Patent Publication Number: US-2013247298-A1

Title: Litter attachment bracket

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority on Continuation application Ser. No. 12/555,383 filed Sep. 8, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an accessory bracket that may be attached to portable beds commonly used in military type field hospitals or litters, preferably litters that meet NATO standards, for the attachment of medical equipment commonly used in patient care and/or the transport of patients between locations via ground, air or seaborne conveyances. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The standard bed used in military type field hospitals is portable and may be quickly set up for use or collapsed for stowage or transport. The standard military bed permits elevation of the patient&#39;s head and provides attachment points (holes) for a writing platform and an IV pole. 
     The prior art IV pole material is tubular and is formed from plural parts that can be telescoped relative to one another to vary the length of the IV pole. The fully extended prior art IV pole can have a length in excess of three feet. Significantly, the prior art IV poles were designed long before many currently essential portable equipment items became available. Thus, the prior art IV poles were never intended for mounting the portable equipment items that currently are used in military type field hospitals. Hence, the prior art IV poles do not have the requisite strength for supporting many portable equipment items that are used widely in military type field hospitals. The thin-wall tubular material of the prior art IV pole easily is subject to compression damage from attachment bracket clamps and is increasingly subject to shear or bending when equipment is mounted at positions higher up the pole. The field hospital portable bed has no provision for the safe attachment of medical equipment items. 
     The current standard of patient care has evolved considerably over the years. Military type field hospitals currently perform sophisticated and complex procedures comparable to procedures performed in civilian and fixed-facility hospitals. A significant limitation in providing this sophisticated level of care in a military field hospital involves the safe deployment of medical equipment in a manner that facilitates operator access and attachment to the patient. 
     Field hospitals typically have soft walls that are unable to mount medical equipment items. Accordingly, medical equipment and supplies currently are placed for use, peripherally, as close to the bed as possible. This existing disposition of medical equipment and supplies severely limits access and congests the immediate area by interposing wires, cables, connectors, hoses and tubing in the space between patient and equipment that desirably would be occupied by the care giver. The inherent risk in such an environment is entanglement of care givers, damage to equipment and inadvertent disconnections of patient-attached wires, cables, connectors, hoses and tubing. 
     Attempts have been made during the last twenty years to organize and clear the clutter in field hospitals with limited success. U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,922 discloses a Special Medical Emergency Evacuation Device (SMEED), which is designed to organize equipment and eliminate clutter principally during en route care of patients. The SMEED was designed to interface with a NATO litter and can be used only in a field hospital affixed to a mobile transporter. This option allows for the safe attachment of medical equipment items and obviates the need for the standard bed described above. However, the NATO litter has a stiff and uncomfortable patient-contacting surface. Furthermore, the NATO litter has a small surface area for the patient to lie upon and requires optional attachments to elevate the patient&#39;s head. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,151 discloses a device referred to as the LSTAT that also was designed principally for en route care. The LSTAT is a very heavy platform that contains a suite of medical products within a housing that occupies the dead-space beneath a NATO litter. The standard NATO litter attaches and locks into place atop the LSTAT so that the patient, the NATO litter, and the LSTAT may be carried or transported together as one integrated unit. However, the combination of the LSTAT, the NATO litter and the patient can weigh more than 350 lbs and requires six persons to carry. However, the LSTAT has been relegated to limited use in field hospitals due to its heavy weight and generally is not used for transport. The LSTAT suffers from many of the same deficiencies as the SMEED. More particularly, the LSTAT is attached to the standard NATO litter, which has a stiff uncomfortable patient-contacting surface material. Additionally, the NATO litter has a small surface area for the patient to lie upon, and requires optional attachments to elevate the patients head. 
     A relatively new device called Porta-Wall is being evaluated for possible use in field hospitals. Porta-Wall is designed to mount medical equipment, accessories and peripheral support elements (such as bins, lighting, electrical distribution, etc.) while maintaining a small “footprint” in the bed area. 
     With the possible exception of Porta-Wall, these few unsuccessful attempts for safely and effectively deploying medical equipment and supplies in field hospitals have remained almost entirely unchanged. 
     The NATO litter has a standard geometry and is characterized by an area of canvas supported between to two parallel poles. Modified versions of the NATO litter exist and may have: metal poles instead of wood poles, removable/replaceable handles instead of handles that are integral to the poles, nylon mesh instead of canvas, decontaminable mesh instead of nylon or canvas and litters that fold in half or in quarters for easy stowage, storage, or transport. The NATO litters typically are used to evacuate injured and/or wounded patients from the location of their injury or their most recent point of care to another care facility for treatment. 
