Abstract:
A patient transport board comprises a flat, rigid board having a surface on which the patient lays and restraining straps for securing the patient. A pair of foldable rail members can be extended to serve as runners for moving the patient down a flight of stairs. A skid plate is provided at the foot end of the board to allow the board to be used in an upright mode for maneuvering in tight areas. In one embodiment wheel and axle assemblies are affixed at the lower end of the rail members to make easier movement of the patient transport board in an upright orientation. In another embodiment track assemblies allow for movement over rough or uneven surfaces when the patient transport board is in an upright orientation. Components of the patient transport board are foldable or removable so the board can be readily placed on a gurney or stored.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/408,983, filed Sep. 5, 2002, entitled PATIENT TRANSPORT BOARD which application is incorporated by reference herein. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to the transport of injured persons and more particularly to the transport of such persons through narrow hallways and down stairs such as may be encountered by firefighters and emergency medical personnel. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Emergency Medical Service Personnel (EMS), firefighters and others involved in emergency health situations are often faced with moving an injured or incapacitated person through a confined space or down one or more flights of stairs. Conventionally, such persons are immobilized on a flat backboard for transfer to a suitable area where they can be transferred to a gurney for transportation to a hospital in an ambulance. To maneuver the board and immobilized patient through a narrow door or through a hall with tight turns requires substantial effort on the part of the personnel carrying the board. Similarly, carrying a board and patient down a flight of stairs can impose a strain on the back of those carrying the board. Except in those situations where a small child is being extricated, it will be seen that a board on which is carried a normal size person (male or female) represents a substantial amount of weight. Back injuries among firefighters and EMS personnel resulting from carrying and maneuvering patients on backboards down stairs and through confined areas are common resulting in time lost from the job, health care costs and suffering by the personnel injured. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an improved emergency services transport board that can be used to maneuver an incapacitated person in an upright position through confined spaces such as narrow doors and hallways and around tight corners. In one embodiment, the device of this invention can be used as a sled for transporting an incapacitated person down a flight of stairs. The improved transport board is provided with skids and a skid pad that can be folded into a collapsed mode for easy storage on an emergency vehicle. 
   In another aspect of the invention the device may be provided with wheels or full track trolleys to transport a patient in a generally upright position down flights of stairs. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a transport board in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an end of the patient transport board partially broken away for compactness of illustration showing the spring loaded foot board; 
       FIG. 3  is an end view of the patient transport board of the invention; 
       FIGS. 4-5 ,  FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b ,  7   a ,  7   b  and  8   a  and  8   b  illustrate the steps for placing the transport board into use for transporting a patient; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the use of the transport board in the essentially vertical orientation as a dolly; 
       FIG. 10  illustrates one mode of use of the transport board to maneuver a patient down a flight of steps; 
       FIG. 11  is an enlarged scale, partially broken away for compactness of illustration showing an embodiment of the invention employing the full track trolley; 
       FIG. 12  illustrates another embodiment of the invention for the conversion of a conventional patient transport board into the patient transport board of the invention; 
       FIG. 13  shows the transport board in the fully folded mode being received on a gurney; and 
       FIG. 14  illustrates the full track embodiment of  FIG. 11  for maneuvering a patient down a flight of stairs. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to FIGS,  1 ,  2  and  3 , the patient transport board of the present invention, shown generally as  10 , comprises a flat rigid board  12  defining an upper surface  14  on which the patient lies, a lower surface  16 , a foot end  18  and a head end  20 . The board is adapted for restraining the patient by the provision of opposed slots  22  located along the lateral edges of the board through which extend restraining straps  24 . At the foot end  18  of the board a spring loaded foot support  26  ( FIG. 2 ) is pivotally mounted on the upper surface  14 . The foot support  26  pivots between a folded position against the upper surface  14  and, as shown, an extended position essentially vertical to the upper surface to provide a support platform for the patient when the board is non-horizontally positioned. A skid plate  28  is pivotally mounted on the lower surface  16  of the board  12  at the foot end  18  for pivoting into an extended position away from the lower surface of the board. Springs  29  normally urge the skid plate  28  into the extended position and locking clamps (not shown) hold the skid plate in the folded position against the lower surface  16  of the board  12 . The skid plate  28  can provide a surface for sliding the lower end  18  of the board  12  when the board is utilized as a dolly. An opposed pair of sled rails  30  are pivotally mounted on the lower face  16  of the board  12  along essentially the length of the board parallel to its longitudinal axis. The sled rails  30  are mounted for folding between a closed position ( FIG. 6   b ) against the lower face  16  of the board and an unfolded open position ( FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  7   a  and  7   b ) essentially normal to the plane of the lower surface. The sled rails  30  are maintained in the open position by a rail support plate  32  that is pivotally mounted on the lower surface  16  at the head end  20  of the board  12  and by the skid plate  28 . The skid plate  28  and the rail support plate  32  are notched at their outer corners for receiving an end portion of each sled rail  30  to prevent the sled rails from collapsing back to their closed position. The skid plate  28  also serves as a platform for supporting the patient transport board on a surface on which the skid plate will slide when the board is used in the dolly mode of operation. As an aid in maneuvering the board  12 , particularly down a flight of stairs, a flexible cord  31  is attached at one end to each corner of the board and a handle  32  is attached to the opposite end of each of the cords. 
