handled by a different person, minimizing the chances of cross-contamination. The shield also extends the life of the device by preventing biological contaminants from contacting the device.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/214,518, filed on Aug. 8, 2002, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/390,619 filed on Jun. 21, 2002. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to patient control devices, such as nursecalls, light controls, and television controls, used in medical facilities, and more particularly to a cover for protecting a patient control device.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Medical facilities, such as hospitals, use patient control devices, such as nursecall devices, to allow patients to alert nurses and control environmental settings such as light levels and television channels. The nursecall device normally includes control circuitry inside a case and is placed in a patient&#39;s bed for easy access. Because the nursecall device can be located anywhere in the bed with the patient, the unit can easily become contaminated with various contaminants (e.g., debris, bodily excretions, bathwater, drugs, infectious bacteria and viruses, etc.). The case is cleaned and sterilized between patients, but this does not prevent contaminants from entering the nursecall device during use. These contaminants can damage the control circuitry, requiring the unit to be serviced. The nursecall device often also has buttons, switches, dials, and/or seams that may trap contaminants, making them difficult to remove. Further, contaminants can potentially leak back out of the unit, increasing the possibility of cross-contamination and/or cross-infections. In many cases, these contaminants are not detected until the nursecall device is taken apart for servicing.  
           [0004]    Also, the case is often made of a porous material, making it susceptible to premature damage as it absorbs cleaning solvents and other liquids. The case should be cleaned frequently for proper hygiene, but the harsh solvents may discolor or even damage the case, especially over time.  
           [0005]    There is a desire for a structure that prevents contaminants from entering the nursecall device or being trapped in crevices on the case while still allowing the nursecall device to be easily operable by a patient.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is directed to a shield that covers a patient control device, such as a nursecall device. In one embodiment, the shield is designed to form-fit the case of the nursecall device. Bubbles or soft elevations may be formed in the shield over buttons and/or dials on the nursecall device so they can be operated through the shield. The shield may be formed of a flexible, resilient light-passing material so that it fits snugly around the case to prevent contaminants from contacting or entering the nursecall device itself. By preventing contaminants from entering the nursecall device and damaging the nursecall device circuitry, the shield extends the life of the nursecall device and reduces the need for frequent servicing.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment, the shield is a single-use, disposable shield having a bi-directional opening configuration that allows easy insertion and removal of the nursecall device. The shield can therefore be changed frequently and disposed, minimizing the chances of biological cross-contamination between patients. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shield according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a plan view of one embodiment of the shield;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shield attached to a nursecall unit; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the shield. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a shield  100  designed to cover a patient control device (e.g., a nursecall, television control, light control, all-in-one unit, etc)  102 . In one embodiment, the shield  100  has a sheath portion  101  with a shape that generally matches the shape of the nursecall device  102  so that the shield  100  will conform to the nursecall device&#39;s  102  shape without leaving any undesired gaps between the shield  100  and the unit  102 . In one embodiment, the sheath portion  101  has one or more elevations  104  that ultimately are aligned above one or more controls  106  on the nursecall device, such as a lever or a dial.  
         [0013]    The material used to form the shield  100  may be any material that allows the sheath portion  101  to fit snugly around the nursecall device  102  while still being flexible enough to allow controls  106  to be operated through the elevations  104  and through the shield  100  itself. Because the controls  106  are touched frequently and often have crevices, they are normally prone to trapping biological contaminants. The elevations  104  guard the controls  106  by preventing direct contact between the controls  106  and any potential contaminants. Further, the elevations  104  allow tactile detection of the controls  106 , while the flexibility of the shield material allows the user to push down on the elevation  104  to reach the controls  106 . Note that elevations  104  do not need to be provided for every control  106  on the unit  102 . As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the controls  106  also include buttons that can be operated directly through the sheath portion  101  of the shield  100 . Generally, an elevation  104  may be included for any control  104 , such as a dial or a lever, whose operation may involve more freedom of movement than an unelevated sheath  101  area would allow.  
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the shield  100  material is also resilient so that it can be stretched around the nursecall device  102  as the nursecall device  102  is inserted into the sheath portion  101  while still being able to conform itself around the nursecall device  102 . Possible shield materials include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, vinyl, latex, nitrile, or any other materials having similar resilient properties. In one embodiment, the shield  100  is made of a synthetic material.  
         [0015]    The shield  100  may be formed via any known manufacturing process that is appropriate for the material being used, including but not limited to casting, blow molding, and dip casting. The material itself may be woven or a film, depending on the desired characteristics of the shield  100 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other materials and other manufacturing processes can be used to form the shield  100  without departing from the scope of the invention. In one embodiment, the shield  100  material is between 1 and 5 mm thick and passes light so that the controls  106  and/or labels on the nursecall device  102  can be seen through the sheath portion  101 . Further, the shield  100  is preferably seamless, with no cracks or crevices that could trap contaminants. The shield  100  may be formed with rounded edges  110  to simplify manufacturing and to improve the appearance of the shield  100  when it is on the nursecall device  102 . The shield  100  may also be designed to allow clearance between the shield  100  and the nursecall device  102  to make the shield  100  easier to install and remove.  
         [0016]    The shield  100  has an open edge  114  of a bi-directional passage  115  through which the device  102  is inserted and removed. Although the illustrated embodiment shows an open edge  114  having the same width as the widest portion of the nursecall device  102 , the material used for the shield  100  may be resilient enough to allow the open edge  114  to be narrower than the nursecall device  102 . This would allow at least a portion of the top of the nursecall device  102  to be covered by the shield  100 .  
         [0017]    As shown in FIG. 3, the open edge  114  of the shield  100  may be bunched around a cord  120  of the nursecall device  102  and sealed by a clamp, adhesive tape, or other removable sealing device  122  attached to the cord  120 . Regardless of the specific sealing device  122  used, it should be removable without damaging the shield  100  to maintain the integrity of the bi-directional passage  115 . This ensures that the shield  100  can be removed from the shield  100  through the same passage  115  that it was inserted. By using a removable sealing device  122 , the shield  100  can be removed cleanly without cutting or rupturing the shield  100 , which would otherwise cause biological contaminants on the shield surface to contact the nursecall device  102 .  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the shield  100  attached to a backing  124 , such as a paper backing. The backing  124  stabilizes the shield  100  so that the nursecall device  102  can be inserted easily into the shield  100 . Once the nursecall device is inserted into the shield  100 , the backing  124  can be peeled off to free the shield  100  and allow the sealing device  122  to be attached. In one embodiment, the sealing device  122  is an adhesive strip that can also be peeled off the backing  124  and wrapped around the cord  120 . By placing both the shield  100  and the sealing device  122  on the same backing, the invention is more convenient to use.  
         [0019]    As a result, the inventive shield structure blocks contaminants from being trapped on or inside a patient nursecall device, reducing the risks of cross-contamination when the units are handled by multiple people. The shield also protects the nursecall device itself by blocking contaminants from entering the nursecall device and damaging the circuitry and preventing harsh fluids, such as cleaning solvents, from damaging the exterior case of the nursecall device. Because the shield is disposable, it can be frequently changed as needed to keep the nursecall device clean. Also, the dimensions of the shield can be customized so that it can precisely fit any particular nursecall device or other patient control device; different shields can be used for different devices.  
         [0020]    Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.