Abstract:
A particle filled neck brace is used for immobilizing the neck and chin of a patient and includes a vacuum pump disposed on the neck brace, which pump is communicated to the interior of the neck brace. After the neck brace is secured around the neck and chin of the patient, the vacuum pump is manipulated to remove air from the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the patient&#39;s neck and chin. The vacuum pump has a one way directional valve so that the neck brace remains in a rigid configuration for as long as the neck brace is applied to the patient. The neck brace also specifically forms a rigid mold over the patient&#39;s chin so as to immobilize the patient as well as to provide a comfortable fit without inducing further stress onto the patient.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Field of the Technology The invention relates to the field of pneumatic splints, specifically a vacuum operated splint for immobilizing the neck of a patient. 
         [0002]    Description of the Prior Art 
         [0003]    Medical splints and other immobilizers have long been used to immobilize or otherwise restrict the physical movement of a region or limb of an injured patient. Many traditional splints are made from cardboard, plastic, padded board, or fiberglass and may either be generic in shape or specifically formed to fit a specified limb or body part of the patient. Typically, the splint is placed under the injured portion of the patient and is then tightened to straighten and/or immobilize the body part to prevent further relative movement of the body part and thus prevent further injury and allow the patient an opportunity to heal. Some splints include vacuum or pneumatic pumps which inflate the splint with air until a tight hold is achieved around the injured portion of the patient. 
         [0004]    A type of splint that is made to fit a specific body part is the neck brace, which is specifically shaped and formed to fit about the neck of the patients while also accommodating their shoulders and face. The most basic neck brace is the soft collar which consists of a section of soft foam that wraps around the neck of the patient and is then held in place with a temporary means of coupling such as Velcro and the like. Other neck braces comprise a semi-rigid plastic frame with a soft inner foam padding which is likewise placed around the injured patient&#39;s neck and then held in place with interlocking straps or a sliding or telescopic track element. 
         [0005]    A problem with many neck braces, however, is that many of them must be adjusted before being applied to the patient&#39;s neck. Therefore before the patient&#39;s neck can be immobilized, the person applying the brace must first assess the patient and then manipulate the brace in order to ensure that an appropriate fit is achieved when placed around the patient&#39;s neck. This can be critical in emergency situations when an EMT or other medical responder first arrives at an accident scene when every second counts. Inflatable neck braces do not require any pre-adjustment according to size however they do require the coupling and activation of an external pump device before the patient may be sufficiently immobilized. Again, in emergency situations when time and physical access to the injured patient may be limited, such an inflatable neck brace could prove to be more detrimental to the treatment of the patient than other braces. 
         [0006]    What is needed therefore is a neck brace which can be easily and quickly applied to an injured patient of any size, which does not require any external pumps for operation and which also properly immobilizes the neck of the patient and prevents for further injury. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The current invention provides an apparatus for immobilizing the neck and chin of a patient. The apparatus includes a splint body with a front surface, a back surface, a first and second end which define a deflatable interior. A coupling portion is connected to the splint body that allows the first end to be selectively joined to the second end of the splint body when the splint body is applied about the neck and chin of the patient. The interior of the neck brace contains loosely compressible particles. Also connected to the splint body is a manually operable vacuum pump which has an input communicated with the inflatable interior of the splint body. Additionally, defined within the surface of the splint body is a face cutout which is configured to encompass the chin of the patient. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the vacuum pump of the apparatus includes a syringe aperture communicated to the inflatable interior of the splint body and a syringe pump that is removably coupled to a distal end of the syringe aperture. The syringe aperture further includes a coupling portion disposed at its distal end which is configured to form a removable coupling with a distal end of the syringe pump. In a related embodiment, the syringe aperture and the syringe pump each contain a one-way directional valve. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, the apparatus further contains a release valve that is disposed within the splint body. 
         [0010]    In yet another embodiment, the face cutout of the neck brace is configured to leave the mouth of the patient free to an outside environment during use of the neck brace. 
         [0011]    In a further embodiment, the neck brace also has at least two shoulder cutouts defined within the splint body. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the face cutout is configured to form a rigid support encompassing the chin of the patient when the vacuum pump is actuated. In a related embodiment, the splint body is configured to maintain the chin of the patient in an immobilized position after the vacuum pump has been actuated. 
