Connecting Device For Plastic Encased Hydrotherapy Plinth

Abstract

A hoist-controlled plinth, which supports a patient partially immersed in agitated water in a whirlpool tank of a hydrotherapy treatment system, is covered with a disposable, flexible water-tight plastic sleeve to isolate the plinth from any contact with the water, thereby providing a barrier to the transmission of bacteria in order to prevent the various patients using the plinth from cross-infecting each other. Each end of the plastic encased plinth is upwardly connected, by a novel connecting device, to a pair of rigid suspension struts which in turn connect to the hoist. Each of the two connecting devices takes the form of a continuous, symmetrically shaped metallic rod appropriately bent so that it has a pair of parallel upright portions that embrace the plinth at support points along the plinth's side rails, and a pair of coplanar supporting portions that lie beneath and support the side rails at the support points. The rod also has a centrally-located hook-shaped portion that hooks over an associated one of the plinth's end rails to maintain the connecting device affixed to the plinth. The extreme ends of the rod lie outboard from the side rails and are eye shaped to accommodate a pair of eyes which link to the associated pair of suspension struts.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A patient requiring hydrotherapy treatment is usually transferred to and lowered into a water-filled hydrotherapy tank on a plinth or litter controlled by an electrically powered overhead hoist. All of the elements and hardware in contact with the water should be sterilized beforehand so that the patient treated will not become infected by bacteria. Hydrotherapy treatments are customarily given to burn patients and such patients are particularly vulnerable or susceptible to infections, especially when the burns are severe and the patient has open wounds.

Due to the nature of its construction, the plinth itself is most difficult to sterilize and often times a supposedly sterilized plinth still bears infection-causing bacteria. However, a convenient arrangement for effectively neutralizing the plinth as a source of bacteria is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,176, issued May 1, 1973 to Robert C. Miller, and assigned to the present assignee. In that patent, the plinth is encased in a disposable, flexible water-tight sleeve or sheath, made of plastic film, in order to completely isolate the plinth from any contact with a patient or with the water in the whirlpool tank. The water-tight barrier established by the plastic sleeve prevents the transmission of bacteria between the plinth and the patient and between the plinth and the water and this in turn prevents the various patients using the plinth from cross-infecting each other.

A conventional plinth comprises a rectangular rigid metallic frame, usually of tubular construction, across which canvas-like material is stretched to support a patient. The ends of the plinth are held by and suspended from the overhead hoist by four rigid suspension struts or rods anchored to the frame's side rails. The anchor or support points are not positioned at the four corners of the rectangular frame, but rather are disposed inward from the two ends, generally about fourteen inches in from each end. By suspending the plinth at support points inward from its extreme corners, the frame's structural strength, weight and cost may be minimized. Unfortunately, when such a conventional plinth is covered or encapsulated with a flexible plastic sleeve, there is no way to attach the suspension struts to the plinth without punching holes in the sleeve at the support points, and this destroys the effectiveness of the sleeve as a water-tight barrier with respect to bacteria transmission.

The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a unique adapter which permits a plastic covered conventional plinth to be anchored to its suspension struts at its customary support points, and this is achieved without puncturing the water-tight sleeve. Two of the adapters are preferably employed, each one serving as a connecting device for effectively interfacing and coupling an associated end of the plinth to a pair of the suspension struts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A connecting device, constructed in accordance with the invention, is incorporated in a hydrotherapy treatment system wherein a patient is supported partially immersed in a water-filled whirlpool tank on an elongated plinth having a rectangular rigid metallic frame of tubular construction and formed by pairs of coplanar side rails and end rails, the plinth being encased in a disposable, flexible water-tight plastic sleeve to prevent patient cross-contamination. In that system, a pair of rigid suspension struts upwardly connect each end of the plastic encased plinth to an overhead hoist. The connecting device interconnects a predetermined end of the plastic encased plinth to its associated pair of suspension struts and comprises a continuous, uninterrupted, symmetrically shaped metallic rod which is bent to provide a pair of parallel upright portions that are perpendicular to the plane defined by the frame and embrace the plastic encased plinth at support points along the side rails close to but inward from the plinth's predetermined end. The metallic rod is also shaped so that it has a pair of coplanar supporting portions each of which is adjacent and perpendicular to a respective one of the upright portions and each of which lies underneath and supports a respective one of the side rails at its support point. A centrally-located upwardly extending hook-shaped portion, provided in the metallic rod, hooks over the end rail at the plinth's predetermined end to maintain the connecting device attached to the plastic encased plinth. The metallic rod is also appropriately bent at its two ends to provide a pair of eye-shaped portions which lie outboard from the side rails. In addition to the metallic rod, the connecting device of the invention includes a pair of coupling elements, such as eyes, each of which intercouples a respective one of the eye-shaped portions to a respective one of the suspension struts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further advantages and features thereof, may best be understood, however, by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hydrotherapy treatment system constructed in accordance with the prior art, and illustrating inter alia a conventional plinth suspended from and controlled by an overhead hoist;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plinth and suspension arrangement of FIG. 1 but modified to include a pair of connecting devices constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plinth itself as covered with a flexible, water-tight plastic sleeve and to one end of which is attached a connecting device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the connecting devices;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the plane of section line 5--5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top view, partially broken away and on an expanded scale, of one end of the plastic encased plinth;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along section line 7--7 in FIG. 6; and,

