Abstract:
A support frame for supporting an intravenous bag and associated equipment, comprises a main pole adapted to be secured to a structure so as to be self-standing. A pivotable pole is adapted to support equipment associated with an intravenous bag. A pivot joint is provided between the main pole and the pivotable pole such that the pivotable pole rotates about the main pole. A rack is supported by the pivotable pole, the rack being adapted to support an intravenous bag.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application is a continuation of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/CA2007/002349, filed on Dec. 21, 2007, and claims priority on United States Provisional Patent Application No. 60/871,157, filed on Dec. 21, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE APPLICATION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Application 
         [0003]    The present application relates to a medical support system for supporting intravenous bags and associated mechanical equipment. 
         [0004]    2. Background Art 
         [0005]    Solutions of nutritional fluids are often supplied to patients intravenously. In many instances, a stand supports a fluid bag adjacent to a patient, and mechanical apparatuses such as pumps and monitoring devices are optionally provided in association with the intravenous tubing while being supported by the stand. Intravenous bag stands are often provided with casters, in order to follow the patient in his/her displacements. 
         [0006]    When patients in wheelchairs, hospital beds or carts are displaced while being fed by intravenous bags, a hospital attendant must ensure that the stand remains close to the patient, if the wheelchair, hospital bed or cart does not have a support for the stand. This results in the slow and awkward displacement of such patients. In some emergency instances, it is often required that more than one attendant be involved in the transfer of a patient. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,191, issued on Aug. 4, 1992 to Schmuhl, discloses a medical support system provided with casters. The support system has a telescopic pole supporting fluid bags and associated equipment. The pole has two different diameters at a bottom end thereof, so as to be fitted in wheelchairs, hospital beds and carts. A fixed brace is provided with a knob, and a rotation of the knob results in pressure threadingly applied to the pole, so as to lock the pole to the stand, wheelchair, hospital bed or cart. 
         [0008]    One of the issues associated with such locking systems is that they are manipulated by a plurality of attendants. Accordingly, it has often occurred that stronger attendants tighten the knob with such force that other attendants loosen the knob. 
         [0009]    Also, the pole supports intravenous bags and mechanical devices. Accordingly, the pole is quite heavy, rendering the action of transferring of the pole from stand to wheelchair/bed exclusive to some stronger attendants. 
       SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION 
       [0010]    It is therefore an aim of the present application to provide a medical support system that addresses issues associated with the prior art. 
         [0011]    Therefore, in accordance with the present application, there is provided a support frame for supporting an intravenous bag and associated equipment, comprising: a main pole adapted to be secured to a structure so as to be self-standing; a pivotable pole adapted to support equipment associated with an intravenous bag; a pivot joint between the main pole and the pivotable pole such that the pivotable pole rotates about the main pole; and a rack supported by the pivotable pole, the rack being adapted to support an intravenous bag. 
         [0012]    Further in accordance with the present application, there is provided a medical support system comprising the support frame; and a wall support mounted to a wall, the wall support releasably supporting the main pole of the support frame such that the support frame is mounted to the wall. 
         [0013]    Still further in accordance with the present application, there is provided a method for displacing a support frame supporting an intravenous bag and associated equipment, comprising: providing a stand supporting the support frame; lowering a platform of the stand to engage the support frame on a wall support; and moving the stand away from the support frame thereon. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a medical support system constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present application; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a support frame of the medical support system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the support frame of  FIG. 2 , as mounted to a wall support; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a rack of the support frame of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a connector mechanism as used on the support frame of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the connector mechanism of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a wheeled stand of the medical support system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an elevation view of a support frame connector in accordance with another embodiment of the present application. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly to  FIG. 1 , a medical support system in accordance with a first embodiment is generally shown at  10 . The medical support system  10  has a support frame  12  and a wheeled stand  14 . A wall support  16 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , is part of the medical support system  10 . 
         [0023]    The support frame  12  is provided to support intravenous bags, as well as associated mechanical apparatuses, such as pumps (e.g., volumetric pumps) and monitoring devices. 
         [0024]    The wheeled stand  14  is provided to support the support frame  12 , and facilitate displacements thereof. The support frame  12  may be mounted directly onto a bed as well. 
         [0025]    The wall support  16  is typically positioned adjacent to the patient&#39;s bed, and is provided to support the support frame  12 . The wall support  16  may be provided with a railing system, so as to be displaceable within a room along a wall. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , connector mechanisms  18  are provided on the support frame  12 , for the rapid connection/disconnection of components of the support frame  12 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the support frame  12  is shown having a base plate  20 . The base plate  20  is the interface between the support frame  12  and the wheeled stand  14 . A main pole  21  projects upwardly from the base plate  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a pair of female connectors  22 A (one shown) are spaced apart on the main pole  21 , and are mated with corresponding male connectors of the wall support  16 . A connector mechanism  18  is provided adjacent to one of the female connectors  22 A to releasably lock the support frame  12  to the wall support  16 . 
         [0028]    Pivotable poles  23  are pivotally connected to the main pole  21 , by way of pairs of parallel arms  25 . Although the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  involves a pair of the pivotable poles  23 , it is contemplated to provide one or more of these poles  23  in the support frame  12 . The pivotable poles  23  pivot about the main pole  21 , and locking mechanisms  26  lock the pivotable poles  23  in selected positions. 