         [0013]    The current invention also provides for a method for immobilizing the neck and chin of a patient. The method includes wrapping a neck brace comprised of a deflatable splint body having an interior filled with a plurality of compressible particles around the neck and chin of the patient. The splint body of the neck brace is then disposed over the chin of the patient and then a removable vacuum pump which has been coupled to the splint body of the neck brace is actuated. The actuation of the vacuum pump removes air from the deflatable splint body of the neck brace and compresses the splint body of the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the neck and chin of the patient. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the actuation of the removable vacuum pump disposed on the splint body of the neck brace is performed by removably connecting a syringe pump to a distal end of a syringe aperture communicated to the interior of the splint body and then actuating the syringe pump. Actuation of the syringe pump then removes air from the interior of the splint body. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment, removing air from the interior of the splint body of the neck brace is performed by drawing air from within the interior of the splint body of the neck brace through the syringe aperture. 
         [0016]    In yet another embodiment, the method further includes disconnecting the syringe pump from the syringe aperture after removing air from the interior of the splint body. 
         [0017]    In a further embodiment, removing air from the deflatable splint body of the neck brace to compress the splint body of the neck brace and form a rigid mold about the neck and chin of the patient is performed by maintaining the chin of the patient under the splint body as the rigid mold about the neck and chin is being formed. 
         [0018]    In another embodiment, removing air from the deflatable splint body of the neck brace to compress the splint body of the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the neck and chin of the patient is performed by leaving the mouth of the patient free to an outside environment as the rigid mold is being formed. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment, disposing the splint body of the neck brace over the chin of the patient is specifically performed by placing a face cutout defined in the splint body under the mouth of the patient and over the chin of the patient. This embodiment also specifies that removing air from the deflatable splint body of the neck brace to compress the splint body of the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the neck and chin of the patient is performed by compressing the splint body so that the face cutout forms a rigid mold about the contours of the chin of the patient. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, actuating the syringe pump includes forcing air from the interior of the splint body through a one-way directional valve located in the syringe aperture. 
         [0021]    In a related embodiment, actuating the syringe pump includes forcing air from the interior of the splint body through a one-way directional valve located in the syringe pump. 
         [0022]    While the apparatus and method has or will be described for the sake of grammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expressly understood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC 112, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by the construction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accorded the full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition provided by the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in the case where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC 112 are to be accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC 112. The disclosure can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a frontal plan view of the neck brace of the illustrated embodiments of the current invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a rear plan view of the neck brace seen in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a magnified view of a hand pump disposed on a body portion of the neck brace seen in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the vacuum hand pump disposed on the neck brace when the hand pump is in an expanded configuration. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the vacuum hand pump disposed on the neck brace when the hand pump is in a compressed configuration. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a magnified cross sectional view of the vacuum hand pump seen in  FIG. 3 , including the housing portion of the hand pump. 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the vacuum hand pump seen in  FIG. 3  when the hand pump is in an expanded configuration. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the vacuum hand pump seen in  FIG. 3  when the hand pump is in a compressed configuration. 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a magnified cross sectional view of a one-way directional valve disposed in a surface of the housing seen in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is a frontal view of an alternative embodiment of the neck brace when disposed about the neck and chin of a patient. 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the neck brace seen in  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
       [0034]    The disclosure and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiments as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0035]    Greater detail of the illustrated embodiments of the current invention may be had by turning to  FIGS. 1 and 2  which shows the current neck brace denoted generally by reference numeral  10 .  FIG. 1  shows a frontal view of the brace  10  which comprises of a body  12  that is substantially rectangular in shape. The body  12  itself comprises a neck cutout  14  and a plurality of shoulder cutouts  16 . The neck cutout  14  and shoulder cutouts  16  are sized and defined in the body  12  at the appropriate locations so that when the neck brace  10  is applied to a patient&#39;s neck region, the neck cutout  14  appropriately accommodates the jaw and head of the patient while the shoulder cutouts  16  accommodate the shoulders and chest region of the patient as is known in the art. The body  12  itself is comprised of soft vinyl or other flexible material and is filled with a plurality of foam micro beads known in the art. 