     Many non-collapsible litters remain in use. However, improved versions of the NATO style litter have evolved mechanically and materially. The surface material of choice on the current generation of NATO litters is a decontaminable mesh. Additionally, the litter poles on many currently used NATO style litters have at least one hinge that permits the pole to be folded in half or quarters. When these litters are assembled and are ready-for-patient-use Each hinge on each pole of the currently used NATO style litter has a round socket that can accommodate an accessory bracket. Litters that fold in half have two such sockets and litters that fold in quarters have six sockets. The diameters of the sockets in the current generation of NATO litters are intended to correspond dimensionally to the peripheral holes in field hospital portable beds and to be universally compatible with the above-described telescoping IV Poles. 
     Medical personnel desirably should monitor the patient&#39;s status to ensure timely delivery of proper medical treatment and/or to maintain the patient in a sufficiently stable condition to allow for safe transport. Unfortunately, the two poles and the canvas, nylon or decontaminable mesh patient support of a litter do not readily permit attachment of medical equipment items. Instead, equipment usually is placed atop the patient. However, equipment placed atop the patient imbalances the litter, is prone to fall off and generally requires a third or fourth person to help stabilize and carry the litter. Using the patient as the equipment carrying platform does not benefit patient care or safety and is not recommended under any circumstances. 
     Devices and techniques have been developed in recent years to transport injured/wounded patients. These devices include the above-described SMEED and LSTAT and the MIRF, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,331. The LSTAT and MIRF are undesirable in that each carries a suite of equipment items even though all of these items are not necessary in every situation. Another drawback to the LSTAT and MIRF is that each has a fixed size and shape whether or not any of its equipment items are in use. The unused equipment items unnecessarily add weight and the same amount of space is taken up regardless of how many items are utilized. This weight disadvantage limits how far-forward to the point of injury the LSTAT and SMEED can go, and also drains assets by requiring the use of additional manpower to carry. Vertical space is at a premium In military evacuation platforms. Ground vehicles, fixed wing aircraft and helicopters employ rack or stanchion mounting systems to stack casualties. Thus, these vehicles can transport of multiple patients, but, as a consequence, caregiver access to the patient and equipment is limited. The size and weight of an LSTAT or MIRF imposes limits on the number of patients that may be evacuated in any given type of transport vehicle. The SMEED device is much smaller and lighter than LSTAT and MIRF and can be custom configured to carry only the needed equipment items. The LSTAT and MIRF sit below the patient. The SMEED, on the other hand attaches atop the patient. This disposition of the SMEED creates access issues and the SMEED device cannot be height-adjusted or removed from the litter during transport if required by circumstances. SMEED is considerably lighter than LSTAT and MIRF. However, the top mounted equipment set of SMEED makes a “loaded” litter considerably more top heavy and requires a four-man team to carry safely. 
     Each of the above approaches has a unique usefulness. However, there is a need for a simple and lightweight means to affix equipment items directly to the litter. There also is a need to provide a means to affix equipment items to the litter without requiring the litter to be carried by more than two individuals. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a modular accessory bracket that easily attaches to a military field hospital portable bed or NATO style non-collapsible or collapsible litter. The modular accessory bracket can function as an IV pole. However, the primary purpose of the modular accessory bracket is to attach equipment items, a capability that was never designed into the field hospital portable bed/NATO litter IV Pole. 
     The modular accessory bracket includes an adjustable clamp that can be attached anywhere along the periphery of the field hospital portable bed or anywhere along the sides of the NATO litter. The adjustable clamp includes a mating receptacle with a captive locking mechanism. 
     The modular accessory bracket also has a lower support with a bar and a dovetail shaped receptacle. The bar has a bottom end with a diameter to fit in the receptacle of the adjustable clamp and a means for integrating with the locking mechanism of the adjustable clamp. The diameter of the bottom end of the bar also is dimensioned to fit in the attachment holes of the field hospital portable bed or the socket that is formed in each hinge of a collapsible litter. Thus, the lower support can be used with the adjustable clamp or independently of the adjustable clamp. An anti-turn mechanism preferably is provided for preventing the lower bar from rotating relative to the attachment holes of the field hospital portable bed or the socket that is formed in each hinge of a collapsible litter. A keyway is provided at the top of the lower bar. 
     A dovetail shaped receptacle of the lower support is attached to the bar and is configured to receive a dovetail shaped flange that is common to many medical equipment items used by the military. The bar of the lower support extends above the dovetail shaped receptacle a sufficient distance to accommodate attachment of multiple infusion pumps or other pole mounted portable equipment items. 
     The modular accessory bracket also includes an upper support that is configured to mate with the top end of the bar of the lower support. For example, the upper support may include a mating receptacle, a mating keyway and a captive locking mechanism that attaches to the top of bar of the lower support. The top end of the upper support has means for simultaneously attaching multiple IV solution pouches or bottles. The lower and upper supports can be used together with the adjustable clamp or independently of the adjustable clamp. 
