Abstract:
A patient lifting device designed to impart a vertical and corresponding horizontal force component upon a load, namely an ill or incapacitated person in a bed. This vertical and horizontal force results in an incapacitated bed ridden patient being physically adjusted substantially horizontally in a hospital bed, for instance being pulled towards the top of the bed after having migrated towards the bottom of the bed as is quite common. The device utilizes a lifting assembly, a base supporting said lifting assembly, a vertically adjustable shaft, a horizontal load bearing boom-like member for attaching said horizontal load bearing member and a generally flat flexible sheet upon which the patient is supported.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an adjustment and lifting device. More specifically the present invention pertains to an apparatus for adjusting the position of a bedridden patient namely a supine, incapacitated or obese patient in a bed. The device is for simultaneous lifting and pulling a bed-ridden patient incapable of self adjustment to a position nearer to the head of the bed, utilizing a minimum of caregiver(s), and minimizing the chance of injury to the care giver(s) engaged in the movement of the patient, i.e. nurses or other hospital or homecare staff.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Patient lift devices are known in the art. Most patient lifting devices facilitate the movement of a patient to and from one location to another, such as from the bed in which they are confined to a wheelchair, or to another bed. These devices are normally large and cumbersome to move and operate. These devices usually require a number of people to operate, assemble, and move in preparation for transporting a patient. None of the devices noted in the prior art are designed for, or are efficiently capable of adjusting a patients position on a hospital bed.  
           [0003]    Despite our present high tech, highly automated world, the task of adjusting a patient who has slipped down toward the foot of a hospital bed, to a more advantageous, safe and comfortable position in that bed is still done by hand. Generally, the patient is lifted by two or more attendants, working in unison, by grasping the patient under the arms or under the back and physically pulling the patient back towards the head of the bed. Another method includes placing a sheet under the patient by rolling the patient to alternating sides. The sheet is then grasped by two or more attendants and dragged towards the head of the bed, thus the patient laying on top of the sheet is moved back up towards the head of the bed to a more customary and comfortable position.  
           [0004]    This procedure can present certain complications when the patient is incapacitated or obese. Back injuries to hospital staff are a significant problem and a common occurrence when attempting to adjust such a patient by hand. Additionally, there is notable risk posed to the patient who may have a weakened or fragile condition due to injury, prolonged illness and confinement to the bed.  
           [0005]    The present device is designed to alleviate the problem of work related injuries to care givers caused by having to adjust such a patient manually. The simple design of this patient lifting device overcomes the known disadvantages and offers a convenient and safe method for moving the patient horizontally in a bed. This device is operable by a single attendant and is easy to position and adjust. Also, this design provides a safe, comfortable pulling action that minimizes both discomfort to a patient and the risk of injury to patient and attendant.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved patient lifting and moving device for adjusting the position of a patient towards one end of a bed or another.  
           [0007]    It is another object of this invention to provide a compact, sturdy and mobile patient lifting device which can be moved from bed to bed or room to room independent of a single patient or bed in order to facilitate the improved arrangement of a number of patients.  
           [0008]    It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a safe, convenient and easy to operate patient lifting device operable by a single attendant or care giver.  
           [0009]    A still further object of the present invention is to produce an easy to manufacture and relatively economical apparatus for assisting patient care givers in overly strenuous and potentially harmful physical exertions when attempting to reposition patients.  
           [0010]    This invention relates to a device that can be generally described as a patient arrangement or positioning device. It consists primarily of a lifting device designed to impart a vertical and corresponding horizontal force component upon a load. This vertical and horizontal force results in an incapacitated bed ridden patient being physically adjusted substantially horizontally in a hospital bed, for instance being pulled towards the top of the bed after having migrated towards the bottom of the bed as is quite common. The device comprises a lifting assembly, a base supporting said lifting assembly, a vertically adjustable shaft, a horizontal load bearing boom-like member, a means for attaching said horizontal load bearing member and a generally flat flexible sheet. The design of the present invention is simple, compact and easily operable by one attendant thus eliminating the need for multiple attendants and reducing the chance of injury to patient and attendant. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the lifting device including a cutaway section revealing the pressure chamber and piston.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the lifting device positioned in conjunction with a bed and patient.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the lifting device in operation with a bed and patient.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    Now with reference to the drawings, wherein the pertinent elements are referenced numerically with FIGS.  1 - 3  showing various detailed elements of a first embodiment of the device.  