   In another embodiment of the invention, an axle and wheel assembly  29  is secured at the foot end of each sled rail  30  for ease in maneuvering the board  12  when using it as a dolly rather than using the skid plate  28  to slide the board on the surface. The wheel and axle assembly  29  can be permanently attached to the sled rails  30  for folding with the sled rails for storage. In another embodiment, the wheel and axle assemblies  29  may be removable to allow for placement of the patient transport board  10  on a gurney or in an ambulance and the wheel and axle assemblies separately stored. 
   Referring to  FIG. 11  in yet another embodiment, a pair of track assemblies  50  are affixed at the foot end  18  of the board  12 . This embodiment of the invention is particularly useful for walking the patient transport board down a flight of stairs by a single individual with the board  12  in an essentially upright attitude. 
   Each track assembly  50  comprises a front and rear bogey wheel  52  on which is supported a suitable endless track  54 . For example, flexible reinforced plastic material is highly suited for use as the track material and is readily available. The track assembly  50  further comprises an axle  56  for each bogey wheel, a tie rod  58  extending between the axles  56  and an suspension bar  60  connected to the tie rod and to the board  12 . In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 11 , the suspension bar  60  is pivotally affixed on the board  12  to pivot about an axis that is normal to the longitudinal axis of the board so that the track assemblies  50  freely pivot to a folded position in which the track assemblies lie in a plane parallel to the upper surface  14  of the board  12 . As illustrated, the suspension bar  60  is journaled at each edge of the board  12  and extends through a passage (not shown) and the track assemblies pivot simultaneously. Alternatively, a separate suspension bar  60  for each track assembly  50  is journaled in each edge of the board  12 . In this case the track assemblies pivot independently of the other. In cases where it is difficult or in convenient to journal the suspension rod  60  in the board  12 , a single suspension bar  60  can be pivotally affixed to the lower surface  16  of the board so that the track assemblies  50  pivot simultaneously. It is within the scope of the invention, however, that that the suspension rod  60  be non-pivotally affixed to the board  12  and that the track assemblies  50  be pivotally connected to the suspension rod for pivoting about an axis normal to the axis of the suspension rod. 
   The steps for placing the patient transport board  12  in operation are shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5   FIGS. 6   a  and  b  through  FIGS. 8   a  and  b . The first step is to pivot the foot support  26  from its folded position to its open position to extend substantially normal to the lower surface  16  of the board  10  as shown in FIG.  2 . The patent is then placed on the board and secured by the restraining straps  24  (FIG.  4 ). A neck collar  25  is also placed on the patient to support the patients head. Once the patient is secured, the board  12  is lifted into a vertical position ( FIG. 5 ) and the skid plate  28  is unfolded from its position against the lower surface  16  of the board ( FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b ). The sled rails  30  are pivoted into the open position with the ends thereof restraining the skid plate  28  ( FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b ). The rail support plate  32  is unfolded and the sled rails  30  are secured in the notched corners of the rail support plate ( FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b ). At this point the patient transport board  10  can be utilized as a dolly with the patient supported thereon in a substantially upright position. 