     The modular accessory bracket may be stowed in a kit pouch. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the modular accessory bracket mounted to a pole of a litter. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the adjustable clamp of the modular accessory bracket of the subject invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the adjustable clamp of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the lower support assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the lower support. 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the upper support. 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the modular accessory bracket mounted to the hinge of a litter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A modular accessory bracket in accordance with the invention is identified generally by the numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . The modular bracket assembly  10  can be used with a NATO-style litter  12  or with a field hospital portable bed (not shown). The litter  12  has two poles  14  and a patient support  16  extending between the two poles  14 . The poles  14  may be formed from wood, but preferably are formed from a light weight metal, such as aluminum. Additionally, each pole  14  has at least one hinge  18  so that the poles  14  and the entire litter  12  can be collapsed when not in use. Each hinge  18  has a substantially cylindrical hole  20  extending entirely therethrough for receiving a portion of the modular bracket assembly  10 , as explained herein. The holes  20  are oriented to align vertically when the patient support  16  is horizontal. Additionally, the holes  20  have diameters that correspond dimensionally to diameters of the standard attachment holes of the field hospital portable bed (not shown). The patient support  16  is formed from a flexible fabric, such as canvas, a nylon mesh or decontaminable mesh. 
     The modular bracket assembly  10  includes an adjustable clamp  22  with a C-shaped body  24  that has a concave gripping surface  26  defining a curvature substantially corresponding to the curvature of the poles  14 . The concave gripping surface  26  has gnarling or ribs to facilitate gripping of the pole  14 . The adjustable clamp  22  also has a jaw  28  that is movably disposed relative to the body  24 . The jaw  28  has a concave gripping surface  30  that substantially corresponds to and opposes the concave gripping surface  26 . A threaded actuator  32  threadedly cooperates with the body  24  and the jaw  28  for selectively moving the concave gripping surfaces  26  and  30  toward or away from one another in a known manner. Thus, the adjustable clamp  22  can be mounted securely to any location on either of the poles  14  by positioning the clamp  22  along the selected pole  14  and tightening the threaded actuator  32  when the clamp  22  is at the desired position. Additionally, the clamp  22  easily can be removed and repositioned easily by loosening the threaded actuator  32 . 
     The body  24  of the clamp  22  includes an aperture  34  extending entirely therethrough in a direction substantially parallel to the threaded actuator  32 . The aperture  34  has an inside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the hole  20  of the hinge  18  of the litter  12 . A clamp keyway  36  extends into the body  24  and intersects the aperture  34  at a substantially right angle. A pin  38  is tethered to the clamp body  24  by a wire  39 . The pin  38  is dimensioned to be received in the clamp keyway  36 . 
     The modular bracket assembly  10  further includes a lower support  40 . The lower support  40  includes a solid metal bar  42  with opposite first and second ends  44  and  46 . First and second bar keyways  48  and  50  extend through the bar  40  at locations spaced selected distances from the respective first and second ends  44  and  46 . The bar keyways  48  and  50  have inside diameters substantially equal to the inside diameter of the clamp keyway  36 . The bar has an outside diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the aperture  34  in the clamp body  24 , and hence slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the hole  20  of the hinge  18  or the inside diameters of the standard attachment holes of the field hospital portable bed (not shown). With this construction, the first end  44  of the bar  42  can be mounted in the aperture  34  in the clamp body  24 . The pin  36  then can be passed through the camp keyway  36  and into or through the first keyway  48  of the bar  42  to fix the bar  42  both axially and rotationally relative to the clamp body  24 . 
     The lower support  40  further includes an accessory mount  52  secured to the bar  42  at a position slightly closer to the first end  44  than the second end  46  of the bar  42 . The accessory mount  52  is formed with a dovetail shaped receptacle  54  that is configured to receive the dovetail shaped mounting flange that is common to many medical equipment items used by the military. 
     The lower support  40  further includes a rotation restriction member  56  that can be secured to the accessory mount  52  and the bar  42  in either of two optional orientations. The rotation restriction member  56  is dimensioned to pass through a space between the hinge  18  and the patient support  16 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , when the first end  44  of the bar  42  is mounted in the hole  20  of the hinge  18 . More particularly, the rotation restriction member  56  is positioned adjacent the hinge  18  to prevent the bar  42  from rotating in the hole  20  of the hinge  18 . Alternatively, the rotation restriction member  56  can be directed upwardly when the first end  44  of the bar  42  is mounted in the aperture  34  in the clamp body  24 , as shown in  FIG. 1  to ensure that there is no interference between the rotation restriction member  56  and the patient support  16 . 