         [0036]    The body  12  further comprises a coupling portion  18  joined to the remainder of the body  12  via a flexible region  20 . Like the main part of the body  12 , the coupling portion  18  is also filled with a plurality of foam micro beads. The flexible region  20  however does not have any micro beads. The coupling portion  18  is used to join the opposing ends of the body  12  together when the neck brace  10  is placed around the neck of the injured patient. Specifically, as seen in the rear view of the neck brace  10  in  FIG. 2 , the back surface of the coupling portion  18  comprises a hook and latch fabric pad  24  so that when the neck brace  10  is placed on the patient, the coupling portion  18  is brought around to the opposing end of the front of the body  12  where an opposing hook and latch fabric pad  22  is disposed. The medical professional secures the neck brace  10  in place by aligning the hook and latch fabric pad  24  on the back surface with the opposing pad  22  on the front surface and adhering the pad  24  and opposing pad  22  together. The pads  24 ,  22  are brought together relative to one another according to the width or circumference of the patent&#39;s neck and shoulder region. To release the neck brace  10 , the coupling portion  18  is pulled away from the patient which in turn pulls the pad  24  away from the opposing pad  22  of hook and latch fabric thus releasing the ends of the body  12  from each other. With the opposing ends of the body  12  separated, the neck brace  10  may be removed from the neck and shoulder region of the patient. 
         [0037]    Also seen in  FIG. 1  is a vacuum hand pump  26  which is disposed on the front surface of the body  12 . While the vacuum hand pump  26  is shown as being disposed substantially beneath the neck cutout  14 , it is to be expressly understood that the vacuum hand pump  26  may located anywhere on the body  12  of the neck brace  10  without changing the overall function or scope of the claimed invention. Greater detail of the vacuum hand pump  26  may be seen in the magnified views of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The vacuum hand pump  26  comprises a housing  30  with a frame  28  disposed around it. Coupled to the housing  30  is a bellows  32  which may be compressed against the housing  30  as detailed further below. Coupled to a distal end of the bellows  32  is a plunger  34 . The plunger  34  is sufficiently sized and shaped so that a medical professional may easily grip and press the plunger  34  with his or her fingers. The plunger  34  itself comprises a shuttle  36  disposed on either lateral side of the plunger  34 . Each shuttle  36  is disposed in a corresponding track  38  formed within the lateral sides of the frame  28 . Also disposed in each track  38  is a tension spring  40  which is coupled to the frame  28  at one end and coupled to the shuttle  36  at the opposing end. 
         [0038]    Greater detail of the housing  30  and the components contained therein may be seen in  FIG. 6 . The housing  30  comprises an internal chamber  44  for passing a volume of air from the body  12  of the neck brace  10  to the outside environment. Also disposed within the housing  30  is a body valve  46  which is fluidly coupled to an internal volume of the body  12 . As is known in the art, the body valve  46  is a one-way directional valve which allows for air to flow in substantially only one direction, namely from the body  12  to the internal chamber  44  of the housing  30 . Disposed in the top surface of the housing  30  is a housing valve  42 , which like the body valve  46 , is a one-way directional valve which allows air to flow in only one direction from the internal chamber  44  of the housing  30  to the ambient environment. Detail of the housing valve  42  may been seen in  FIG. 9  which shows the housing valve  42  comprising a substantially annular or ring shaped valve seat  48  and a flexible diaphragm  50 . As seen in the cross sectional view of  FIG. 9 , the diaphragm  50  is disposed within the center of the valve seat  48  with outer circumference of the diaphragm  50  resting on an inner radius of the valve seat  48 . 
         [0039]    After disposing the neck brace  10  around the neck of the patient and securing it in place, the user or medical professional operates the vacuum hand pump  26  by first placing his or her hand on top of the vacuum hand pump  26  seen in  FIGS. 4 and 7  with the heel of his or her hand at or near the back of the housing  30  and fingers in front of the plunger  34 . The user then compresses the vacuum hand pump  26  by squeezing the plunger  34  and bringing it back towards the stationary housing  30 . As the user squeezes the plunger  34 , the bellows  32  are compressed which drives air within the internal chamber  44  out of the housing  30  through the housing valve  42  in the direction of the arrows seen in  FIG. 9 . Specifically, air is driven towards the diaphragm  50  which lifts the outer circumference of the diaphragm  50  upward and off of the valve seat  48  and allowing the air to exit the housing  30 . After the air pressure is equalized between the ambient environment and the internal chamber  44 , the diaphragm  50  returns to its original position on the valve seat  48 , thus preventing any air from reentering the internal chamber  44  of the housing  30 . As the movement of the plunger  34  compresses the bellows  32 , the shuttles  36  on either side of the vacuum hand pump  26  move through their respective tracks  38  and stretch each of the respective tension springs  40  coupled to each shuttle as seen in  FIGS. 5 and 8 . 
