Abstract:
A patient transfer method and apparatus designed to efficiently move a patient from one surface to another. A set of straps connected at one end to a winch are passed beneath the patient and attached to a padded support rod on the other side of the patient. The winch is used to pull the straps, and hence the padded support rod, thereby pulling the patient from the first surface to the second.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to the field of transferring patients from one surface to another, and more particularly to a system for aiding in the transfer of a patient from one support surface to another such as from a gurney to a hospital bed.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Patients are often transferred from one surface to another surface in medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics and surgery centers. For an operation, the patient is transported on a gurney, requiring a transfer from the hospital bed to the gurney and from the gurney to an operating table and vice versa when the operation is complete. Moving the patient from one surface to another is a difficult task because of the weight and bulk of the patient and the height of the surfaces which don&#39;t permit the medical staff to bend their knees to lift the patient, thereby creating severe stress on their backs and other joints and muscles, often leading to serious injuries of the medical staff. This problem is amplified when bariatric patients are involved, where the patient may weigh 400 to 800 pounds or more.  
         [0005]     Presently, a patient may be transferred by a practice of placing a heavy-duty sheet under the patient by “log-rolling” the patient to his or her side, placing the sheet underneath the patient, rolling the patient to his or her back and then several medical staff members lifting the patient via the sheet to move the patient from one surface to another. For bariatric patients, often six or more medical staff are often required and many times, injuries occur. Injuries to interns, nurses and other medical staff are very costly to hospitals, surgery centers and the like.  
         [0006]     Many ways have been devised to transfer patients from one surface to another. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,332 to Korver, et al. and is hereby incorporated by reference. This device requires the patient be situated on a patient positioning board; but there is no way for a patient, especially a sedated bariatric patient, to be moved off the positioning board and onto a bed.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,456 to Norris is hereby incorporated by reference. This patent describes a device that has a series of conveyor belts. The patient must be log-rolled to his or her side, the conveyor positioned next to the patient, then the patient rolled onto the conveyor belt.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,148 to Votel is hereby incorporated by reference. This patent describes a system with a transfer caddy and has a sheet-like material that the patient must be positioned upon, requiring log-rolling the patient in order to position the sheet-like material under the patient. Once positioned on the sheet-like material, the patient is pulled onto the destination surface.  
         [0009]     What is needed is a system that will transfer a patient from one surface to another without placing undo stress on the caregivers and without resulting in undo discomfort to the patient.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In one embodiment, an apparatus for transferring a patient from a first surface to a second surface is disclosed including a winch with two reels and two straps attached to the reels. A buffer cushion system is removably attachable to the two straps for pulling the patient in the direction of the winch from the first surface to the second surface. The buffer cushion system has a bar partially covered with at least one cushion and the bar has at least two attachment points for removably attaching the two straps.  