         [0015]    In general as shown in FIG. 1, the patient adjustment device  1  includes a mobile base support  3  for allowing the rolling transport of the device along a floor, for instance in a hospital or other such patient care facility or in homecare. Attached to the underside  5  of the base assembly  3  is a rolling mechanism, in the present embodiment for example, a plurality of caster wheels  2 , at least some of which may be lockable to stabilize the device. A top side  7  of the base support  3  supports a lifting mechanism  9  of the adjustment device  1 . The main lifting mechanism  9  includes a vertically extending adjustment shaft  11  supporting a substantially horizontally affixed attachment boom  20 . Connected to the attachment boom  20  is a tensionable adjustment pulling system  21  for ultimately adjusting the patient by translating the vertical adjustment of the shaft  11  and attachment boom  20  into a substantially horizontal adjustment force to properly realign the patient towards the head of a bed. A more detailed description of the present invention is provided below.  
         [0016]    The lifting mechanism  9 , which is generally fastened to the topside  7  of the base support  3  can be any raising and lowering device as is known in the art. In some cases the lifting mechanism  9  may be enclosed in a housing for purposes of aesthetics or functionality, safety or cleaning purposes however such a housing is not a necessity. The present embodiment utilizes a hydraulic pump for the lifting mechanism  9  which includes a piston  19  housed within a main cylinder  17 . Attached to the piston  19  is a first end  13  of the shaft  11 , which also has a second end  15  extending vertically above the piston  19  and is maintained externally of the main cylinder  17 . The length of the shaft  11  passes through a top bore hole  18  of the hydraulic pump  17  and is, as known in the art, adjustable with respect to the bore hole  18 , due to the piston  19  and the hydraulic pressure acting thereon.  
         [0017]    The hydraulic pump lifting device  9  may be actuated by a manual or foot actuated pump handle  23 , or by a motorized mechanism as is known in the art, which may be driven by connecting via conventional connections to any accessible electrical wall outlet and activated by a switch. The present embodiment employs a manually operated hydraulic jack, similar to a typical floor jack, which is operated manually by the pump handle  23 . The pump handle  23  is connected to a mechanism which transfers a volume of hydraulic fluid to or from a hydraulic fluid reservoir, and thus as is well known in the art, the pressure within the cylinder  17  acting on the piston  19  is either increased or decreased via the control mechanism  3  resulting in the extension or retraction of the shaft  11  through the bore hole  18 . The shaft may extend within a range of about 1-3 feet, although similar ranges would be apparent to those skilled in the art.  
         [0018]    The shaft  11  is capable of extension from a low point to a high point preferably from a low position of between about 20 inches above the floor to a high position of about 50 inches above the floor, although other positions could be contemplated and attained. When the pressure is reduced within the cylinder  17  the piston influences the shaft  11  downward towards the lowest most position, and conversely when pressure is increased by the operator within the cylinder  17  the shaft  11  is influenced upwards towards the high point. As such hydraulically actuated pistons, pumps and shafts and the related control mechanisms are well known in the art, no further discussion is provided.  
         [0019]    In the present embodiment, the shaft  11  supports the substantially horizontally aligned attachment boom  20  which is generally the main load bearing member of the lifting device  1 . The attachment boom  20  moves vertically up and down correspondingly with the raising and lowering of the shaft  11  as described above. The attachment boom  20  can be of varying lengths dependent upon the space restrictions of a particular application and is generally attached at a midpoint to the second end  15  of the shaft  11 . The boom  20  can range in length from about 10 inches to 40 inches although preferably about 30 inches. The attachment boom  20  is provided with either a single or a plurality of attachment points  31  along its length. The attachment points  31  are provided in the attachment boom  20  in order to securely attach the pulling system  21  to the attachment boom  20 . The attachment points  31  may be moveable or adjustable along the length of the horizontal attachment boom  20  in order to accommodate differences in patient size, weight and space considerations as necessary.  