         [0040]    After the bellows  32  has been fully compressed and the air driven from the internal chamber  44  of the housing  30 , the user releases his or her grip on the plunger  34 . The tension springs  40  then begin to compress and draw the plunger  34  away from the housing  30 , thus expanding the bellows  32 . The expanding bellows  32  in turn then draws air out of the body  12  of the neck brace  10  through the body valve  46  and into the internal chamber  44  of the housing  30 . Once air has entered the internal chamber  44 , the body valve  46  prevents its reentry back into the body  12  as is known in the art. 
         [0041]    With air now back in the internal chamber  44  of the housing  30 , the user once again may repeat the pumping process by compressing the plunger  34  and driving the air out of the housing  30  and into the ambient environment through the housing valve  42 . It is in this manner that air is quickly and efficiently removed from the body  12  of the neck brace  10 . With each subsequent stroke of the vacuum hand pump  26 , a higher and higher vacuum is created withwhiin the body  12  which in turn removes air from the plurality of micro beads disposed within the body  12  which collapses under ambient exterior air pressure and presses the beads closer and closer together, thus making the body  12  more rigid and conforming the contours of body  12  to the shape of the patient&#39;s neck and shoulder region. The user continues to operate the vacuum hand pump  26  until the neck brace  10  is sufficiently rigidly set about the patient&#39;s neck and effectively immobilizes the patient&#39;s neck. With the neck brace  10  firmly in position, the patient may be moved as needed to receive further treatment without fear of further aggravating the patient&#39;s injuries. 
         [0042]    To remove the neck brace  10  from the patient, the user opens a release valve  52  disposed on the back surface of the body  12  as seen in  FIG. 2 . The release valve  52  is a one-way valve known in the art which allows air to rush into the evacuated interior of body  12  previously pumped out by the vacuum hand pump  26 . The reinserted air inflates or expands the neck brace  10  and relaxes the body  12 . When the body  12  has sufficiently softened and has regained a certain amount of flexibility, the user may uncouple the ends of the body  12  from each other as disclosed above, unfold body  12  and remove the neck brace  10  from neck and shoulder region of the patient. While  FIG. 2  shows the release valve  52  as being substantially disposed in a corner on the back surface of the body  12 , it is to be expressly understood that this is for illustrative purposes only and that the release valve  52  may in fact be located anywhere on the front or back surface of the body  12  without significantly departing from the original intent and purpose of the current invention. 
         [0043]    In a separate embodiment, the hand pump  26  of the neck brace  10  may be replaced with a syringe pump  102  coupled to a neck brace  100  as seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . The syringe pump  102  is coupled to the neck brace  100  through a syringe aperture  104 . The syringe aperture  104  is permanently coupled to an internal volume of the neck brace  100  at its proximal end. Disposed at a distal end of the syringe aperture  104  is a coupling portion  110  which is configured to accommodate a distal end of the syringe pump  102 . The syringe aperture  104  further comprises a one-way directional valve  106  disposed within the coupling portion  110 . 