         [0011]     In another embodiment, a method for transferring a patient from a first surface to a second surface is disclosed, including providing a winch with a drive system, two reels operatively coupled to the drive system and two straps attached to the reels. A buffer cushion system for pulling the patient in the direction of the winch from the first surface to the second surface is removably attachable to the two straps and has a bar partially covered with at least one cushion. The bar has at least two attachment points for removably attaching the two straps. A first of the two straps is passed under the patient at a location substantially under the back of the patient and is attached to the bar at a first of the at least two attach points. A second of the two straps is passed under the patient at a location substantially under the gap below the knees of the patient and is attached to the bar at a second of the at least two attachment points. The reels are rotated; thereby pulling the two straps until the patient is transferred from the first surface to the second surface.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment, a patient transfer winch system for transferring a patient from a first surface to a second surface is disclosed, including a shaft rotatably coupled to the winch system with two reels mounted to and rotatably coupled to the shaft. Two straps are attached to the reels. A buffer cushion system for pulling the patient in the direction of the winch from the first surface to the second surface is removably attachable to the two straps. The buffer cushion system has a bar partially covered with at least one cushion. The bar has at least two attachment points for removably attaching the two straps. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1   a  illustrates a side schematic view of a system of a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates a front schematic view of a system of the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2   a  illustrates a side schematic view of a system of a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2   b  illustrates a front schematic view of a system of the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of a system of a third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates a detail view of the patient transport subsystem of both embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates a detail view of the headcushion of both embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6   a  and  FIG. 6   b  illustrate a method of attaching the buffer cushion assembly to the transport straps of both embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 7   a - e  illustrates the operation of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 1   a , a front schematic view of a system of the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The patient transfer winch system of this embodiment has one motor  10  that drives a shaft  14  through a gear box  11 . The motor is controlled by a controller  50  mounted upon a support rail  56  with a detachable remote control  54 . The remote control  54  has switches to control the operation of the motor and indicators to provide status such as battery charge status and system power status. In some embodiments, the switches are in the form of a joystick. The switches include, for example, motor speed and direction controls and an emergency stop. Power to the system is provided by a rechargeable battery  52 , an example of which is a lead acid battery or nickel metal hydride battery. In some embodiments, the batteries are recharged under control of the controller  50  using external power supplied from a standard power source through power cable  51 . In some embodiments, the batteries are removable and are externally charged. The patient transfer system is supported by vertical supports  30  and horizontal supports  32 / 56 . In some embodiments, wheels  34  are provided to ease movement of the winch system.  
         [0025]     Two reels  12 / 16  are coupled to the shaft  14  and will be explained in detail later. In some embodiments, a clutch (not shown) is provided on one or both of the reels  12 / 16  to control the transfer of rotation independently of the shaft  14  rotation and provide for correction of patient skewing during transfer. In some embodiments, one or both of the two reels  12 / 16  are adjustable to permit adjustment of the patient&#39;s location with respect to each other and to the patient and to accommodate differences in height between different patients.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 1   b , a side schematic view of a system of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this view, more detail of the frame is visible, showing the side of the vertical supports  30  and horizontal supports  32  as well as wheels  34 . The motor  10  is visible and one of the reels  16  with a patient transfer strap  18  passing under the patient  60 , whereas the patient is lying on a surface  42  supported by supports  41 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 2   a , a front schematic view of a system of the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The patient transfer winch system of this embodiment has a had-crank  22  that drives a shaft  14 . The patient transfer system is supported by vertical supports  30  and horizontal supports  32 . In some embodiments, wheels  34  are provided to ease movement of the winch system. Two reels  12 / 16  are provided and will be explained in detail later.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 2   b , a side schematic view of a system of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The hand-crank  22  is visible and a patient transfer strap  18  passing under the patient  60 , whereas the patient is lying on a surface  42  supported by supports  41 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a plan view of a system of the third embodiment of the present invention is shown. This embodiment differs slightly from the first embodiment, in that two motors  10 / 15  are provided, each driving a separate reel  12 / 16 . Not shown is the motor control system and remote control as in  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, a joystick remote control is provided to allow one-handed operation of both motors.  
