Patient Carrier

Abstract

A patient litter with a body supporting platform fabricated from a generally radiolucent plastic resinous substance and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional radio absorbing thickness and being adapted to support a patient on the upper surface thereof. X-ray film cassette receiving means are disposed immediately beneath the body supporting platform, these means being adapted to receive electromagnetic radiation from a source through the body of a patient on the body supporting platform, and thence through the body supporting platform. Means are provided for transporting the litter when occupied by a patient, and strap means are also provided for retaining a patient thereon.

Description

The present invention relates generally to patient litters, and more specifically to patient litters which are adapted to be utilized to carry or support the patient at each and every station for treatment, without necessarily moving the patient to different support tables which may require different positioning of the patient thereon. The litter structure includes a body supporting platform which is fabricated from a generally radiolucent plastic resinous substance which has a substantially uniform cross-sectional radio absorbing thickness, and is accordingly adapted to support the patient throughout the extent of his emergency treatment.

At the present time, when a patient is involved in an emergency situation such as an automobile or industrial accident, and has sustained unknown injuries, he is initially taken by an ambulance crew with the responsibility of placing him upon a stretcher, litter, or the like. While on the stretcher, the patient is transported to the ambulance where, in certain instances, he may be transferred from the initial stretcher to an ambulance cart or an ambulance bed or other similar structure. Upon arrival at a hospital, he is generally taken to an emergency room where he will be transferred from the ambulance equipment to an emergency cart or the like. Since ambulance crews are generally independent contractors, and not connected with a given hospital, the transfer to the emergency cart normally occurs lacking an arrangement for equipment exchange. While on the emergency cart, the patient is sometimes taken to an emergency room and evaluated by a first attending physician. If X-rays are indicated, they may be taken by initially transporting the patient to the X-ray department, which normally requires a transfer from the bed or cart to the X-ray table, or the X-rays will be attempted in the emergency room where the patient is frequently lifted in order to accommodate an X-ray film cassette beneath his body. Upon completion of the exposure of the film, the patient may have to be once again lifted to remove the film, the film thereafter being sent for development. Should the patient require surgery, he may necessarily undergo an additional transfer from the cart to the operating table, and after the surgical procedure is completed, he may again be transferred to a cart and ultimately to his final bed.

Through each of these transfers, if the patient has suffered fractures, or has any other severely damaged parts, these fractured bones, or other damaged parts will be grated and rubbed together and in the process, additional injury may occur.

In accordance with the present invention, a patient litter is provided wherein the structure includes a body supporting platform fabricated from a radiolucent set of panels held within a rigid or semi-rigid frame. If desired, padding may be formed upon the panels, the padding being fabricated from the same radiolucent substance. The structure is designed so as to universally fit all ambulance carrying devices, including stretchers and carts, and is likewise arranged to be accommodated on hospital emergency carts and the like. The device itself may be transferred with the patient resting thereon, so that the patient is never moved so as to cause the assumption of different positions. If X-rays are indicated, they can be taken by merely placing the X-ray cassette beneath the patient carrying device, with the incident radiation passing through the body of the patient, as well as through the body supporting platform, and ultimately into the radiant sensitive film. Since the plastic substance comprising the body supporting platform is radiolucent, any anomalies present in the patient will be susceptible of detection. If desired, means can be provided to permit transverse upward folding of a segment of the body supporting platform in order to provide different positions for the patient, if needed.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved patient litter which comprises a body supporting platform fabricated from a generally radiolucent plastic resinous substance.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved patient litter having a body supporting platform fabricated from a substantially radiolucent substance, the platform having means immediately therebelow for receiving X-ray film, these means being formed along the entire axial extent of the structure.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved patient litter which includes a body supporting platform fabricated from a generally radiolucent plastic, the body supporting platform being provided with patient restraining straps, these straps being fabricated from the same radiolucent plastic resinous substance as the body supporting platform.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved patient litter having a body supporting platform fabricated from a generally radiolucent plastic resinous substance, the platform being provided with hinge and latch means to accommodate transverse upward folding of a segment of the body supporting platform, the hinge and latch means preferably being formed of radiolucent substance.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a patient litter fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 2--2 of FIG. 1, and showing an X-ray cassette disposed immediately beneath the body supporting platform of the litter device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a modified form of patient litter equipped with hinge and latch means to accommodate upward folding of a segment of the body supporting platform of the structure; and

FIG. 4 is a detail isometric view, on a slightly enlarged scale, showing the hinge mechanism employed in the structure shown in FIG. 3.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein the patient litter structure generally designated 10 is shown, this structure including a body supporting platform 11 having a generally "C" configuration with a top planar surface 12 along with inwardly folded lip members 13 and 14 on the underside thereof. While mechanical stability is achieved with these members 13 and 14, they also perform the function of retention for an X-ray film cassette which is disposed therebetween. In this connection, such a device is shown at 15, in FIG. 2. Gripping handle members are shown at 16, 16, and these are useful when carrying a device of this type with a patient resting thereon. A plurality of hold down straps are provided such as at 17, 17, these straps being provided with clamp means at the end thereof, such as a Velcro clamp or the like.

