Patent ID: 8733719

Claim:
A method for use in management of a group of intravenous pole assemblies comprising at least first and second intravenous pole assemblies, the method comprising: providing an apparatus including an arm having disposed thereon a first connector adapted for connecting to a pole and a second connector adapted for connecting to a pole, the arm being adapted for providing a spacing between the first connector and the second connector; connecting the first connector to a pole of the first intravenous pole assembly and connecting the second connector to a pole of the second intravenous pole assembly, whereupon there is defined by the connecting of the first connector to the pole of the first intravenous pole assembly and the connecting of the second connector to the pole of the second intravenous pole assembly a group of connected intravenous pole assemblies; imparting a force to move the group of connected intravenous pole assemblies; wherein the first connector and the second connector are adapted so that each of the first connector and the second connector can be connected to a pole of an intravenous pole assembly using a single direction manually imparted push force manually imparted to the apparatus, and wherein the first connector and the second connector are adapted so that each of the first connector and the second connector can be released from a pole of an intravenous pole assembly using a single direction manually imparted pull force manually imparted to the apparatus, and wherein the first connector is adapted so that when the first connector is connected to the pole of the first intravenous pole assembly the pole of the first intravenous pole assembly can be rotated about an axis of the pole of the first intravenous pole assembly with an orientation of the first connector remaining constant, wherein the providing includes providing the apparatus so that at a proximal end of the arm there is disposed a handle adapted for grasping by an operator, wherein the handle extends away from the proximal end of the arm, wherein the first connector is disposed more proximate the proximal end than the second connector, wherein a distance between the handle and the second connector is greater than a distance between the first connector and the second connector, and wherein the imparting includes imparting a force to the handle.