         [0029]    Each of the poles  23  has a support length  27  (e.g., up to  70  inches in length)upon which mechanical apparatuses may be secured. As such apparatuses may be bulky, the pivoting motion of the poles  23  enables an attendant to optimize the space used by the support frame  12  in supporting the mechanical apparatuses. 
         [0030]    Racks  30  are removably secured to a top end of the pivotable poles  23 . As both the racks  30  are the same, only one of the racks  30  is now described. The rack  30  has fingers  31  provided to support the intravenous fluid bags (not shown). In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the rack  30  has four of the fingers  31 . Each of the fingers  31  has a downwardly-oriented loop  32 , as well as an inward tip  33 . Accordingly, when a bag is hooked to one of the fingers  31 , it will remain virtually captive by the combination of the downwardly oriented loop  32  and the inward tip  33 . 
         [0031]    The racks  30  are removably secured to the pivotable poles  23 , by being telescopically retained therein by one of the connector mechanism  18 . It is contemplated to insert a spring or like biasing member in the pivotable poles  23 , to urge the rack  30  upward upon release of the locking mechanism from the connector mechanism  18 , to facilitate removal of the rack  30  from the support frame  12 . 
         [0032]    An offset length  34  is optionally provided in the rack  30 , to separate the bags supported by the rack  30  from the pivotable poles  23 . 
         [0033]    Referring concurrently to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , one of the connector mechanisms  18  is shown in greater detail. The connector mechanism  18  has a lever  40  mounted to an outer sleeve  41 . The lever  40  is pivotally mounted to a connector end  42  of the sleeve  41 , and incorporates locking nuts  40 A. The lever  41  has a cam head  43 , so as to exert pressure upon the connector end  42  in a locking motion thereof. 
         [0034]    The connector end  42  defines a vertical gap  44 , which gap  44  is reduced in width by the action of the cam head  43  of the lever  40 . A bottom portion of the outer sleeve  41  is fixed to a top end of the pivotable pole  23 . A horizontal gap  45 , communicating with the vertical gap  44 , ensures that the locking action of the lever  40  does not cause substantial pressure on the pivotable pole  23 . 
         [0035]    An inner sleeve  46  is enclosed in the outer sleeve  41 , and is the interface between the rack  30  and the outer sleeve  41 . The inner sleeve  46  has a vertical slit  47  that allows a change in inner diameter of the inner sleeve  46  in response to a locking action of the lever  40 . Accordingly, the inner sleeve  46  holds the rack  30  captive until the lever  40  is actuated to release the rack  30 . If the rack  30  is made of stainless steel, it is preferred to have the inner sleeve  46  made of a softer material, such as brass. A spring  48  biases the rack  30  upwardly to facilitate the removal of the rack  30  from the connector mechanism  18 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the wheeled stand  14  is shown supporting the support frame  12 . In  FIG. 7 , the wheeled stand  14  is shown free of the support frame  12 . The wheeled stand  14  has a base  60  provided with swivel-type casters  61 . A support platform  62  is supported by rods  63 , which are the moveable portions of linear actuators actuated from the base  60 . 
         [0037]    Accordingly, by actuation of the linear actuators, the support platform  62  is displaceable vertically. Pedals  64  are provided to adjust the vertical position of the support platform  62 . 
         [0038]    In order to be used for the transportation of the support frame  12 , the wheeled stand  14  is positioned under the support frame  12 . The support platform  62  must be low enough so as to fit under the support frame  12 . If the support platform  62  is too high, the pedals  64  are used to lower the support platform  62 . 
         [0039]    Once the wheeled stand  14  is in a suitable position under the support frame  12 , the support platform  62  is raised using the pedals  64  to connect with the base plate  20  of the support frame  12 . The support platform  62  may then be raised farther to lift the support frame  12  off the wall support  16 . The support frame  12  is then displaceable as part of the medical support system  10 . It is pointed out that the support frame  12  and wheeled stand  14  may be connected to a hospital bed, so as to be displaceable therewith. 
         [0040]    In an embodiment, the linear actuators are electrically powered, and the base  60  encloses a rechargeable battery. It is contemplated to provide a back-up system to raise/lower the support platform  62 , such as handle  65 . The handle  65  is optionally connected to a manually-actuatable actuator raising/lowering the support platform  62 . The handle  65  is used as well to pull/push the base  60 . 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 8  a connector  70  is shown. The connector  70  is optionally used as an interface between the support frame  12  and the wheeled stand  14 . More specifically, the connector  70  defines a cavity  71  that accommodates the bottom end of the main pole  21 , with fasteners (not shown) being used to secure the connector  70  to the main pole  21 . The connector  70  is generally shaped as an inverted cone, and will be received in a corresponding cavity in the support platform  62  of the wheeled stand  60 . The shape of the connector  70  ensures that the main pipe  21  is centered in the platform  62 , and that a suitable contact surface is provided therebetween. 
         [0042]    A shoulder  72  is provided on the surface of the connector  70 . The shoulder  72  cooperates with a locking system in the platform  62 , to releasably lock the support frame  12  to the wheeled stand  14 . The locking system features a blocking element (not shown) fitting into the shoulder  72  to prvent movement between the connector  70  and the platform  62 .