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along section line 8--8 in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The hydrotherapy treatment system of FIG. 1 includes a relatively large water-filled whirlpool tank 10 of the Hubbard type, the required water agitation being effected by a pump 12 that circulates the water and simultaneously injects air into it. A patient is supported on an elongated plinth 14 which is hung or suspended from an electrically powered overhead hoist 16 that rides on a steel trolley beam 17. Four rigid suspension struts or rods 18a-18d upwardly connect plinth 14 to a rigid spreader bar 19 which in turn attaches to hoist 16 by means of chain 21 and hook 22. Plinth 14 has a rectangular rigid metallic frame 25 formed of tubular shaped metal, usually hardened stainless steel. Because of its rectangular configuration, frame 25 effectively comprises a pair of parallel side rails 25a and a pair of parallel end rails 25b, all four rails being coplanar. The lower ends of suspension struts 18a-18d anchor to side rails 25a close to but inward from the plinth's two ends. Ordinarily, these connections are made about fourteen inches from each end and by means of four self-locking hooks 27a-27d that attach to eyes 28 linked through holes in the side rails. Control of the electrically powered hoist 16 is facilitated by a control box 29 having switching devices that may be manipulated by the operator or attendant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Attention is now directed to FIGS. 3-8 which illustrate the manner in which the hydrotherapy treatment system of FIG. 1 may be altered in accordance with the present invention so that plinth 14, when encased in a flexible plastic sleeve, may be hung from hoist 16 by the same suspension struts 18a-18d and at the same anchor points without necessitating any puncturing of the plastic sleeve at those anchor points.

As is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6-8, patient support is provided by flexible material 32 (preferably a plastic-coated reinforced canvas) which is stretched across and attached to metallic frame 25 by means of plastic rope or lacing string 33. The disposable, flexible water-tight plastic sleeve or sheath for preventing bacteria transfer to and from plinth 14 is depicted by reference numeral 35 and is preferably made of transparent plastic film such a polyethylene. After sleeve 35 is slipped over plinth 14 (see especially FIG. 3), its ends are knotted in order that the plinth will be completely sealed from the water in the hydrotherapy tank. Of course, other expedients may be employed to render the plastic sleeve water-tight. Moreover, as will be apparent later, the sleeve ends need not be sealed and may remain open so long as those ends are elevated well above the water level in the tank. All that is necessary is for the sleeve to present a barrier so that there is no way for bacteria to travel from the plinth to the water or vice versa.

With plastic sleeve 35 encasing plinth 14 and the sleeve ends knotted, connecting devices constructed in accordance with the invention may now be installed at the two ends of the plinth. Each connecting device (designated by the reference numeral 36) takes the form of that illustrated in detail in FIG. 4. Basically, it comprises a continuous, uninterrupted, symmetrically shaped metallic rod 38 which is appropriately bent to have a configuration that permits the device to interconnect one end of the plastic encased plinth to its associated pair of suspension struts. Preferably, rod 38 constitutes quarter inch round stainless steel. Substantially the entire metallic rod 38 is preferably covered with a relatively soft, resilient material 39, such as sponge rubber, to avoid any possible damage to flexible plastic sleeve 35. As an alternative, rod 38 may be plastic coated.

By bending metallic rod 38 to take the shape shown in FIG. 4, it will have a pair of parallel upright portions 38a and 38b which, when the device is installed at one end of plinth 14, will be perpendicular to the plane defined by frame 25 and will embrace the plastic encased plinth at support points along side rails 25a close to but inward from that end, see FIGS. 2 and 6-8. The support or anchor points will be located at the same positions along the side rails where the struts would otherwise directly link to the side rails in the prior art construction of FIG. 1. Immediately adjacent and perpendicular to each of upright portions 38a and 38b is a respective one of a pair of coplanar supporting portions 38c and 38d which lie underneath and support respective ones of side rails 25a at the support points. A pair of coplanar, converging portions 38e and 38f of rod 38 also lie beneath the plinth and each joins a respective one of supporting portions 38c and 38d to a centrally-located upwardly extending hook-shaped portion 38g which hooks over the end rail to maintain the connecting device 36 attached to the plastic encased plinth. Of course, flexible plastic sleeve 35 lies between and separates connecting device 36 and plinth 14 at all points. Sleeve 35 has not been shown in FIG. 2 and is broken away in FIG. 6 merely for illustrative purposes. The two ends of metallic rod 38 are bent to form a pair of eyes 38h and 38j which will lie outboard from side rails 25a. Linked to eye-shaped portions 38h and 38j are respective ones of a pair of eyes 41a and 41b each of which in turn couples to a respective one of the self-locking hooks at the lower ends of the suspension struts.