     The modular bracket assembly  10  further includes a upper support  60 . The upper support  60  has opposite upper and lower ends  62  and  64 . The part of the upper support  60  adjacent the upper end  62  is a rigid rod and preferably is a solid metal rod. Hooks  66  are mounted through the upper support  60  near the upper end  62  and are configured to support multiple IV solution pouches or bottles. The part of the upper support  60  adjacent the lower end  64  is a rigid hollow metal tube  68  that is dimensioned to telescope over the second end  46  of the bar  42 . An upper support keyway  70  is formed through the tube  68  at a position to align with the second keyway  50  of the bar  42  when the tube  68  is telescoped completely over the second end  46  of the bar  42 . An upper support pin  72  is tethered to the upper support  60  by a wire  74  and is dimensioned to pass through the upper support keyway  70  and into the second the second keyway  50  of the bar  42  to prevent axial or rotational movement of the upper support  60  relative to the bar  42  Of the lower support  40 . 
     The modular bracket assembly  10  can be used with several optional configurations and at several optional positions. For example, the clamp  22  can be mounted at any optional position on a pole  14  of a litter  12  so that the aperture  34  is oriented substantially vertically. The first end  44  of the bar  42  then is inserted into the aperture  34  of the clamp  22  and is positioned so that the keyways  36  and  48  align. The pin  38  then is inserted through the aligned keyways  36  and  48  to fix the lower support  40  axially and rotationally relative to the clamp  22  and the litter  12 . The tube  68  of the upper support  60  then can be telescoped over the second end  46  of the bar  42 . The keyways  46  and  70  then are aligned and the pin  72  is passed through the aligned keyways  46  and  70  to fix the upper support  60  axially and rotationally to the lower support  40 . The upper support  60  does not have to be used on all occasions. More particularly, the clamp  22  can be mounted to the litter  12  and the lower support  40  can be mounted to the clamp  22 , as described above. The dovetail shaped mounting flange that is common to many medical equipment items used by the military then can be inserted into the dovetail shaped receptacle  54  of the accessory mount  52  that is part of the lower support  40 . With this optional configuration, the appropriate medical equipment item can be mounted at the optimal location on the litter  12  that will permit efficient monitoring of both the equipment and the patient. Additionally, the medical equipment will be at a relatively low position to avoid the top heavy arrangement of the prior art and to provided an assembly that is easy to transport. 
     The modular bracket assembly  10  also can be used without the clamp  22 . More particularly, the first end  44  of the bar  42  can be mounted directly in the hole  20  of the hinge  18  of the litter  12  or in the standard attachment holes of the field hospital portable bed. The rotation restriction member  56  can be positioned adjacent the hinge  18  or corresponding structure on the field hospital bed to prevent the lower support  40  from rotating. The upper support  60  then can be mounted to the second end  46  of the bar  42  as described above so that multiple IV solution pouches or bottles can be supported near the patient. Alternatively, the dovetail shaped mounting flange that is common to many medical equipment items used by the military can be inserted into the dovetail shaped receptacle  54  of the accessory mount  52  that is part of the lower support  40 . Thus, the appropriate medical equipment item can be mounted at one of at least two hinge  18  locations on the litter  12  that will permit efficient monitoring of both the equipment and the patient. Additionally, the medical equipment will be at a relatively low position to avoid the top heavy arrangement of the prior art and to provided an assembly that is easy to transport. 
     The modular bracket assembly of the invention provides several advantages over the above-described prior art. In particular, the modular bracket assembly enables a care giver to attach medical equipment items and/or IV solutions anywhere around the periphery of a field hospital portable bed and anywhere along the sides of the NATO litter including the attachment holes of field hospital portable beds or the socket that is formed within each hinge when a collapsible litter is assembled. The modular bracket assembly enables the various parts to be assembled in a way that prevents separation or rotation. However, the modular accessory bracket parts optionally can be rotated into the most favorable viewing angle for caregivers. Furthermore the preferred construction can be assembled easily, even in total darkness for use in-the-field by special operations personnel. The upper and lower supports provide a strong and lightweight means by which to attach many types of medical equipment items and/or IV solutions to the new generation of NATO litters. The supports are not subject to compression damage from attachment bracket clamps and the solid construction or the rod and most of the upper support ensures that these components are not subject to shear or bending as equipment is attached at higher locations. 
     The invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, elements other than the illustrated keyways can be provided for fixing the elements axially and rotationally, such as threads or bayonet type connections. The rotation restriction member  56  also can take many other optional configurations. The clamp need not have a threaded tightening member, and can be tightened by levers or the like. The figures illustrate one modular bracket assembly mounted to a litter. However, plural modular bracket assemblies are likely to be used simultaneously, and the simultaneously used modular bracket assemblies can be configured differently from one another. For example, some may use the clamp, while others may be mounted to a hole in a hinge. Additionally, the modular bracket assembly can be used with other types of litters, including those with no hinges or with more hinges.