         [0030]     A patient transfer strap  20 / 18  is attached to each reel so that as the motors  10 / 15  turn, the patient transfer straps  20 / 18  wind around the reels. The patient transfer strap is preferably made of a relatively high-strength material such as polypropylene or polyethylene. Preferably, the straps are made of a smooth, slippery material to aid in passing the straps underneath the patient. The other ends of the patient transfer straps are passed underneath the patient  60  and are removably attached to a buffer cushion system at attachment points  67 . In this embodiment, a key hole  68  and key peg  67  system is used to removably attach the patient transfer straps  18 / 20  to the bar  66 , though any suitable method of removable attachment can be used without veering from the present invention. The buffer cushion system comprises a bar  66  covered by one or more soft cushions  64 . In some embodiments, extra attachment points or key pegs  67  are provided to accommodate taller patients. The patient  60  is shown lying on his or her back on a first surface  40 . In some embodiments, a headcushion  70  is provided. As the motors  10 / 15  turn, the patient transfer straps  20 / 18  wrap around the reels  12 / 16 , pulling the buffer cushion system and hence the patient  60  from the first surface  40  to the second surface  42 . The headcushion  70  provides additional safety and comfort to the patient as his or her head passes over any gap between the first surface  40  and the second surface  42 . In some embodiments, a step  36  is provided to allow the operator better access to the system. In some embodiments, each motor  10 / 15  is individually controlled to allow the operator to correct any skewing of the patient  60  as he or she moves across the surfaces  40 / 42 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a detail view of the patient transport subsystem of all embodiments of the present invention is shown. The patient  60  has straps  18 / 20  passing under his or her back and knees. The straps are removably attached to the buffer cushion bar  66 . In this embodiment, the straps  18 / 20  are attached to key pegs  67  on the bar  66  through keyholes  68 . Buffer cushions  64  are provided for comfort to the patient  60  while transferring the patient  60  from one surface to another. In some embodiments, a headcushion  70  is provided to enhance comfort of the patient as they are transferred from one surface to another. The headcushion  70  also helps lift the head of the patient  60 , easing the placement of the patient transfer strap  20 .  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a detail view of the headcushion of both embodiments of the present invention is shown. The headcushion  70  is composed of a soft material such as foam rubber and in some embodiments is covered with cloth or another soft material. In the preferred embodiment, a low-friction transfer surface  72  is attached to the bottom of the headcushion  70  for smoothly sliding across the surfaces and facilitating spanning of any gaps that may exist between the surfaces as the patient  60  moves. In some embodiments, the low-friction transfer surface  72  is angled or curved so as to not catch on the edge of the destination surface.  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIG. 6   a  and  FIG. 6   b , one of several methods of attaching the buffer cushion system to the transport straps of both embodiments of the present invention is shown. The strap  18  has a key hole  68  with an opening at one end large enough to accept the head of the key peg  67  and a smaller opening at the opposite end that is large enough to accept the shaft of the key peg  67  but smaller than the head of the key  67 , such that the key  67  will not pass through that part of the key hole  68 . In  FIG. 6   a , the large opening end of the key hole  68  is positioned over the key  67 , then in  FIG. 6   b , the strap  18  is pulled so that the smaller opening of the key hole  68  is positioned around the shaft of the key  67 , thereby removably joining the shaft and strap. The strap  18  can easily be removed from the key peg  67  by pushing the strap  18  until the larger opening end of the key hole  68  is over the key peg  67  and lifting to remove. In other embodiments, the other ends of the straps  18 / 20  are removably attached to the reels  12 / 16 .  
         [0034]     Referring to  FIG. 7   a - e , the operation of the present invention is shown. In  FIG. 7   a , the patient  60  is shown lying on his or her back on a first surface  40 . The first surface  40  is positioned next to a second surface  42 . Only the reel  12  of the patient transfer winch system is shown for brevity. In  FIG. 7   b , the strap  20  from reel  12  is passed under the patient  60 , preferably under the patient&#39;s knees. A similar strap  18  (not visible) is passed under the patient&#39;s shoulders. The straps are attached to the buffer cushion system bar  66  which has an annular cushion  64  around it. The headcushion  70  is not visible in this example, but is provided in the preferred embodiment. In  FIG. 7   c , the motor(s)  10 / 15  have been energized and the straps begin pulling the buffer cushion bar  66  and hence the buffer cushion  64  towards the winch, hence pulling the patient  60  from the first surface  40  to the destination surface  42 . In  FIG. 7   d , the patient  60  is resting on the destination surface  42 . In  FIG. 7   e , the straps  20  have been removed and the buffer cushion  64  taken away. At this time, the winch system can be moved and used with another patient.  
         [0035]     Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.  
         [0036]     It is believed that the system and method of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.