         [0044]    To use the syringe pump  102 , a user wraps the neck brace  100  around the neck and shoulder region of a patient  114  as disclosed above. The syringe pump  102  is coupled to the syringe aperture  104  by inserting the distal end of the syringe pump  102  into the coupling portion  110  until the syringe pump  102  snaps or clicks into place via a friction fit or pressure fit as is known in the art. Alternatively, the neck brace  100  may be placed about the patient  114  in a pre-assembled state, namely with the syringe pump  102  already coupled to the syringe aperture  104 . Once coupled, the user activates the syringe pump  102  by repeatedly manipulating a plunger disposed in the proximal end of the syringe pump  102  (not seen) as is known in the art. Specifically, as the plunger is drawn back, air from within the internal volume of the neck brace  100  is drawn out through the syringe aperture  104 . As air exits the syringe aperture  104  it passes through the first one-way directional valve  106  and into the syringe pump  102 . A second one-way directional valve  108  disposed within the syringe pump  102  directs air which has been drawn from the neck brace  100  into the ambient environment. The user then pushes the plunger of the syringe pump  102  back in the distal direction, the first and second one-way directional valves  106 ,  108  preventing air from flowing back into the neck brace  100  as is well known in the art. The user continues to manipulate the syringe pump  102  further drawing out air from the neck brace  100  and further contracting the neck brace  100  about the neck and shoulders of the patient  114  and creating a rigid neck brace as seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . Once the neck brace  100  has reached a sufficient level a rigidity, the user may stop manipulating the syringe pump  102  and let the syringe pump  102  hang down from the neck brace  100  in front of the patient  114 . Alternatively, the user may detach the syringe pump  102  from the neck brace  100  by releasing the syringe pump  102  from the coupling portion  110  of the syringe aperture  104 . 
         [0045]    Greater functional detail of the neck brace  100  may also be had from  FIGS. 10 and 11 . Specifically, the neck brace comprises a plurality of shoulder cutouts  116  and a face cutout  112  which are sized and shaped within the neck brace  100  at the appropriate locations so that when the neck brace  100  is applied to the patient&#39;s  114  neck region, the face cutout  112  appropriately accommodates the jaw and chin of the patient while the shoulder cutouts  116  accommodate the shoulders and upper chest region of the patient  114 . The face cutout  112  is a substantially half-moon shape cutout or aperture defined within a body portion  120  of the neck brace  100 . As best seen in  FIG. 11 , the face cutout  112  is configured or defined to leave the nose and mouth  122  of the patient  114  open to the ambient environment while encompassing or enclosing the jaw and chin  188  of the patient  114  within the neck brace  100  when the neck brace  100  is wrapped about the patient  144  as disclosed above. Unlike prior neck braces, the neck brace  100  seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11  explicitly allows for the disposition of the chin  118  within the neck brace  100  itself, thus dramatically increasing the overall comfort for the patient  114  wearing the neck brace  100  while still maintaining a sufficient level of immobilization required for effective medical treatment. Specifically, as is discussed above in relation to the previous embodiment, the neck brace  100  is placed or wrapped around the neck and chin  118  of the patient  114  while the body  120  of the neck brace  100  is in a soft or pliable state. With the patient&#39;s chin  188  still within the enclosed space formed by the applied neck brace  100 , the user activates the neck brace  100  by removing air from within the neck brace  100  as disclosed above, thus contracting the neck brace  100  and forming a rigid three dimensional structure about the patient&#39;s neck and chin  118 . Because the neck brace  100  contracts and forms to the specific contours of the patient&#39;s neck, shoulders, jaw, and chin  118 , the patient  114  or the user do not need to remove the patient&#39;s chin  118  from within the enclosed space of the neck brace  100 . Instead, the neck brace  100  forms a rigid structure which not only limits the relative movement of the patient&#39;s neck, but also prevents the patient&#39;s chin  118  from any undesired relative movement as well. In other words, as the user is wrapping the neck brace  100  about the patient  114 , a comfortable and relaxed fit for the patient  114  is achieved since the neck brace  100  is initially soft and extremely pliable and does not place the patient in the discomfort of a near traction like state normally associated with neck braces or collars. The comfortable fit achieved by the neck brace  100  is then maintained upon its activation since the contracting movement and increasing rigidity of the neck brace  100  does not alter the position of the chin  118  of the patient  114  but rather “locks” it into an immobilized position. 
         [0046]    Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following embodiments and its various embodiments. 
         [0047]    Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the embodiments includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations. A teaching that two elements are combined in a claimed combination is further to be understood as also allowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are not combined with each other, but may be used alone or combined in other combinations. The excision of any disclosed element of the embodiments is explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the embodiments. 
         [0048]    The words used in this specification to describe the various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself. 
         [0049]    The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
         [0050]    Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
         [0051]    The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the embodiments.