The body supporting platform 11 is fabricated from a radiolucent substance, and is preferably prepared from molded ABS resin. This type of resin is an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene mixture which has a significant radiolucent characteristic. Furthermore, this material is available in forms which can be readily molded into rigid structures, and may also be frothed or foamed so as to form a pad member or the like. A pad is shown on the structure as at 20, this pad being in the form of a frothed ABS resin having a density in the area of about 1 to 5 pounds per cubic foot. Such materials are commercially available.

While ABS resins have been suggested as materials of construction for the device of the present invention, it will be appreciated that other similar resin substances may be utilized as well, provided they possess the required rigidity and versatility of ABS resins, along with the radiolucent characteristic. ABS resins are uniquely suited to this application, since they possess high strength, and also because they are available in a variety of forms, including rigid panels for forming the body supporting platform, foamed structures for forming pads, and are also available in the form of webbing for preparing the straps 17-17. With the entire device fabricated from the same radiolucent substance, the patient may be given X-ray examinations without requiring removal from the litter structure. One other material having radiolucent characteristics is an acrylic-polyvinylchloride substance produced and sold by Rohm & Haas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under the mark "Kydex". One particular code mark is "Kydex 100."

The lip members 13 and 14 extend along the entire length of the structure, thus making it possible for the X-ray cassette 15 to be disposed at any position along the length of the device. For example, patients of various sizes suffering from a variety of injuries may be subjected to X-ray examination by merely positioning the cassette at any desirable point along the length of the litter member.

Attention is now directed to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing wherein a modified form of device is illustrated, these figures showing a litter member 25 having a body supporting platform arranged in two segments 26 and 27. This platform is transversely separated at 28 in order to accommodate the lateral hinge members 29 and 30. The lateral hinges are preferably provided with an adjustable stop means in order to lock the device in any predetermined position. The hinge members are preferably fabricated from stainless steel, however it is appreciated that they may, if desired, be fabricated from the same material forming the body supporting platform. For purposes of strength and rigidity, however, the metallic members are normally desired.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 4 of the drawing for a detail showing of the stop members which may be employed in the adjustable hinge structure. In this connection, a plurality of axially spaced pins or lugs are disposed along the lateral edge of the segment 26 of the split body supporting platform, and a locking strap member is shown at 32, this strap member pivotally mounted onto the segment 27 by means of pin 33. Thus, the patient may be elevated, when desired, by locking member 32 onto one of the laterally extending members 34, 35, or 36. Such an arrangement provides positive latching and eliminates the risk of collapse of the litter when occupied by a patient.

In the event it is desirable to treat the patient with fluids, a fluid pole is preferably provided, such as is shown at 38 in FIG. 1. If desired, a clamping means may be mounted laterally of the body supporting platform, such as at 39, for releasable retention of a fluid pole 38.

If desired, for purposes of safety and the like, depending upon the nature of use of the device, it may be desirable in certain instances to employ a self-extinguishing filler in the resinous substance of the present invention. In order to avoid disturbing the radiolucent characteristic of the structure, a highly chlorinated hydrocarbon would normally be preferred for this characteristic.

In the preparation of the molded structure, it may, in some instances, be desirable to utilize a reinforcing fiber, the fiber being prepared from the same material forming the molded product. For practical considerations, the materials will be compatible, and the molding operation will not degrade the quality of the reinforcing fibers significantly.

It will be appreciated that the examples given herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed by way of limitation.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a patient litter:

a. a body supporting platform fabricated from a certain generally radiolucent plastic resinous substance and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional radio absorbing thickness and being adapted to support a patient on the upper surface thereof;

b. means for transporting the litter when occupied by a patient, and strap means secured to the litter for retaining a patient upon said body supporting platform, said strap means being fabricated from radiolucent plastic resinous material;

c. X-ray film cassette receiving means formed integrally with said body supporting platform and of said certain plastic resinous substance and being disposed immediately beneath the undersurface of said body supporting platform and with said film cassette being adapted to receive electromagnetic radiation from a source through the body of a patient on said body supporting platform and thence through said body supporting platform.

2. The patient litter as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said strap means are formed of the same plastic resinous substance as the body supporting platform.

3. The patient litter as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said body supporting platform is generally "C" shaped with edge flanges being formed along the entire length thereof, and said X-ray cassette is adapted to be received in channels formed between the edge flanges of said body supporting platform and the in-turned lips of said "C" shaped platform disposed therebelow.

4. The patient litter as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said retaining straps are provided with strap securing means adjacent the respective mating ends thereof, the straps and the strap securing means each being formed of the same radiolucent material from which the body supporting platform is fabricated.

5. The patient litter as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that hinge and latch means are provided along said body supporting platform to accommodate upward folding of a segment of the body supporting platform about a transverse fold joint.

6. The patient litter as defined in claim 5 being particularly characterized in that said hinge and latch means are formed of the same radiolucent material as the body supporting platform.