         [0020]    As described above, the attachment boom  20  is connected at its midpoint in a substantially perpendicular manner with respect to the second end  15  of the shaft  11 . The attachment boom  20  may be attached and supported by the shaft  11  in any manner as known in the art. The present embodiment utilizes a flexible connection or joint  32  between the shaft  11  and boom  20  members such that although the boom  20  is axially affixed substantially perpendicular to the shaft  11 , there is also provided at least a small amount of angular flexibility between the two members, both in a vertical and horizontal manner. In other words, although the boom  20  is axially immovable relative to the shaft  11 , the relative flexibility or play between the two members  11  and  20  in the horizontal and vertical planes enables the device  1 , via the attachment boom  20  to better balance the respective horizontal and vertical forces applied by the pulling system  21  across the attachment boom  20  and the vertical shaft  11  due to a patient who is perhaps in an off center positioning on the bed as well as to provide certain flexibility in attachment of the pulling system  21  to the sheet while preparing a patient to be pulled up.  
         [0021]    The flexible connection in the present embodiment is provided by an eyelet  33  fixed to the second end  15  of the shaft  11 . The eyelet  33  defines a hole through which the attachment boom  20  is generally engaged. The eyelet  33  may fixedly engage the attachment boom  20  at its middle point where a bore hole through the boom  20  or a circumferential depression in the boom  20  with the eyelet  33  to secure the members together while maintaining a desired flexibility between the two members  11  and  20  due to the angularly flexible connection. The shaft  11  and boom  20  may also be secured rigidly together, eliminating the above described play in the members. Since any number of methods of joining the shaft  11  and boom  20  together besides that described above would be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, no further description is provided.  
         [0022]    Turning to FIG. 2, the pulling system  21  provides at least a substantially flexible but tensionable connector element  35  between the sheet  13 , described in further detail below, and the boom  20 . In the present embodiment, a single connector element  35  extends from between each of the attachment points  31  on the boom  20  to a respective connection point on the sheet  13 . The connector element  35  may be a chain as shown in the present embodiment or a length of cable or wire or even rope. The connector element  35  is usually static, i.e. is relatively unstretchable when tensioned and may also be provided with an adjustment device, for instance an s-hook  39  to vary the length of the connector elements  35  between the attachment point  31  on the boom  20  and the sheet  13  as necessary. The length of the connector elements  35  may be in the range of 6-36 inches, although a preferable range is about 12-24 inches.  
         [0023]    The connector elements  35  of the pulling system  21  can be connected to the attachment points  31  of the attachment boom  20  by any means as are known in the art. In the present embodiment conventional eye-bolts are interchangeably situated at the attachment points  31  and may be attached to the plurality of attachment points  31  along the attachment boom  20 . The first ends of the connector elements being hooked to or connected with the eyebolts at the attachment points  31 , the second or free ends of the connector elements  35  are attached to the sheet  13 .  
         [0024]    The sheet  13  supports the load to be moved, more particularly the patient to be moved. The sheet  13  can be a flat, flexible material for instance cotton, plastic, nylon etc. namely any material which does not provide any discomfort for the patient when it is properly positioned beneath the patient. The sheet  13  can be left permanently, directly beneath the patient in case of the need to continuously adjust the patient P. With the patient or load to be moved placed directly on the sheet  13  it is to be appreciated that movement of the sheet  13 , initiated in the present case by the adjustment mechanism  1 , will result in the patient being moved contemporaneously with the sheet  13 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 2 and 3 depict a generally rectangular, substantially flat durable sheet  13  upon which the patient P lies. This generally flat durable sheet  13  may be constructed of canvas or various other durable, yet pliable material. The dimensions of this sheet may vary, but preferred sizes are about 56 inches long, by about 24 inches wide, and 72 inches long, by about 28 inches wide, although other sizes may be apparent to those in the art. Generally it is smaller than the surface area of a typical hospital bed but large enough to encompass substantially the entirety of the patient P supported on the sheet  13 . The sheet  13  is provided at one end, generally the end adjacent the head of the patient P and the head H of the bed, with a plurality of holes or grommets  37  through which the free ends of the connector elements  35  are passed to provide the necessary pulling force to realign the patient. The free end of each connector element  35  is attached to a grommet  37  by an s-hook  39 , spring closure or any similar connection device as is known in the art. It is to be appreciated that any number of connection elements  35  can be used to connect the sheet  13  to the boom  20 , and that the connector elements  35  can be arranged between any of the opposing attachment points  31  and grommets  39  in the sheet  13 .  