   As mentioned the patient transport board  10  of the present invention can be maneuvered in tight places such making turns in narrow hallways and the like. Referring to  FIG. 9 , the transport board  10  can be placed in a substantially vertical orientation without harming the patient who is secured to the board  12  and is further supported in the vertical orientation by the foot support  26 . 
   One or two attendants may maneuver the board  12 . Thus, with two attendants, one attendant supports the top end  20  of the board  12 , as the other attendant pulls the lower end  18  using the cords  31  and handles  32  to maneuver the board on the axle and wheel assembly  29 , or if there are no wheels, causes the skid plate  28  to slide on the floor allowing the transport board to be maneuvered while in an essentially vertical position. In this position the transport board  10  is readily moved through tight hallways and the like and is easily rotated for making tight turns. It will be clear, however, with the embodiment having wheel assemblies  29  or the track assembly  50 , the patient transport board  10  can be readily maneuvered by a single attendant. 
   When the transport board is supported by the sled rails  30 , the patient is readily moved down a flight of stairs. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the EMS personnel use the cords  31  and handles  32  at each end of the transport board and slide the transport board on the sled rails  30  down the stairs. Use of the sled rails  30  allows for smooth descent or ascent, as the case may be, and jarring of the patient can be kept at a minimum. 
   Referring to  FIG. 14 , the embodiment of the invention employing the track assemblies  50  is advantageously employed in a stair descent in a substantially upright mode, much the same as in the dolly mode. The track assemblies  50  support the patient transport board  10  essentially on the edge of several steps of the staircase and provide the bogey wheels  52  with a smooth endless surface that eliminates much of the jarring that would occur if a descent of the stairs were to be attempted with the transport board in the essentially upright dolly mode of operation without the track assemblies. 
   Once the patient is extricated from the narrow hallway and/or up or down any steps, the transport board can be returned to its folded position by reversing the steps described above. Once folded, as shown in  FIG. 13 , the transport board can be placed directly on a gurney for transport to an ambulance without the necessity of again moving the patient. 
   While the invention has thus far been described in connection with embodiments in which the board  12 , sled rails  30 , foot plate  26 , wheel assemblies  29  or track assemblies  50  and support plate  32  comprise a single assembly, in many cases it may be desirable to utilize conventional transport boards by converting them to a patient transport board in accordance with the invention. Referring to  FIG. 12  this is accomplished by providing a frame member, shown generally as  100  that comprises a pair of spaced apart longitudinal members  110 , an upper transverse member  112  and a lower transverse member  114  that cooperate with the longitudinal members to form the frame member. The spacing between the longitudinal members  110  is substantially the width of a conventional transport board. 
   In the embodiment shown, the lower transverse member  114  is pivotally mounted on the longitudinal members  110  for movement between a folded position and an extended position (as illustrated) and thus serves as the foot support described above in connection with the embodiments of the invention illustrated and described in connection with FIG.  1 . Likewise, the upper transverse member  112  is pivotally mounted for movement between a folded position (as shown) and an extended position to serve as the rail support plate, the function of which is described above. Sled rails  116  are pivotally mounted on the longitudinal members  110  and function as described above in connection with the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIG.  1 -FIG.  10 . Straps  118  are affixed around the longitudinal members  110 . A conventional transport board  120  is positioned between the longitudinal members  110  and is supported at its upper and lower ends by the upper transverse member  112  and the lower transverse member  114  respectively. Optionally wheel assemblies  122  or the track assemblies  50  of  FIG. 11  are journaled at the lower ends of the sled rails  116  and are foldable with the sled rails or removable for positioning on a gurney or for storage. 
   Operation of the frame member  100  and transport board  120  combination is the same as the operation of the patient transport board illustrated and described above in connection with the  FIGS. 1-10 . 
   As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various arrangements which lie within the spirit and scope of the invention other than those described in detail in the specification will occur to those persons skilled in the art. It is therefor to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.