The coupling arrangements established by the two connecting devices 36 and their associated suspension struts are relatively rigid and stable and yet there is always a plastic film barrier between each device and plinth 14. It is to be particularly noted that each of the devices 36 is held in tension by means of the suspension struts. In other words, the two suspension struts at each end of the plinth pull or bias the associated connecting device 36 toward the middle of the plinth and this constant force aids in holding the device fixed in position.

In operation, a patient requiring hydrotherapy treatment is placed on the plastic encased plinth 14 and then, by properly controlling hoist 16, is moved over the water-filled tank 10 and lowered into the water to the extent necessary to submerge the patient's body with the exception of his head which will be supported on a head rest or pillow, not shown. As mentioned previously, the ends of sleeve 35 need not be sealed as shown in FIG. 3, but may simply be raised sufficiently so that they are always elevated well above the surface of the water. For example, as the patient is being lowered into the tank, the sleeve ends may be dressed so that they drape over the sides of the tank. Pump 12 is energized to agitate the water. Alternatively, pressurized air may be injected directly into the water. At the conclusion of the hydrotherapy treatment, hoist 16 is operated in order that the patient-bearing plinth is raised above the water level and then transferred away from the tank to permit removal of the patient. Plastic sleeve 35 is subsequently disposed of since it will now be contaminated with bacteria from the patient just treated. The water, of course, is also drained and all of the elements in contact with the water, other than the plastic encased plinth, must be sterilized. This would include parts of pump 12, the submerged parts of the suspension struts, the two connecting devices 36, and the internal surfaces of the tank. One convenient method of blocking bacteria transfer to and from the tank surfaces, without sterilizing those surfaces, is to line the entire inside of the tank with a large sheet of flexible plastic film, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,690, issued Mar. 14, 1972 to Robert C. Miller et al, and assigned to the present assignee. Of course, a new plastic sleeve 35 and new water will be used for the next patient so that no bacteria can be transferred from one patient to the next.

The invention provides, therefore, a unique connecting device that serves as an adapter to facilitate the coupling to a hoist of a conventional hydrotherapy plinth which has been covered with a flexible plastic sleeve, and where the plastic film separates the plinth from the connecting device.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

We claim:

1. In a hydrotherapy treatment system wherein a patient is supported partially immersed in a water-filled whirlpool tank on an elongated plinth having a rectangular rigid metallic frame of tubular construction and formed by pairs of coplanar side rails and end rails, the plinth being encased in a disposable, flexible water-tight plastic sleeve to prevent patient cross-contamination, and wherein a pair of rigid suspension struts upwardly connect each end of the plastic encased plinth to an overhead hoist, a connecting device for interconnecting a predetermined end of the plastic encased plinth to its associated pair of suspension struts, comprising:

a continuous, uninterrupted, symmetrically shaped metallic rod which is bent to provide

a pair of parallel upright portions that are perpendicular to the plane defined by the frame and embrace the plastic encased plinth at support points along the side rails close to but inward from the plinth's predetermined end,

a pair of coplanar supporting portions each of which is adjacent and perpendicular to a respective one of said upright portions and each of which lies beneath and supports a respective one of the side rails at its support point,

a centrally-located upwardly extending hook-shaped portion, equidistant from said supporting portions, which hooks over the end rail at the plinth's predetermined end to maintain said connecting device attached to the plastic encased plinth,

and a pair of eye-shaped portions at respective

ends of said metallic rod and lying outboard from the side rails;

and a pair of coupling elements each of which intercouples a respective one of said eye-shaped portions to a respective one of the suspension struts.

2. A connecting device according to claim 1 in which said metallic rod also includes a pair of coplanar, converging portions lying beneath the plinth's predetermined end and each of which joins a respective one of said supporting portions to said hook-shaped portion.

3. A connecting device according to claim 1 in which said coupling elements are eyes each of which links a respective one of said eye-shaped portions to a respective one of the suspension struts.

4. A connecting device according to claim 1 in which at least part of said metallic rod is covered with a relatively soft, resilient material in order to avoid damaging the flexible plastic sleeve encasing the plinth.