         [0026]    Preferably at least 2 connector elements  35  are provided, one on each respective side of the patient P to provide a substantially equal pulling force on each side of the patient P, although any number could be contemplated. An additional embodiment of the present invention is one in which there is a single attachment point at the second end  15  of the shaft  11  to which the two shown connector elements  35  are attached. The single attachment point can be facilitated by the removal of the attachment boom  20  member and the connection of the first ends of each of the connector elements  35  to the eyelet  33  at the end  15  of the shaft  11 .  
         [0027]    In order to accommodate various applications of thisdevice, it is to be appreciated that numerous designs for attaching the generally flat compliant sheet-like load carrying member  13  to the lifting device  1  via a flexible suspension means  11  may be utilized. As such different methods and similar connections would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art no further discussion is provided.  
         [0028]    In an additional embodiment of the present invention there is a support device for fixedly attaching the patient lifting device  1  to a bed, a wall or other substantially immovable object. The support device is generally a support bracket attached to the headboard of a hospital or other bed defining a space or attachment mechanism for releasably engaging the lifting device  1 . The support device maintains the lifting device  1  in a fixed relationship with respect to the bed so that any forces exerted on the lifting device  1  during pulling up the patient P do not upset or unbalance the lifting device  1 . As such securing devices and attachments are readily apparent to one of skill in the art no further description is necessary.  
         [0029]    Yet another embodiment of the present invention is one in which the means for extension of the vertical shaft  11  is powered by an electrically driven motor. In this embodiment of the present invention an electronic control device unique to the electric motor and lifting means system would be installed as well.  
         [0030]    Referring now to FIG. 3 a detail description of the operation of the lifting device  1  moving a patient towards the head H of the bed is provided. Assuming that the sheet  13  is properly positioned and supporting the patient P on the surface of a hospital bed, and that the patient P has slipped downward towards the foot of the bed and away from the head H of the bed it is now necessary to pull the patient towards the head H of the bed. Rather than attempt to physically drag the patient P towards the head of the bed via manual means, the care giver utilizes the lifting device  1  which may be wheeled into the room or attached to the support adjacent the head H of the bed. With the lifting device  1  adjacent the head of the bed and substantially in line with the length of the patient P, the shaft  11  is in a lower most position and the free ends of the connector elements  35  suspended from the horizontal boom  20  are attached to the sheet  13 , in the present embodiment clips or s-hooks  39  on the free end are connected with the grommets  37  in the sheet  13 .  
         [0031]    Once the connection elements  35  are secured to the grommets  37  of the sheet  13  in the manner as herein described, the care giver ensures that the patient is adequately positioned and supported on the sheet  13 . With the above preparations complete, the care giver can operate the manual pump handle  23  or the electric motor of the lifting device, increasing the pressure within the cylinder  17  and raising the shaft  11  from the lower position to a higher position. As the shaft  11  and associated horizontal boom  20  are raised, a tensile force is applied along the connection elements  35  which in turn pull the sheet  13  toward the head of the bed.  
         [0032]    This pulling force is composed of both a horizontal and a vertical component, both components directed along the longitudinal axis of the patient P as is readily understood by anyone of ordinary skill in the art. As seen in FIG. 3 the raising of the shaft  11  and boom  20  may in fact slightly incline the sheet  13  and the patient P at a substantially acute angle with respect to the bed due to the vertical component of the pulling force. The angle A may depend in part on the weight of the patient P and the actual height at which the lifting device is raised as well as the length of the connection elements  35 .  
         [0033]    With the lifting device  1  pulling the sheet  13  and consequently the patient P in both the horizontal and vertical direction, the patient P is pulled upwards towards the lifting device  1  and the head of the bed H. Once the patient has been realigned with respect to the head of the bed H the care giver ceases the pressure actuation in the cylinder  17  and begins decreasing the pressure in the cylinder  17  to lower the shaft  11  and hence the sheet  13  and patient P back down onto the bed. With the patient P now realigned on the bed, the connection elements  35  may be disconnected from the grommets or connection points  37  on the sheet  13  and the patient is now realigned and the lifting device  1  is available for use with any subsequent patient.  
         [0034]    Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.