Patent ID: 8910326

Claim:
A patient transport device comprising: a horizontally disposed wheeled base comprising a pair of horizontally disposed wheel support arms each having a wheel mounted near a rear arm end thereof and wherein the other front arm end of each one of said wheel support arms is attached to a lifting structure comprising a pair of substantially vertical lifting columns and a frame structure including upper and lower portions disposed therebetween wherein said frame structure sidewardly spaces apart said lifting columns and one each of said pair of wheel support arms, wherein said frame structure holds said lifting columns in substantially vertical orientation, thereby forming a lifting structure and wherein said lifting structure has at least one wheel attached thereto, whereby said patient transport device is rollingly supported by said wheels to permit rolling across a supporting surface and wherein each of said lifting columns comprise double telescoping tubular structures each including a non-extendable lower guide tube, wherein said non-extendible guide tubes are rigidly connected together by said lower portion of said frame structure proximate a front end of said base, an upwardly extendable middle guide tube telescoping from the non-extendible guide tube, and an upwardly extendable upper guide tube telescoping from the middle guide tube and wherein each one of said upper guide tubes are connected together near the upper end thereof by said upper portion of said frame structure and wherein each said upper guide tube includes a patient lifting arm attached near the upper end thereof, wherein each one of said patient lifting arms extends substantially parallel to the other one of said patient lifting arms in a rearward direction and substantially above one of said wheel support arms and wherein said patient lifting arms define a rearward-opening space for receiving and supporting the patient in a forward facing orientation, and said upper guide tubes are lifted by a double telescoping jack screw arrangement disposed within each of said telescoping columns.